Quitting smoking is not only one of the best things you can do for your health and the health of those around you, but it can also help boost your wellbeing and save you money.

We know quitting can be challenging, which is why we’re marking No Smoking Day today by celebrating some of the great things our local stop smoking services have achieved recently.

We work closely with Barnsley Hospital’s maternity stop smoking service to help women go smoke-free during their pregnancy and give their babies the best start in life.

Their team offers free, confidential advice and support to help pregnant women and their families who want to stop smoking, and it’s great to see the team’s hard work paying off.

The latest data shows that only 8.79% of mums in Barnsley are smoking on the day their baby is born, the lowest we’ve ever had.

Thanks to the team’s non-judgmental, supportive approach, we’re helping more families make positive changes to improve their health and wellbeing, both now and in the future.

To celebrate the good news, the team hosted a drop-in event in Barnsley Hospital today to help more parents and families learn more about the support they offer.

We’ve also joined our partners at NHS Yorkshire Smokefree in Barnsley Market this morning, offering advice and support to anyone thinking about quitting or needing a little extra help.

Their free, confidential support has a proven track record of helping people stick with their quit attempts, whether it’s their online quit tool, advice helpline or weekly stop smoking clinics.

Throughout the week, we’re sharing some of the great feedback their friendly, trained advisors have received recently on our Healthy Barnsley page to inspire others to give quitting a go.

If you’ve been thinking about quitting, today is the perfect day to start, and Yorkshire Smokefree Barnsley is here to help you every step of the way. Even if you’ve tried before, don’t give up on quitting smoking – every time you try, you’re a step closer to success.

Find out how they can help you by visiting their website or calling 0800 612 0011 to speak to one of their friendly advisors. They will help you choose the best support to suit your needs.

Councillor Wendy Cain, Cabinet Spokesperson for Public Health and Communities, said: “In Barnsley, we’re committed to making sure everyone can get the right support to go smoke-free. While 84% of people in Barnsley currently don’t smoke, we continue to work with our health partners to keep this number coming down.

“I’m delighted to be able to celebrate the fantastic support we have in Barnsley this No Smoking Day, including what we’ve done to support pregnant women and their families to give their babies the best start in life. If you’ve been thinking about quitting or tried in the past, give it a go this No Smoking Day and speak to Yorkshire Smokefree Barnsley if you need a helping hand.”

To learn more about how we’re making smoking invisible in Barnsley, please visit our website.