Smoking

Today's programme is for anyone who smokes and would like 2016 to be the year they stop. Please listen if that's you or if someone you love is a smoker and you're keen to help and encourage them to quit. Research on smoking cessation suggests that when you're giving up, the attitude of family and friends is the most important thing. It isn't easy - we'll hear from some people who are having to try, try again.

Despite decades of health advice in the UK, smoking is still the main cause of preventable sickness and premature death. The Department for Health calculates that smoking kills more people each year than alcohol, obesity, road accidents and illegal drugs put together. Although smoking rates have halved in the last 40 years - in Britain today 22% of men and 17% of women are smokers. Two thirds start as children.

We'll be in the company of Professor Robert West. He leads of a team of researchers investigating how best to encourage and help smokers to stop. His work includes large-scale surveys into what triggers attempts to quit, the methods people use when they try to stop and how successful they are.

Presenter: Winifred Robinson
Editor: Chas Watkin.