Why are the English twice as likely to smoke as the French (18% against 33%). Because Paul and Sarah, citizens of Her Majesty, were able to save 4,000 euros to buy a car. They quit smoking in 2012!
Easy but very real shortcut. Because 2012 is precisely the year when Great Britain launched Operation Stoptober, a month without tobacco. “A kind of great collective challenge aimed at encouraging smokers not to touch a cigarette from the 1er October and for 28 days,” explains Pierre Bienvault in the newspaper La Croix.
Last autumn, 215,000 Britons signed up for the challenge. And this public health success owes nothing to chance.
First, this mobilization sets achievable objectives. No question of advocating the total cessation of tobacco but rather of inviting participants to engage in a process. To do the first step. “After 28 days, the addiction is less strong and there is five times more chance of quitting for good,” says Professor François Bourdillon, director of Public health Francethe new French health agency.
Then, the whole country puts itself at the service of everyone. Candidates receive a smoking cessation aid kit with a smartphone app and several events are organized in companies and universities with the support of health professionals.
But above all, far from stigmatizing smokers or highlighting the risks associated with tobacco, this initiative promotes attempts at quitting by emphasizing the benefits. “This sharing of solutions”, relayed by social networks, is undoubtedly one of the main keys to the success of this operation.
Attracted by “this social marketing”, France will organize next November its Me(s) without tobacco. “For a month, we will support each other,” launched Marisol Touraine last week, presenting the main lines of this mobilization.
But in the immediate future, it is on the risks that the government continues to communicate, notes Europe1. This Monday, starts an awareness campaign in the media to fight misconceptions about tobacco. No, light cigarettes are not less dangerous, yes, tobacco-related cancers also affect young people. Deja vu. Looking forward to November!
