Smoke free Oxfordshire by 2025
Stopping smoking is the best thing an individual can do for their health and wellbeing.
On this page
How to manage your cravings
Besides managing your cravings with nicotine patches and gum, there are other things you can do to make the most of your quit attempt.
- Once you have picked your quit date, remember to add it to your calendar.
- List your reasons to quit.
- Tell people you're quitting. Don’t be The Lone Ranger – buddy up with someone else who is thinking of quitting. Share your experiences and give each other support.
- If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked.
- Use stop smoking aids, like patches and gum.
- Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke.
- List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them.
- Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy.
- Exercise away the urge.
- Get some free advice from local stop smoking advisors. Text ‘STOPOXON’ at 60777 or visit www.stopforlifeoxon.org to find out more.
Good luck. Throw away all your cigarettes before you start. Remember, there is never 'just 1 cigarette'. You can do it!
Stop smoking service
If you would like to increase your chances of quitting, use our free local stop smoking service where you will get advice, information, support, and free nicotine replacement therapy or pharmacotherapy, to help you on your way.
Our strategy
We have created a comprehensive Tobacco Control Strategy (pdf format, 3Mb) as we believe stopping children from starting is the best thing we can do for the public’s health. The strategy aims to reduce the overall prevalence of smoking in Oxfordshire to below 5 per cent by 2025. In doing so, we will achieve our vision to inspire the first smoke free generation in Oxfordshire.
An example of the initiative includes smoke-free sidelines where children train or play football.
Another example is developing the South East of England Position Statement on e-cigarettes to ensure an evidence-based approach is taken to promoting and using them.
Smokefree School Gates
Smokefree School Gates is an initiative that aims to protect children from the harms of second-hand smoke during drop-off and pick-up at school and to denormalise smoking to create a smoke free generation.
Oxfordshire County Council's Public Health team is willing to support schools in creating smoke-free policies for their premises and provide financial support in creating and printing signage to be placed at school gates and/or entrances.
If you would like to discuss Smokefree School Gates, please feel free to email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk.
Smokefree Community Fund
The Public Health team at Oxfordshire County Council have launched a Smokefree Community Fund in which voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations (e.g., district and parish councils, charities, schools, leisure centres, community groups, etc.) can apply for funding between £150-£1000 to create smoke-free spaces or hold smokefree events.
If you would like to apply for this funding, please email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk to begin the application process.
Become a #SmokefreeOxon champion
Sign up for training
Very Brief Advice (VBA) on smoking – free online training sessions
VBA is a simple and powerful tool designed to be used in almost any conversation with a smoker and allows you to offer practical advice in as little as 30 seconds.
VBA training is suitable for anyone likely to come into contact with people who smoke in their day-to-day work. Our free interactive VBA courses are of three types:
- Introduction to VBA: 30 seconds to save a life: A one-hour introductory session which will cover simple facts about VBA and why it’s important
- VBA – Level 1 training: a three-hour session looking at more in-depth ways of engaging smokers and empowering them to take action
- Applying Motivational Techniques workshop – Specialist groups: a one-hour session which will explore how to apply motivational interviewing techniques to enhance communication in specialist groups, e.g. mental health, maternity, vulnerable individuals at risk of homelessness etc.
Book a place for a free online course that suits you: smokefreeoxon.eventbrite.co.uk.
You can also complete free online training provided by the NCSCT, including the theory behind becoming a smoking cessation practitioner.
Stay up to date
Stay up to date with local and national best practices.
Watch the recordings of the presentations from our Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance; if you are a Level 2 trained advisor, this can help top up your training.
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting March 2021 – ASH Policy updates, GP Toolkit for quitting smoking, mental health and smoking
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting July 2021 – e-cigarette evidence update, ADPH SE Region E-Cigarette Position Statement and VBA Training Offer
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting November 2021 - delivering the Long Term Plan tobacco dependences in Oxfordshire, ASH update, Tobacco Industry Tactics
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting March 2022 - smoke free playgrounds, supporting clients with mental health needs to switch to vaping, what does tobacco dependency cost Oxfordshire, and how well are we doing to reduce the smoking prevalence?
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting July 2022 - The Khan Review: making smoking obsolete summary by ASH, and Smokefree Homes by Norfolk County Council.
- Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance meeting November 2022 - Discussion about New Year campaigns, ASH's update on e-cigarette guidance, and the NICE Guidance Assessment tool.
Join us
- Join the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance – email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information
- Use the #smokefreeoxon in relevant social media posts and follow us on @healthyoxon on Twitter
- Make your home smokefree – advise any visitors who smoke that your home is smokefree.
- Make your workplace smoke-free – ensure all relevant staff, like managers, are trained in VBA, and HR policies support staff to quit.
- Make your event/business smoke-free – consider positive signage and create 100% family-friendly smoke-free areas.