Wiltshire Council is putting a call out for people who smoke or have quit smoking to take a short survey and help ensure future support to stop is targeted and effective.
The council has long term plans to reduce smoking in Wiltshire. Currently figures estimate 10.2% (41,800) of adults in Wiltshire smoke and Wiltshire wants to get that down by 8,000 in 5 years.
The first part of that plan is to ask people's support to identify what works and what doesn't. Once feedback is gathered it will inform future planning and ensure support is based on first hand experience.
Wiltshire Council is launching the short survey on No Smoking Day as many people use the national date to quit. The survey is specifically for people who have smoked in the past and quit or those who are still smoking. The survey is live from 13 March until 27 March 2024.
Link to the survey - https://surveys.wiltshire.gov.uk/Interview/3c9a12ef-703d-4f04-8462-3be58bf30124
Kate Blackburn, Director for Public Health for Wiltshire said: "Taking the decision to stub out a cigarette for the final time is not easy. We know ex-smokers will have their own stories of what has worked for them. We want to hear them and find out the most effective ways that worked. It's equally important to hear from current smokers. We want to know the reasons why they continue to smoke and if they have tried to quit in the past. All this feedback will be invaluable and help us set out effective ways to support people for the future.
Cllr Ian Blair-Pilling, Cabinet Member for Public health said: "There is no avoiding the evidence that smoking can cause harm both to the smoker and those around them. We have set ourselves a clear commitment to seriously reduce the number of people who smoke in Wiltshire. We are part of a multi-agency approach to tackle this in the county. The more smokers and ex-smokers fill in this survey the better our understanding will be and the better our support will be in the future."