More than 1,000 Devon families face first Christmas without loved one due to smoking deaths

Smokefree South West is keen to highlight not just the physical risks of smoking, but the emotional ones too, as the pain of losing a loved one can be especially strong at Christmas.

Fiona Andrews, director of Smokefree South West, says: “It can be easy for a smoker to dismiss a cough or shortness of breath without a second thought, however that cough can become something much worse, and it will be far tougher for your loved ones to dismiss the sadness of losing their partner, father, mother, son or daughter because of a smoking related death.

“Sadly more than 1,000 families in Devon will feel that sorrow for the first time this year. For some families getting together to celebrate they will face that empty place around the table when pulling crackers or an unopened present under the tree.

"The raw pain of missing someone you love can be especially tough when it happens unexpectedly, when it takes away those good years you’d looked forward to and when it might have been prevented. Christmas is a time for getting together without the shadow or annual reminder of an unnecessary death caused by smoking.

“But it is not too late to do something about it. Whilst it’s true that 1 in 2 long-term smokers will die early of a tobacco related disease - it doesn’t have to be that way for you.

"Each year there are thousands of success stories across our region as more and more people, with money in their back pockets and a longer, healthier future to look forward to, join the growing band of Ex-smokers. Make 2015 the year you join them so you too can be there tomorrow. ”

Smokers are five times more likely to quit for good with the help of a trained stop smoking adviser alongside them. Local NHS Stop Smoking Services are free to attend and their friendly, expert teams offer practical help and advice, from tips on how to cope with cravings to finding the best tailor made way to quit.