The NHS Stop Smoking Service for East Sussex is ten years old.
During the past decade the service has helped almost twenty thousand people across the county to stop, enough to fill both Eastbourne Borough and Hastings United's home grounds to capacity - twice! (see notes for editors)
NHS Stop Smoking Services were launched across the UK in 1999 as part of efforts to improve people's health.
Since then, more than 10,000 people across Eastbourne borough and Lewes and Wealden districts have ditched tobacco with the support of a dedicated team of stop smoking advisers.
In Hastings Borough and Rother District the figure stands at over 8,500.
Peter Aston, Head of East Sussex Stop Smoking Service, says:
"It's staggering when you add it up how many people we have helped over the last 10 years, enough to fill Priory Lane and the Pilot Field to the gunnels and still have as many people again waiting outside to get in!
Nowadays we can give people an individually tailored service to identify the reasons to stop which work them and help keep them focused and motivated.
People stop smoking for all sorts of reasons; to improve their health, to save money, or because the arrival of a child or grandchild has made them think about life's priorities.
We run drop-in clinics across the county, we can visit workplaces if you and some of your colleagues want to stop smoking together, and we offer specialist stop smoking support to pregnant women."
To find out more about what's on offer from the East Sussex Stop Smoking Service, please call 0800 917 8896 or visit www.smokefreeeastsussex.org.uk
Notes for editors
Number of people who have quit smoking in the last ten years:
East Sussex - 19,109
Eastbourne borough, Lewes and Wealden Districts - 10,427
Hastings Borough and Rother District - 8,682
Capacity of:
Eastbourne Borough FC 5,664
Hastings United FC 4,050
