Salford’s 48,000 smokers urged to donate their last empty cigarette packs to unique local artwork

Walton Oaks, UK, 29th May, 2015 – Salford smokers are being encouraged to quit smoking and donate their last empty cigarette pack to a unique art project that will raise funds for charity. The My Last Pack campaign is being launched by Pfizer in partnership with Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust on World No Tobacco Day on 31 May. The aim of the campaign is to highlight how support from healthcare professionals can help local people to successfully stop smoking.

For every empty cigarette pack received, £1 will be donated to UK charity QUIT by Pfizer. Local residents can take their packs to My Last Pack collection points at Salford Royal from 31 May and throughout June.

The empty cigarette packs will be collected and transformed into a specially commissioned work of art by local artist David Boultbee to convey the significance of quitting smoking. The My Last Pack artwork will be unveiled to the public in Salford this summer.

Salford is a national smoking hotspot, with almost a third of adults in the area confirmed as smokers in comparison to the national average of one in five adults (21%).2 East Salford in particular has been identified as having the highest level of smoking in the area, with almost half the adult population confirmed as smokers.2 The latest research suggests that those who seek help from a healthcare professional are up to four times more likely to stop smoking for good than those who try to go it alone.3

June Roberts, Assistant Director of Nursing at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust commented, “More than one in four adults smoke in Salford, many of whom will have tried several times to quit. Too often, smokers are unaware of the help available and continue to try to break free from their nicotine addiction on their own. We hope that the people of Salford will get behind this campaign and realise that they can get the stop smoking support they deserve.”

Glyn McIntosh, Chief Executive at QUIT commented, “We hope this campaign will encourage smokers in Salford to seek the professional support available and quit smoking for good,

Read more news from QUIT