Whether it’s for better health, for your loved ones, or to save money, there are lots of reasons to stop smoking. When you stop smoking good things start to happen.
1. Save money:
Quitting smoking can seriously boost your bank balance, giving you more money to spend on the things that matter. With the average ten-a-day smoker spending around £40 a week on tobacco. That’s over £2,000 a year!
Find out how much you could save when you quit by using this handy savings calculator.
How else might you save money?
When you quit smoking, you won’t just save money on tobacco, you’ll also save money on:
- lighters and lighter fluid
- gum and body spray to try and hide the smell
- replacing clothes that smell of smoke
- redecorating or replacing smoke damaged furniture
- less trips to the dentist due to a reduced risk of gum disease caused by smoking
Smoking is becoming more expensive
With the increasing cost of tobacco, smoking is only going to cost you more. Did you know vapes are cheaper and significantly less harmful than cigarettes? They can help you manage cravings as you move towards quitting for good.
Vapes should only ever be used by adult smokers who want to quit smoking. Non-smokers should never start vaping as some vapes contain nicotine which is an addictive substance.
2. Better Health:
Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. And the benefits start sooner than you might think!
When you quit smoking, you’ll benefit from:
- breathing easier
- better energy levels
- improved oral health
- skin looking brighter
- boosted immune system
- living longer
- reduced risk of serious illness
What happens to your body when you stop smoking?
The sooner you stop smoking, the sooner you’ll notice improvements to your health. Here’s what happens after your last cigarette...
Reduce your risk of serious illness
When it comes to smoking, the figures are stark: one in two smokers will die early. Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of:
- cancer
- stroke
- heart attack
- lung disease
- emphysema
- COPD
If you have an existing health condition that is caused by or made worse by smoking, then the best thing you can do for your health is to quit smoking.
Going into hospital?
Did you know smoking changes your blood composition, meaning it takes longer for wounds to heal and increases the risk of infection? That’s why it’s highly recommended that you stop smoking before having an operation.
Learn more about why it’s important to quit smoking before an operation to reduce your chances of complications and speed up recovery after surgery.
3. Mental Wellbeing:
Did you know smoking cigarettes interferes with certain chemicals in the brain. Quitting is scientifically proven to relieve stress, anxiety, and depression.
Can smoking really help you relax?
Many people think smoking helps them to relax. But in fact, smoking increases the stress, tension, and anxiety that you feel.
Scientific studies show that people’s stress levels lower after they stop smoking. And it can take just six weeks for quitting smoking to improve your mood and mental health.
Many studies show the mental health benefits of quitting smoking include:
- anxiety, depression and stress levels are lower
- quality of life and positive mood improve
- the dosage of some medicines used to treat mental health problems can be reduced
Top tips for dealing with stress
- get the right help and support to take the stress out of quitting
- know your triggers and how to avoid them
- stay positive and take it one step at a time
- write down your reasons to remind yourself why you’re quitting
Download the free NHS Quit Smoking app to help you:
- track your progress
- see how much you're saving
- get daily support to help you quit
4. Protecting loved ones:
When you quit smoking, not only do you protect your loved ones from second-hand smoke, but you also live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. And that means the world to people who love you.
Second-hand smoke
Second-hand smoke comes from the tip of a lit cigarette and the smoke that the smoker breathes out. Breathing in second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoking, can increase your risk of getting the same diseases as smokers, including lung cancer and heart disease.
Protect your children
Passive smoking is especially harmful for children as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune systems. Children who live in a household with at least one smoker are more likely to develop:
- asthma
- chest infections like pneumonia and bronchitis
- meningitis
- ear infections
- coughs and colds
- babies are also at increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Smoking whilst pregnant, or smoking around a pregnant woman, can increase the risk of complications during pregnancy and birth.
Protect your pets
Pets are also affected by second-hand smoke – cats, dogs and birds that live in a home with someone who smokes are more likely to develop cancer, eye infections, allergies and breathing issues. This is because the harmful toxins and carcinogens in tobacco smoke get trapped in their nose, fur, feathers, and lungs.
Opening windows doesn’t help
Second-hand smoke stays in the air for several hours after somebody smokes, although you might not see it or smell it. No matter how careful you think you’re being, people around you will still breathe in the harmful toxins.
Opening windows and doors, or smoking in another room, will not protect the other people in your house. The only way to fully protect your loved ones from second-hand smoke is by not smoking indoors or near them.
Did you know?
Most people start smoking and become addicted when they are children. Those whose parents or siblings smoke are around three times more likely to smoke than children living in non-smoking households.
Children who start smoking at the youngest ages are more likely to smoke heavily and find it harder to give up. These smokers are at the greatest risk of developing smoking related diseases.
Get the support you need to quit smoking today. With the right help good things will start to happen.
- Call Health Improvement Connect on 0800 952 1000, option 2
- Or refer yourself to the service by completing our online form below and somebody will be in touch to provide the support you need.
- If you need an interpreter, let us know and we will arrange one for you.
This page was last updated on 28 September 2023