January 2026
Welcome to our January edition of the Smokefree Alliance Devon newsletter!
In 2025, Devon County Council, Plymouth City Council and Torbay Council, commissioned the Smoke Free App to support residents to quit smoking. This means the whole of Devon now has access to the premium version of the app at no cost to users for 6 months.
DCC promoted the offer throughout Stoptober and has recently launched a major New Year campaign, highlighting the opportunity to make positive life changes at the start of 2026. The campaign began with digital advertising across multiple social media platforms, helping to reach smokers right where they are.
A second burst will follow in February in the lead‑up to National No Smoking Day, with adverts appearing in pubs, bus stops, and on digital radio across the county.
The Smoke Free app offers 24/7 advisor support, and users can access a range of nicotine replacement therapy options, including a free vape kit, to help them stop smoking. The app is already supporting hundreds of people across Devon to quit. We continue working hard to make sure residents know that support is right there in their pocket, whenever they need it.
To find out more visit: Smoke Free App - Smokefree Alliance Devon
We are hosting an in-person event in Exeter on the 12th of March 2026!
The aim of this event is to grow and maintain motivation to engage in tobacco control work across Devon. We will be looking at developing a refreshed action plan to focus the work of the Alliance and encourage people to network and grow relationships to achieve our shared goals.
More details and invite to follow - if you are interested in attending this event please email francesca.cattrall@devon.gov.uk.
Year 2 was a strong and successful year for Stop for Life Devon. We met our targets and continued to grow our team, strengthening our ability to support people across the county. As we move into Year 3, we are focused on helping even more people to stop smoking across Devon and further increasing the impact of our service.
We at Stop for Life Devon have been offering drop-in clinics for our homeless and vulnerable communities by delivering coaching directly within the centres that provide support. We have been working closely with Co Lab in Exeter and the Freedom Centre in North Devon, where our coaches are having some fantastic behaviour change conversations with clients. We are able to distribute products directly to clients, with CO verification at the four week point to validate quits and ensure continued support through the 12 week journey. This is work we are passionate about growing and we will continue to review and build on our progress. Alongside this, we are strengthening partnerships across our communities and have some exciting developments underway that will help us reach and support more underserved populations.
As a service, we have received some wonderful feedback from partners about the impact of our work, particularly our collaborative approach. We always welcome feedback and would love to hear from you, whether it is positive or ideas for development, so please get in touch with our Service Lead at emily.speare@stopforlifedevon.org. Our community training is available to access on our website and we would encourage you to take a look if this is something you are interested in by visiting Community Training | Devon County Council Stop Smoking Service Provided by Best You. As always, please get in touch if you would like to collaborate with our service and wishing you all a fantastic 2026!
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Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service’s SAME4 campaign aims to raise awareness of four key risk factors that increase the likelihood of fatal fires in the home. The acronym SAME stands for Smoking, Age (65+), Mobility, and Emollient creams. When two or more of these factors are present, the risk of a domestic fire rises significantly.
Smoking remains one of the most common causes of fatal fires. The campaign advises that anyone who smokes should always smoke outside, away from flammable materials, and never indoors. Households with smokers are encouraged to follow the same precautions, as cigarettes can be especially dangerous when combined with other risk factors.
Other factors also contribute to fire risk: older adults (aged 65 and over) are more vulnerable in a fire, mobility aids can obstruct escape routes, and emollient creams used for conditions such as eczema are highly flammable and can ignite when in contact with a naked flame.
More information about SAME4 and practical fire safety guidance can be found on the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue Service website: SAME4: Fire safety starts at home
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We are currently producing a guide for employers outlining the stop smoking support on offer for businesses across Devon, Torbay, and Plymouth, specifically those who employ routine and manual workers. Almost 24% of adults in routine and manual jobs in Devon currently smoke.
The booklet will be accompanied by a dedicated workplace support section on the Smoke Free Devon Alliance website. We will be showcasing this project at the next alliance meeting on the 6th of February.
If you are interested in being involved with this work or are able to help spread the word, please contact Francesca Cattrall at francesca.cattrall@devon.gov.uk.
Smokefree Devon Alliance Website - New Website Coming Soon!
We are reviewing and updating our website to improve it as a source for professionals. Welcome to Smokefree Devon - Smokefree Alliance Devon
Any comments on how the website could be improved are welcome please send comments to francesca.cattrall@devon.gov.uk
The newsletters will be shared on our www.smokefreedevon.org.uk/ website to be accessible to all in the future. Alliance newsletter - Smokefree Alliance Devon (smokefreedevon.org.uk)
We are currently developing a new and improved website, coming soon!
Level 2 Practitioner Training:
Barnstaple:
25th February, 10:00-16:00
Exeter:
26th March, 09:30-16:30
28th May, 09:30-16:30
29th July, 09:30-16:30
Newton Abbot:
29th April, 09:30-16:30
Tavistock:
30th June, 09:30-16:30
Torrington:
23rd September, 09:30-16:00
Refresher Training:
Online:
18th February, 10:00-12:30
18th March, 14:00-16:30
15th April, 18:00-20:30
15th July, 10:00-12:30
8th September, 18:00-20:30
14th October, 14:00-16:30
Vape Awareness Training:
Online:
19th March, 10:00-11:30
25th June, 18:00-19:30
Champions Training:
In-Person (TBC):
24th February, 10:00-13:00
To book onto one of these sessions, please visit: Community Training | Devon County Council Stop Smoking Service Provided by Best You
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