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John Barnes, Ian Wright and the Premier League call for Football Fans to Kick it Together by joining Smokefree United

News Release issued by the COI News Distribution Service on 07 October 2009

Today, football legends John Barnes, Ian Wright, Gianfranco Zola and teams from the Premier League have teamed up with the NHS to launch Smokefree United, a virtual club of quitters that provides coaching and support to help football fans and players to stop smoking.

In addition to quitting advice, footballers and fans who sign up for Smokefree United will receive motivational emails from football hero Ian Wright encouraging them to stop smoking, as well as the chance to win money-can’t- buy prizes such as the chance to play a game on the pitch of the team they support.

According to new research conducted on behalf of the NHS Stop Smoking Service, 41 per cent of male smokers in England play football and 82 per cent of them are concerned about the effect smoking has on their performance and want to quit.[1]

Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said:

“Stopping smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your game, your fitness and overall health. Quitting smoking is tough, but by joining Smokefree United you'll get the motivation and support you need to stop for good."

Footballers who smoke are worried they are letting their side down with more than half (56%) admitting that their smoking affects the teams’ overall performance. The majority of smokers (73%) admit they can’t keep going for the full 90 minutes of a match and three quarters (75%) admit that non-smokers have better endurance on the pitch than them.

The effects of smoking aren’t just felt in the dying minutes of a game, three-quarters of smokers (72%) say that they notice the effect of their smoking before half time and nearly half (46%) say they notice it within the first 10 minutes on the pitch. A further quarter (25%) of football players who smoke are embarrassed in front of their team mates due to their wheezing.

With medical research[2] showing that smokers are able to extend the amount of time they can exercise only a week after quitting, Smokefree United and the Premier League are keen to highlight that quitters could show an improvement in their performance at their next game.

John Barnes said:

“I’d urge all football fans and players who have thought about quitting to sign for Smokefree United. Quitting smoking will have a huge impact on your game and you’ll immediately become more competitive because your cardiovascular fitness will improve, increasing the amount of time you’ll be able to spend on the pitch.”

Kris Serjent, local Stop Smoking Adviser from Hampshire local Stop Smoking Services said:

“Quitting as a team is an excellent way to stop smoking as you’re there to motivate each other when the going gets tough, but also there to celebrate the success of staying smokefree. Signing up to Smokefree United will help you get more out of your game.”

Football fans in Portsmouth have already seen the benefits of quitting and have set up their own smokefree team, which is going from strength to strength.

AFC Smokefree team member Craig Sadler, 37, married with three children said; “Playing football with AFC Smokefree has been a great way to stay off the cigarettes, boost my fitness and get support from the team. My children have a lot of energy and when I was smoking it was getting to the point where I couldn’t keep up with them – now I can, and we’ve all noticed the difference.”

For help quitting, visit the Smokefree United website at nhs.uk/smokefreeunited or call the NHS Stop Smoking Helpline on 0800 917 0492

[1] All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from The Survey Shop. Total sample size was 1000 male adult smokers in England. Fieldwork was undertaken between the 4 and 10 September 2009. The survey was conducted online and the data is representative of smokers aged 18+ in England.[2] McHenry PL, Faris JV, Jordan JW, Morris SN. (1977). Comparative study of cardiovascular function and ventricular premature complexes in smokers and nonsmokers during maximal treadmill exercise. American Journal of Cardiology. 39(4):493-8.

Notes to Editors

For further information please contact the Department of Health press office on 020 72105221 1. John Barnes will be available for interview on 7 and 8 October 2009 2. Kris Serjent, local Stop Smoking Adviser from Hampshire local Stop Smoking Services will be available for interview on 7 and 8 October. 3. Local NHS Stop Smoking Advisers available for interview on request 4. The following members of AFC Portsmouth are also available for interview on 7 and 8 October 2009 · Brian Saunders, 37, a fireman Brian, who is married with two children, has tried to stop smoking many times, but found himself wanting to smoke when he went out for drinks with friends. He quit smoking in March 2009 having smoking since he was 21. As a fireman Brian has seen at first hand the damage smoking can do to homes, sometimes taking lives. This has helped him realise that smoking just wasn’t worth it. He also acknowledges that having two young children was a big motivator – he wanted to live longer for his kids, and going smokefree will help that happen. · Craig Holmes, 26, warehouse assistant Craig started smoking when he worked in a pub. He was never a heavy smoker, but when his new born child arrived 8 weeks ago he wished to quit for good while trying to boost his fitness. The local NHS Stop Smoking Service got Craig going with tailored advice, a nicotine inhalator and a carbon monoxide test. Looking at the charts after the test made him realise the damage he was doing to his body. · Brendan Bone, 37, works in recruitment Brendon started smoking when he was around 18 or 19 when socialising with friends at his local pub. Although he was never a heavy smoker because of his asthma, he continued to enjoy smoking the occasional cigarette, when socialising with friends, for almost 20 years. · Paul Scutt, 18, student Paul started smoking at 11 as it was the ‘cool’ thing to do in his friendship group at the time. Since then Chris has been a regular smoker. Although he tried to quit once before, he didn’t succeed in becoming smokefree until he visited his local NHS Stop Smoking service. He has now been smokefree since August 2009 and puts much of his success down to Kris – his NHS Stop Smoking Adviser. · Craig Sadler, 37, fireman Craig Sadler is a Watch Manager with the local Fire service who started smoking on and off aged around 17. He had made several unsuccessful attempts at quitting before going smokefree for good in 2007. When he started to notice that he could no longer keep up with his six year old daughter when playing in the park the damage he was doing to his body really hit home. This has proved to be the ultimate motivation for Brendon so far. He has been smokefree since the 2nd of February 2009 and intends to keep it that way for the sake of his and his daughter’s happiness Fans of Smokefree United Gianfranco Zola and the West Ham United Squad: “We’re pleased to be supporting Smokefree United and call on smokers to sign up and get help to quit. There’s plenty of online support to help you kick smoking and you’ll see an improvement in your game within a week.” Premier League Head of Community Development Simon Morgan: “The Premier League is right behind Smokefree United. We are fully committed to improving the quality of thousands of people’s lives through the many health initiatives that our clubs run. For example, our Premier League Health project sees clubs all over the country tackle specific health issues that their male fans face. “Smokefree United provides a new and exciting way of highlighting the benefits of going smokefree to football fans, while giving them the ongoing support needed to successfully quit smoking.” Premier League Clubs The following Premier League clubs are supporting Smokefree United, which complements much of the work they are already doing to improve the health of their fans: Tottenham Tottenham Hotspur Foundation (THF) is currently delivering a number of health related programmes. One of these programmes, 'Healthy Family', is an outreach education intervention which focuses on obesity, oral health and physical activity. As part of their overall health offer THF have also sent a number of their coaches on smoking cessation training courses, allowing them to help individuals from both the 'Healthy Family' and other health related programmes stop smoking. Under the umbrella of 'Healthy Family' an additional programme, 'Premier Health' focuses on men’s health and is aimed at helping to tackle a number of key areas within men’s health such as smoking and obesity. Everton Everton’s Premier Health scheme aims to motivate and inspire hard to reach males, in Liverpool, to make positive, healthy lifestyle choices. Premier Health has six key health themes: smoking cessation, cancer, substance and alcohol misuse, sexual health, obesity and CVD and mental health. They provide one-to-one mentoring support and take advantage of match day environments at Goodison Park to publicise pertinent men’s health issues. Sunderland Sunderland AFC Foundation’s ‘Fit for Football’ scheme uses football coaching to deliver active sessions aimed at helping people give up smoking, deal with health inequalities and providing positive messages about healthy eating and general well-being. They also help educate families about the dangers of smoking, having a healthy diet, importance of exercise and how to improve self esteem and confidence through their ‘Family Learning through Football Fitness’ programme. HullCity Hull City are launching a men’s health programme in October aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of men aged 18-39. They aim to reduce the number of men smoking through smoking cessation seminars, and guidance will be given to those determined to stop, with tailored services for more difficult cases. Portsmouth Portsmouth recently launched a campaign to educate men about cancer, as part of a new initiative run by the Football Foundation. The campaign will focus on the three main types of cancer – lung, bowel and prostate - the first two of which are most commonly associated with smoking. Portsmouth will have nurses offering health checks and advice at its matches, and are also starting up their own ‘Premier Health’ scheme to help raise awareness of men’s health issues through its various community partnerships. Blackburn Rovers Blackburn Rovers are involved in two men’s health initiatives that incorporate help and advice to stop smoking. The first is the new ‘Ahead of the game’ campaign which aims to raise the awareness of, amongst others, lung cancer, through the power of football. They also take part in the ‘Premier Health’ initiative which aims to help improve the state of men’s health by encouraging healthy lifestyles and offering advice on quitting smoking. Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers’ Football in the Community is launching a new Premier League Health project, which will run for three years and specifically aims to help local men lead more fit and healthy lifestyles. Men will be given advice on the dangers of smoking and a poor diet and on what help is available to kick the habit and improve their diet. Fulham Fulham Football Club Foundation will be targeting men in the Lambeth area as part of their Premier Health project. They hope to use football as a mental well-being enhancement tool and increase access to statutory health care. They will address three main areas of concern through issue based workshops: substance misuse, including smoking; nutrition and sexual health. Liverpool Liverpool Football Club manages extensive healthy living programmes: Healthy Stadia (focussing on fans, visitors and employees), European Healthy Stadia (a network of 150 venues sharing good practice), Truth 4 Youth assemblies, which include health messages, and the Action 4 Healthprogramme which includes the Premier League Men's Health and Extra Time programmes. As well as health promotion, the latter three programmes include one-to-one health checks which are directly linked to pathways to assist people to make lifestyle changes, including smoking cessation. There are also four health information kiosks in community centres. LFC works closely with partners in the Liverpool Primary Care Trust, Liverpool City Council, Premier League, Heart of Mersey and local community groups to ensure that the most appropriate help is on offer. What is Smokefree United? Smokefree United is a virtual club of quitters – supported by John Barnes, Ian Wright and the Premier League - that provides coaching and support to help football fans and players to stop smoking. Quitters signing up will receive regular weekly contact over a four week period via supportive emails from Ian Wright, entry into competitions to win money-can’t-buy prizes, and the chance to send the club you support to the top of the Smokefree League. Why is the Department of Health running Smokefree United? The NHS Smokefree team understands that different messages and triggers will motivate different people to make a quit attempt. By discussing the many benefits of quitting within a football context we want to let football fans and players know that if they stop smoking they’ll get more out of their game – both on the pitch and by being able to spend more time with their family. · The majority of male smokers (70%) would like to quit smoking · Over 80 per cent of male smokers are football fans What happens when you go Smokefree – benefits timeline 20 minutes Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal 8 hours Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half, oxygen levels return to normal 24 hours Carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body. Lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris 48 hours There is no nicotine in the body. Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved 72 hours Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase 2-12 weeks Your circulation improves 3-9 months Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up to 10% 5 years Risk of heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker 10 years Risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker. Risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked 5. NHS Smokefree factsheet: Quitting · Three-quarters of smokers (74%) say they would like to quit if they could. Key statistics include:· 58% of smokers say that they intend to quit in the next 12 months· 86% of smokers cite at least one health reason for why they want to quit· 60% of current smokers have made a series attempt to quit in the past five years· 53% of smokers have sought some kind of help or advice for quitting smoking· 87% of people who have attempted to stop smoking in the last year would like to stop smoking · Heavy smokers are more likely to have tried to stop smoking (87%) · 55 %of smokers said that someone had asked them to stop smoking - this tended to be a partner (22%), son or daughter (17%) or a parent (16%)· Women were more likely than men to say that their children were asking them to quit (22% and 13% respectively)· Only 7% of smokers who had previously managed to stop smoking, had quit for two years or more, while 72% had only managed to quit for six months or less6. Telephone numbers for NHS Stop Smoking Support:• NHS Smoking Helpline (0800 169 0 169) • NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline (0800 169 9 169)• NHS Asian Tobacco Helpline• Urdu - 0800 169 0 881 • Punjabi - 0800 169 0 882 • Hindi - 0800 169 0 883 • Gujarati - 0800 169 0 884 • Bengali - 0800 169 0 885 7. NHS Smokefree factsheet: Top 10 tips for a successful quit attemptResearch shows smokers are up to four times more likely to stop smoking successfully if they get support from their local NHS Stop Smoking Service and Nicotine Replacement Therapy, compared with relying on willpower alone.The NHS Smokefree campaign suggests the following top ten tips to help smokers on their path to become smokefree: 1. Order a free DVD from 0800 169 0 169 to find out about the full range of NHS support available to help you quit.2. Get support from trained NHS advisers who can help you to understand your addiction and how to beat it.3. Identify your smoking triggers and plan ahead. Try the Addiction Test at www.nhs.uk/smokefree. 4. Use nicotine replacement products or other stop smoking medicines to cope with the withdrawal symptoms. These are available on prescription from the NHS.5. Sign up for free text and email alerts from the Together Programme with motivational tips and advice to keep you on track.6. Avoid situations where you might be tempted to smoke again. Plan ahead to cope with the hard times.7. Note how much cash you’re saving. Work out how long it will take you to save for your dream purchase by using the calculator on www.nhs.uk/smokefree. 8. Use a carbon monoxide monitor to see for yourself how quickly your body recovers once you stop smoking. Local NHS Stop Smoking Services offer carbon monoxide monitoring as part of their stop smoking programmes.9. Chuck out your ashtrays, matches and lighters and anything else you needed to smoke. Put potpourri where your ashtrays used to be – your home will smell fresher in no time at all. But most importantly, take it one day at a time and reward yourself every day

Contacts:

Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk