Smoking Cessation

Every cigarette you smoke is harmful. Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death in England, accounting for nearly 80,000 deaths each year. Half of smokers will die from a smoking-related disease. Every 15 cigarettes you smoke will cause a mutation in your body, mutations are how cancers start.

If you currently smoke, the best thing you can do for your health is to quit.

Benefits of Quitting

Below are just some of the benefits of quitting:

  1. Live a longer, healthier life. Half of all long term smokers die early due to smoking related diseases such as heart disease, stroke and lung cancer. Smoking causes approximately 9 out of every 10 cases of lung cancer.
  2. You will breathe more easily. within 9 months of giving up smoking you should cough less and breathe more easily as your lung capacity improves . This can be difference between an active, healthy old age and struggling to climb the stairs.
  3. You will have more energy. Within 3 months of stopping smoking your blood circulation improves. This makes physical activity easier, and can reduce tiredness and headaches.
  4. Improve your fertility, stopping smoking improves the lining of the womb and can improve sperm quality. Stopping smoking also decreases the chances of miscarriage.
  5. You could feel less stressed. Nicotine withdrawal between cigarettes can increase feelings of stress, this is because our bodies confuse the stress of withdrawal with other stresses. It may therefore feel like smoking reduces stress but the opposite is true. Scientific studies found people's stress levels reduce after they stop smoking.
  6. You will have an improved sense of smell and taste. As your mouth and nose stop being dulled by harmful chemicals found in cigarettes you should notice food tastes and smells better. In addition to this your general oral health should improve leading to fresher breath and whiter teeth.
  7. You will have younger looking skin. Stopping smoking has been found to slow facial ageing and delay the appearance of wrinkles. The skin of a smoker gets less nutrients, including oxygen, so stopping smoking can reverse the sallow, lined complexion smokers often have.
  8. You will be protecting your loved ones. Breathing second-hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. Children who live in a smoking household are more at risk of chest infections, ear infection, asthma and are 3 times more at risk of developing lung cancer than children from smoke free homes

Visit the NHS Smokefree website to find lots of information and resources to help you quit including a personal quit plan, a free app, email and text message support and information about stop smoking aids.

Stoptober also takes place annually and is promoted by the staff wellbeing team.

The local Stop Smoking Service for Kirklees is Kirklees Smoking Cessation Primary Care And Community Provision. You can email them or visit the website.