Hundreds commit to quit
smoking following campaign
ALMOST 500 people in Liverpool
committed to stop smoking in January following the launch of a new public health
campaign urging people to quit the habit.
Smoking accounts for almost 1,000 deaths every year, in Liverpool and 25% of people in the
City smoke.
Kick the Ciggies and
Chuck the Ciggies have launched in
the new year targeting 30 to 60 year old men and women who want to give up
smoking but lack confidence. The men's campaign was themed around football while
the women's featured local ladies talking about how they had given up. Almost 15,000 people watched a series of
videos produced for the campaign, which included Liverpool FC legend Jamie Carragher and actress Gemma Brodrick giving tips, advice and encouragement on
giving up.
The online advertising campaign resulted in an 86% increase in referrals to
SmokeFree Liverpool, a free service which provides 1 to 1 support and access
to medicines that fight cravings. There was also a 38% increase in the number of
phone calls the service received.
A total of 495 people set a quit date with SmokeFree Liverpool in January 2017;
220 up on the average for previous months; but the actual figure could be as
high as 1,760 because research shows that for every person that contacts SmokeFree Liverpool, another seven will try to give up without using the
service.
On Wednesday, 8 March
2017, it was National No Smoking Day, and SmokeFree Liverpool representatives
attended Asda Walton, Williamson Square, in Liverpool's City Centre, to help
people quit. Please let us know if you spotted them! We are told
that they are now continuing to look at other ways to help smokers quit and will
continue to urged to all smokers to try and quite. So what are your views
on this topic?
1 of the success stories is Stephen Poulson, who has given up a 20 year habit
smoking 30 hand rolled cigarettes each day. "I decided to quit as I had
got fed up of waking up and coughing and nicotine stains on my fingers, but I
also realised how much money I could save by not smoking. I found quitting hard
to do at first and the first week was tough however I found it became easier day
by day and now I have no thoughts about smoking. To quit smoking I used a
combination of patches and quick mist spray which was really effective. The
spray can give you the hiccups, but they soon pass. The benefits I have found
since stopping smoking are no coughing, my taste and smell is back to normal,
there are no horrible nicotine stain on fingers, plus I have saved enough money
to go to town soon to buy some new clothes. My advice to other people is to
mentally prepare for the big day of quitting. Take every day as it comes and
think of every day as a win. It soon turns in to a week and then a month. Keep
the money you would normally spend on cigarettes in a jar and watch as it soon
mounts up."
Councillor Paul Brant, Cabinet member for
health, said:- "Smoking is one of the biggest killers in Liverpool and all
the evidence shows that quitting is the biggest thing you can do to benefit your
health. Our campaign is aimed at showing people that they are not alone and
there are lots of different types of support out there to help them quit. It is
also good for your pocket as well as your health, as people who give up smoking
save an average of around ₤2,000 per year."
Dr Sandra Davies, Liverpool's Director of Public Health, said:- "Signing
up to quit smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and this
campaign is designed to target those people who, for one reason or another, lack
confidence quitting.
We know that the vast majority of smokers in Liverpool are keen to quit and our
message is that there is lots of support to help you through the process. There
is a whole range of advice that we offer ranging from face to face to over the
phone and text or email. We'll work with you to come up with a quit plan suited
to your needs.
Even if you have tried unsuccessfully to stop smoking before, it doesn't matter,
sooner or later you will be successful if you have the right support."
People wanting to give up smoking can get in touch with Smokefree Liverpool
should call:- 0800 061 4212, or visit:-
SmokeFreeLiverpool.Co.UK.
SMOKING FACTFILE
► Smoking increases the risk of heart disease by a quarter and doubles the risk
of heart attack or stroke.
► Cardiovascular disease is 1 of the main causes of death and disability in
Liverpool.
► ˝ of long term smokers will eventually be killed by their addictions.
► Within a year of quitting, the risk of heart attack is halved, and within 2
years the risk of stroke is reduced to that of a non smoker.
► The cost to the City is an estimated ₤60 million a year to the NHS and in sick
days, litter and fires caused by cigarettes.
Next of kin appeal for Marguerite Smith
MARGUERTE Smith, 82, passed away, on
Saturday, 4 March 2017, at Cambridge Court Nursing Home, Cambridge Road. We are
told that she was also known as Rita and had previously lived at Balliol Lodge
Nursing Home, in Bootle, which is now closed. The Liverpool Coroner's Office
currently trying to trace her next of kin. There are no suspicious circumstances
surrounding Marguerite's death. Any family members or persons with information
are asked to contact Coroners Officer Stephen Craig on:- (0151) 777 3422. |
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Foreign students contribute
₤970m to North West
OVERSEAS students generate ₤970m for
the economy in North West England and support over 3,995 jobs, according to an
analysis by Universities UK.
The Norths' Universities attracted 35,850 students from outside the UK in
2014 to 2015 alone, with overseas students in the region spending a total of ₤458m in
addition to their direct university costs.
Former Manchester MP and Liberal Democrat Councillor John Leech commented:-
"These figures highlight the threat to Manchester's economy posed by the
UK Government's reckless plans to clamp down on international students.
Overseas students make a huge contribution to our City, supporting jobs by
spending millions of pounds on local businesses.
If the UK Government was serious about boosting regional growth, they would be
helping Universities in Manchester attract more foreign students instead of
obsessing over cutting numbers at all costs.
Already the number of EU students choosing to study in the UK has fallen,
showing how a hard Brexit would damage our Universities and local economy.
Manchester is a proud and international City, and only the Liberal Democrats
will stand up against this narrow minded approach for a Britain that is open,
tolerant and united." What are
your views on this? Does this affect you? Please let us know via emailing
us to:-
News24@SouthportReporter.com.
Port of Liverpool welcomes largest
containership to date
THE largest containership to ever call
at the Port of Liverpool arrived on Monday, 6 March 2017. The 6,552 TEU*
'HS Paris' berthed at the Liverpool2 Deep Water Container
Terminal, at 4:30am.
Previously, the Port of Liverpool's existing container terminal could only
accommodate vessels up to 4500TEU. The HS Paris is the 1st post Panamax**
vessel to call at Liverpool, following the Phase 1 opening of Liverpool2, in
November 2016.
Mark Whitworth, Chief Executive of Peel Ports Group, said:- "This is a
huge milestone for Peel Ports and the Port of Liverpool. The whole team is
delighted to welcome HS Paris to the City for the 1st time. While we have the
capacity to handle vessels up to 20,000 TEU, smaller post Panamax ships are
still very much part of our overall strategy and it's essential that can
accommodate those too. We can now do that thanks to our ₤400m investment at
Liverpool2, providing a shorter route to market for UK importers and exporters,
which reduces their costs, congestion and carbon emissions."
Peel Ports recently announced that it had secured 150 advocates for its Cargo200
initiative. The campaign calls on importers and exporters whose goods begin or
end their journey in the north of the UK to switch delivery of ocean freight
from South East ports to the centrally located Port of Liverpool. It's estimated
that the initiative could save UK plc up to ₤200 million by 2020. It also aims
to cut freight mileage by 200 million miles by 2020.
* TEU means 20 foot equivalent unit, i.e.
the size of an average shipping container.
** Post Panamax is a designation within the shipping industry for vessels that
could not fit through the former Panama Canal, prior to its expansion last year.
The "502 Trails" History Tour
ON Sunday, 2 April 2017, the Friends of
the 502 Group will be running a tour around the routes their Unit would have
worked, after entering service in early 1940. The tour will commence 10am, at
London Street, Southport and end again in Southport, around 5.30pm, at side of
Southport Station. The group plan to again use an audio enabled vehicle from Don
Fraser Coaches for this tour.
"Our preserved Electric Train (known as
Class 502) worked for over 40 years between Southport to Liverpool to Ormskirk,
until retired in early 1980's. 40 years ago, on 30 April 1977, Liverpool
Exchange Station closed and the Electric Services were diverted to Liverpool
Central, on 3 May 1977, as part of the new Loop and Link Underground, in
Liverpool. This trip is a joint commemoration of these changes with an added
touch of Liverpool Overhead Railway 60 years after Closure, on 31 December 1956.
On we take a tour by bus will be visiting appropriate sites of interest along
the way, that will include the Liverpool Exchange area. We will also make a stop
at the National Museums on Merseyside for lunch, to view their Liverpool
Overhead Railway Coach. In the afternoon we will then go along Dock Road and
onto Aintree and Ormskirk, finally visiting Burscough, to see 502 undergoing
restoration, before returning direct to Southport. We would like to add that as
all the organisers are voluntary bodies, our costs will only be covered by
donations on the day." said a representative of the Friends of the 502
Group.
If you want more information about this trip, please call Tony Kuivala, on:-
07885 435542. Also for lots more information about the Friends of the 502 Group,
why not visit:-
Class502.Org.UK? |