This October, thousands of smokers will take on the challenge to quit smoking. “When you stop smoking, good things start to happen — you can begin to see almost immediate improvements to your health,” the NHS website reads.
New research from the Department of Health and Social Care from more than 3,000 ex-smokers show people can expect positive changes as soon as two weeks after quitting, including having more energy (45 per cent), feeling healthier (42 per cent), and improved breathing (42 per cent).
What is Stoptober?
The national quit smoking campaign, Stoptober, returns to encourage smokers to quit this October and highlights both the immediate benefits and longer-term gains ex-smokers can expect.
Around 6.6 million people are still smoking in the UK, and it is the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death.
Respondents to the survey also noted improvement in their ability to exercise (22 per cent), healthier looking skin (24 per cent), their sense of taste returning (25 per cent), and found they were saving money (34 per cent). On average, a smoker could save £38 a week by quitting smoking, which is around £2,000 a year.
The stop-smoking campaign is supported by reality TV stars and ex-smokers Bobby Norris and Malin Andersson.
The Only Way is Essex star Norris said: “Three years ago, I finally made the decision to give up smoking after almost 20 years. I was surprised by how quickly I felt the benefits — I instantly had more energy to do the things I love, like improving my fitness. I feel so much healthier, I never want to go back.
“With the great support on offer via Stoptober, I couldn’t recommend a better time to get involved and give it a go from this year.”
Campaigner, broadcaster, and former Love Islander Malin Andersson said: “I quit two years ago because I was pregnant but was amazed to discover there are so many other benefits to stopping smoking, such as being able to breathe easier, I had more energy, and just felt so much healthier.
“I used to smoke eight to 10 cigarettes a day for eight years, so I know how hard it can be to quit, but after seeing these improvements, I had to stick with it. This could be you, too!”
Is vaping better than smoking?
Vaping is still relatively new, so it is difficult to make conclusions about how it compares to smoking. However, some studies show that vaping is far less harmful than smoking. This is because e-cigarettes don’t contain cancer-causing tobacco, and most of the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes are not in e-cigarettes.
Though some potentially harmful chemicals have been found in e-cigarettes, levels are usually low and generally far lower than in tobacco cigarettes.
However, vapes contain more nicotine and are addictive. Recent studies have also shown that those who vape with THC (cannabis) are more at risk of lung disease and even death.
Tips on how to stop smoking
Here are some tips to help you succeed in your mission to stop smoking, according to NHS Better Health.
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 NHS’s Quit Smoking support group on Facebook for support and advice.
There is more help and resources on the NHS Better Health website.
