November Smoke-free Month: A Month To Quit Smoking
In France, tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death. That's why, since 2016, the Ministry of Health has been organizing a Tobacco-Free Month in November. This initiative, inspired by the British "Stoptober," is a national public health challenge. Its goal: to encourage and assist as many French people as possible to quit smoking.
One month to multiply your chances of quitting
Under the initiative of the Ministry of Health, November is the "Tobacco-Free Month" in France. The goal of this campaign is simple: to encourage smokers to quit smoking for at least thirty days starting from November 1st.
The thirty-day duration has been chosen because it increases the likelihood of quitting smoking permanently by fivefold.
Numerous partners (public actors, associations, media, large companies) support this initiative, which is accompanied by a communication campaign on television, the internet, and in the streets.
A free aid kit.
To help you take on the challenge of a smoke-free month, you can download a free support kit composed of 4 elements from the Public Health France website (https://www.santepubliquefrance.fr/determinants-de-sante/tabac/documents/outils-d-intervention/mois-sans-tabac-le-kit-pour-arreter-de-fumer).
This kit includes:
- the "40-day Program" booklet which offers daily advice and challenges to prepare for quitting over 10 days and to maintain cessation for 30 days;
- the savings wheel to estimate the money saved from quitting smoking;
- the "Tools" leaflet which presents the various Tabac Info Service tools and their usefulness in quitting;
- the "Health Professionals" leaflet which explains the benefits of seeking health professionals in the context of smoking cessation and how to access their services.
Throughout the month of November, events are organized to mobilize and motivate former smokers: consultations to assist with quitting, information stands, and sports challenges.
A challenge that might work
Perhaps you are among the 8 million smokers (that's one in two smokers) who want to quit smoking... If so, take this opportunity and challenge your friends to a smoke-free month! Quitting together means supporting each other and increasing your chances of success.
In Great Britain, where such an initiative has been in place since 2012, Stoptober appears to have been fruitful. In 2015, across the Channel, over 300,000 smokers took up the challenge. The following year, smoking rates dropped by 1%, meaning that about 90,000 people quit smoking!
In Great Britain, smokers now make up only 18% of the population over the age of 15, compared to 32% in France. Our country is one of the worst performing in Europe, with 73,000 deaths attributed to tobacco each year.
To learn more, visit the smoke-free month website (link below). You can also download the Tabac Info Service mobile app or call 39 89.
