Stopping smoking
Why should I quit?
There are lots of great reasons to stop smoking and it is never too late to stop. Smoking is one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK. Smoking affects every organ of the body and increases your risk of developing more than 50 serious health conditions, including different types of cancers, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).
Smoking also affects those around you due to the exposure to secondhand smoke (passive smoking). This increases a variety of health risks for the non-smoker. Children and babies are particularly vulnerable to secondhand smoke.
How will I feel if I quit?
Quitting smoking will rapidly improve your physical health and boost your mental health. Your family, friends and your finances will benefit too.
Here are some examples of how you will start to feel better in yourself:
Within hours
Heart rate and blood pressure return to normal.
Carbon monoxide and oxygen levels in blood return to normal.
You protect others from secondhand smoke.
Within days or weeks
Your senses of taste and smell improve.
You start to breathe more easily.
You will have more energy.
With time
Better blood circulation to your heart and muscles.
Improved lung function, which leads to reductions in coughing, wheezing or other breathing problems.
Long term benefits
Reducing your risk of heart disease, stroke, vascular disease, respiratory disease and a range of cancers.
After 1 year, risk of having a heart attack halves compared to a smoker's.
After 10 years, risk of death from lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker.
For more information on the benefits of quitting, visit Smokefree Hampshire
or the NHS Better Health website.
Support is available to help
If you are ready to quit smoking, Smokefree Hampshire provide a free stop smoking service, with a range of options to help you quit. They offer free support across the County.