Established in 1984, No Smoking Day is an annual health awareness day in the United Kingdom which is intended to help smokers who want to quit.
The earlier you quit smoking, the more you're likely to benefit. But it's never too late – because quitting will improve your health whatever your age and no matter how long you have smoked.
Stopping smoking allows your body to repair itself:
- after eight hours, oxygen levels return to normal;
- after two days, your lungs start clearing out harmful smoking debris;
- after three days breathing becomes easier;
- within weeks, your heart attack risk begins to drop;
- and in as little as six weeks you can start feeling the mental health benefits of quitting.
Your longer-term risks are also reduced – compared to a smoker, after one year of quitting your risk of heart attack halves as does your risk of death from lung cancer after 10 years of not smoking. After 15 years, your risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked.
You will also see improvements to your smell, taste and skin. Quitting smoking can reduce tiredness and headaches and improve your libido, fertility, breath and whiteness of your teeth. Your circulation improves, as does your immune system.
Equally important is that those around you cease to suffer the consequences of breathing second-hand smoke. And don’t forget the financial savings, with the average quitter saving around £38 a week, or £2,000 a year.
If like many you have tried to quit through willpower alone, know that it is much easier to go smoke-free with the help. There are many support options available, such as the NHS, Quit and the British Heart Foundation, as well as other online and local support groups.
The NHS has an easy three-question quiz to help you find the combination of support that’s right for you: Free Personal Quit Plan - Quit Smoking - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Make No Smoking Day 2023 the day you quit for good!
Resources:
- Quit smoking - Better Health - NHS (www.nhs.uk)
- National No Smoking Day: Quitting Smoking Doesn’t Have to be Stressful! - Niquitin Uk
- Today is the Day
Supporting smokers to stop smoking | Help giving up smoking | QUIT
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