Can quitting smoking for 'Stoptober' really help you kick the habit?
Posted on 2 October 2015
Mental Health lecturer Ian Hamilton writes for The Conversation about how more and more campaigns are asking us to quit vices like drinking and smoking for a month, sometimes in aid of charity and sometimes for our own good.
But does making short-term lifestyle changes in this way carry any real health benefits? Some argue that a month is far too short a period for your body to recover from years of chemical punishment and can lead to a false sense of security about your health. Similarly, the NHS advises that crash diets are both bad for your health and don’t help sustain long-term weight loss.
Public health campaigns also have their work cut out for them. Despite the millions Stoptober spends on advertising, it remains a David to the Goliath of the tenacious and cunning tobacco industry that invests billions of pounds a year on promoting itself.