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.

1. Once you have picked your quit date, remember to add it to your calendar.
2. List your reasons to quit.
3. 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.
4. If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked.
5. Use stop smoking aids, like patches and gum.
6. Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke.
7. List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them. 
8. Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy.
9. Exercise away the urge.
10.  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 vaping 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.

• Oxfordshire Smokefree Toolkit (pdf format, 1.3Mb)
• Smokefree school gates - Executive summary (pdf format, 881Kb)

Secondary school youth vaping resources

The emerging issue of youth vaping is one of local and national concern. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) and the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have reported national data with trends in youth vaping and continue to work on this emerging public health topic.

Here are a few key resources to support secondary schools, teachers, and school health nurses in delivering vaping education to pupils, staff, and parents. 

• Advice and Guidance: Managing Vapes in Schools (created by the Association of Directors of Public Health in the South East)
• Sheffield City Council resources - These are great resources for use in schools, created by ASH in conjunction with Smokefree Sheffield. You can access all the resources available at the link above, and below is the short video created to share with all year groups.
• Smokefree Oxon has published a Vaping and eCigarettes fact sheet for parent and carers (pdf format, 3MB). This information leaflet is to be shared or printed.
• YouTube Video for sharing with all Year Groups is a short video created to share with all year groups and their families. 
• OHID Vaping Resources – KS3 form time activities - OHID have recently released resources for use with KS3 pupils. In these three form-time sessions, students learn about social pressures around vaping, its impact, and the effects of nicotine on the adolescent brain. There are powerpoint presentations and some videos to use. A "Guidance for teaching about vaping" document to support one-to-one conversations with young people is also available via the link above.
• What's the problem with Vaping? - a secondary and college Vaping resource has been developed by the University Hospital of Southampton. The downloadable presentation, teacher resources and pintables are free to use once you have registered with the team.
• E-learning course: Vaping a Guide for Professionals - Visit the National Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT). Gain a valuable insight into the facts about vaping.  Available for FREE.

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.

• More information (pdf format, 698Kb).

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.

Join us

1. Join the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Alliance – email smokefreeoxon@oxfordshire.gov.uk for more information
2. Use the #smokefreeoxon in relevant social media posts and follow us on @healthyoxon on Twitter
3. Make your home smokefree – advise any visitors who smoke that your home is smokefree.
4. Make your workplace smoke-free – ensure all relevant staff, like managers, are trained in VBA, and HR policies support staff to quit.
5. Make your event/business smoke-free – consider positive signage and create 100% family-friendly smoke-free areas.