No more ifs, no more butts

According to the latest data from Public Health England, the number of smokers in England has fallen to its lowest level. Its health experts revealed that widespread use of e-cigarettes, nicotine patches and gum helped 500,000 smokers kick the habit last year – the highest number on record.

Yet, despite this, and with other stats revealing that approximately 100,000 people in the UK die from smoking-related illnesses each year, nearly one-sixth of adults are still smokers.

Quitting smoking is a big challenge for a person to face and they will often need more than just willpower. It’s important for the person to know why they want to quit before any successful attempts can be made; it is common for people to relapse if they are quitting for somebody else. If the individuals are making the decision for themselves, the chances of success can improve.

No Smoking Day is one of the UK’s biggest annual health awareness campaigns. Every year, hundreds of thousands of smokers will use No Smoking Day on 9th March to try to quit. The campaign is run by the British Heart Foundation and helps smokers who want to quit by creating a supportive environment, and by highlighting the many sources of help and advice available.

No Smoking Day is all about supporting people who want to quit – and celebrating the proud quitters who are already on that journey. It is never too late to quit smoking. Whatever age the smoker is, if they make the decision to stop, their health will benefit. However, the sooner a person quits, the faster the body can recover and the risk of developing serious health conditions will decrease.

There are many benefits to stopping smoking. We discuss some of the main benefits, to help inspire you to stop smoking today.

• More energy

As carbon monoxide affects how much oxygen the blood can carry, the body can find it difficult to function properly. When a person stops smoking, the carbon monoxide in the blood lowers, allowing the lungs and muscles to work the way they should. It also means more oxygen reaches the brain, boosting alertness and energy.

• Longer life expectancy

If a person quits smoking by the age of 30, their life expectancy can increase by 10 years. Even if a smoker is 60 years old, quitting can still add three years to their life.

• Better breathing

Within nine months of giving up, lung capacity is said to increase by as much as 10%. This allows the body to carry out daily tasks without the loss of breath. The “smoker’s cough” should also disappear and any breathing conditions, such as asthma should be reduced.

• Younger looking skin

Smoking prematurely ages the skin. Regular smoking can leave the skin dull, dry and prone to wrinkles. When a person decides to stop smoking, the effect is reversed as the skin begins to receive the nutrients it needs. Over time, the appearance of the skin should dramatically improve.

• More money

The average cost of a 20-pack of cigarettes is £8.00. Smoking 20 cigarettes a day for 10 years, equates to nearly £30,000. Quitting smoking could mean a person is £250 better off per month.

For many people, hypnotherapy is an effective solution. For more information, take a look at our Hypnotherapy to Quit Smoking fact-sheet!

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