The NHS recently launched a campaign to urge football fans to give up smoking. Smokefree United is a virtual club for quitters where you can get coaching and support to help you stop smoking. There's also a Smokefree United league where you can show your support for the club by pledging to quit. So show your support for Chesterfield FC and make a pledge to quit today!
You can sign up here at www.smokefree.nhs.uk/united
John Barnes, Ian Wright and the Premier League call for Football Fans to Kick it Together by joining Smokefree United
Football legends John Barnes, Ian Wright, Gianfranco Zola and teams from the Premier League have teamed up with the NHS to launch Smokefree United, a virtual club of quitters that provides coaching and support to help football fans and players to stop smoking.
In addition to quitting advice, footballers and fans who sign up for Smokefree United will receive motivational emails from football hero Ian Wright encouraging them to stop smoking, as well as the chance to win money-can't- buy prizes such as the chance to play a game on the pitch of the team they support.
According to new research conducted on behalf of the NHS Stop Smoking Service, 41 per cent of male smokers in England play football and 82 per cent of them are concerned about the effect smoking has on their performance and want to quit.
Public Health Minister Gillian Merron said:
"Stopping smoking is one of the most important steps you can take to improve your game, your fitness and overall health. Quitting smoking is tough, but by joining Smokefree United you'll get the motivation and support you need to stop for good."
Footballers who smoke are worried they are letting their side down with more than half (56%) admitting that their smoking affects the teams' overall performance. The majority of smokers (73%) admit they can't keep going for the full 90 minutes of a match and three quarters (75%) admit that non-smokers have better endurance on the pitch than them.
The effects of smoking aren't just felt in the dying minutes of a game, three-quarters of smokers (72%) say that they notice the effect of their smoking before half time and nearly half (46%) say they notice it within the first 10 minutes on the pitch. A further quarter (25%) of football players who smoke are embarrassed in front of their team mates due to their wheezing.
With medical research showing that smokers are able to extend the amount of time they can exercise only a week after quitting, Smokefree United and the Premier League are keen to highlight that quitters could show an improvement in their performance at their next game.
John Barnes said:
"I'd urge all football fans and players who have thought about quitting to sign for Smokefree United. Quitting smoking will have a huge impact on your game and you'll immediately become more competitive because your cardiovascular fitness will improve, increasing the amount of time you'll be able to spend on the pitch."
Kris Serjent, local Stop Smoking Adviser from Hampshire local Stop Smoking Services said:
"Quitting as a team is an excellent way to stop smoking as you're there to motivate each other when the going gets tough, but also there to celebrate the success of staying smokefree. Signing up to Smokefree United will help you get more out of your game."
Football fans in Portsmouth have already seen the benefits of quitting and have set up their own smokefree team, which is going from strength to strength.
AFC Smokefree team member Craig Sadler, 37, married with three children said; "Playing football with AFC Smokefree has been a great way to stay off the cigarettes, boost my fitness and get support from the team. My children have a lot of energy and when I was smoking it was getting to the point where I couldn't keep up with them - now I can, and we've all noticed the difference."
For help quitting, visit the Smokefree United website at nhs.uk/smokefreeunited or call the NHS Stop Smoking Helpline on 0800 917 0492
