Quit smoking this January: When you quit smoking, good things start to happen — you can begin to see almost immediate improvements to your health. Learn more here from Better Health.
Better physical health
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
Did you know?
You’ll look better as more oxygen will be getting to your skin, making it brighter, and your teeth will no longer be getting stained with tar.
Reduced risks of smoking-related diseases
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.
It’s much easier to quit when you get the right support and there are lots of options to choose from. Check out our free tools and tips to help you stay on track.
Better mental health
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.
NHS: Stopping smoking for your mental health
Did you know?
It can take as little as 6 weeks to start feeling the mental health benefits of stopping smoking.
Better for your family and friends
For some people, a big reason for stopping smoking is to be there for their family and friends.
If you have stopped smoking and are physically and mentally healthy, you’re more likely to be able to support your loved ones – and be a part of their life in the future.
Also, becoming a smoke-free role model means your children are much less likely to take up smoking.
Did you know?
Teens whose parents or caregivers smoke are 4 times as likely to take up smoking.
Protect others from secondhand smoke
Quitting also means you’ll protect your loved ones from the potential health harms of secondhand smoke (sometimes called passive smoking).
Secondhand smoke is dangerous for anyone exposed to it, especially for children.
Quitting tips
You have made a great decision to give up smoking. Here are some tips to help you succeed.
Once you have picked your quit date, remember to add it to your calendar.
- List your reasons to quit.
- Tell people you’re quitting.
- If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked.
- Use stop smoking aids.
- Have a plan if you are tempted to smoke.
- List your smoking triggers and how to avoid them.
- Keep cravings at bay by keeping busy.
- Exercise away the urge.
- Join the Facebook group for support and advice.
Good luck. Throw away all your cigarettes before you start. Remember, there is never “just 1 cigarette”. You can do it!
Let’s do this and make 2024 the year you quit.
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