Quit Smoking

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health. Quitting is much easier when you get the right support and there are lots of options to choose from.

Even if you’ve tried before, maybe more than once, you can still succeed. What you’ve already learned will help you reach your goal of becoming an ex-smoker. The earlier you quit smoking, the more you’re likely to benefit. It’s never too late – because quitting will improve your health whatever your age and no matter how long you have smoked.

Every time you smoke a cigarette, your body is flooded with thousands of chemicals, many of which are poisonous. The day you stop, your body starts clearing itself of all those nasty toxins and the repair process begins.

You’ll notice some benefits within days or weeks:

• your senses of taste and smell improve
• you start to breathe more easily
• you have more energy

Other benefits will follow, including:

• better blood circulation to your heart and muscles, which will make physical activity easier
• improved lung function, leading to reductions in any cough, wheezing or other breathing problems

• Your longer-term risks of cancer, lung disease, heart disease and stroke will be significantly reduced, and:

  • after 1 year, risk of heart attack halves compared to a smoker’s
  • after 10 years, risk of death from lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker
  • after 15 years, risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked

You will also be less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, bone disease including osteoporosis, eye disease and dementia.

You may think that smoking supports your mental wellbeing, and helps you to relax, deal with stress and anxiety, and cope with life’s difficulties. In fact, the opposite is true. Stopping smoking boosts mental health and wellbeing. Evidence shows that after the withdrawal stage of quitting, people have reduced anxiety, depression and stress. People who have quit also have increased positive mood compared with people who continue to smoke.

Everyone benefits when you quit, so take your next step to stop smoking!

There’s a free local Stop Smoking Service near you. With their professional help, you’re 3 times as likely to quit for good!

Find your local Stop Smoking Service here