WORCESTERSHIRE residents are being encouraged to give up smoking as part of the Stoptober event.

The annual nationwide campaign takes place for 28 days throughout October and aims to get people to give up smoking for good.

Councillor John Smith, who is also chairman of the health and wellbeing board, is urging the county's smokers to make this October their time to give up.

Stoptober was first launched in October 2012 and last year more than 500,000 people successfully quit in the nation’s biggest mass participation stop smoking challenge ever.

Stopping smoking is the best thing you can do for your health. Someone who quits smoking for Stoptober, and doesn’t smoke again, could gain an extra seven days of life, every 28 days, for the rest of their life.

Along with the health benefits, stopping smoking also saves the average smoker more than £150 a month, and £2,000 a year.

Councillor John Smith, Worcestershire County Council's cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "Stopping smoking is still one of the best things you can do for your health and is one of the biggest causes of premature death in Worcestershire, with figures showing over 2,500 smoking attributable deaths in Worcestershire between 2012 and 2014.

"Worcestershire County Council fully supports the Stoptober campaign. There has never been a better time to give up with success rates higher than ever."

For more information email Stoptober2016@freuds.com, or visit nhs.uk/oneyou/stoptober.