DISTRICT health chiefs are offering help to smokers to stub-out the habit.

A raft of free support is available for people wanting to quit.

Bradford Council is using the annual Stoptober campaign, which runs throughout this month, to highlight the backing on offer.

Research has shown that two thirds of smokers would like to stop, but don’t attempt it for fear of failure.

And although an estimated four out of five people in the Bradford district don’t smoke, there are still many who do – and last year over 2,000 people across the district died from smoking-related illnesses.

Help can be obtained from the council’s Living Well website, at mylivingwell.co.uk/smoking, and by signing-up to Stoptober at nhs.uk/oneyou/for-your-body/quit-smoking/stoptober.

Councillor Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council’s executive member for healthy people and places, said: “We know quitting smoking is not easy but Stoptober is the right time to try – with the amount of support available through the Living Well service and the Stoptober campaign, and with the help of your family and friends.

“You can contact the Living Well stop-smoking service on 01274 437700 for free support.

“Our aim is to create a smoke-free generation and this starts with existing smokers improving their long-term health and their family’s health by quitting this month.

“It’s not too late to make a change in lifestyle.

“Even though smoking rates are at the lowest ever, there are still too many people across the district dying from smoking-related illnesses and living with long-term health issues because of smoking.”

Since Stoptober was launched in 2012, the campaign has driven nearly two million quit attempts.

Campaign resources include an app, daily e-mails, personal quit plans and an online support community.

Yvonne Doyle, of Public Health England, said smoking numbers across the country were dropping at the fastest rate in over a decade.

She welcomed the figures as “really encouraging”, but added: “We’ve still a way to go to achieve our ambition of a smoke-free society. That’s why Stoptober is back and we’re encouraging all smokers to take part. Giving-up smoking is the best thing you can do for your health and it can save money.”