Stoptober3 Oct

How can you quit smoking when life is so stressful? Work, friends, family; to stop smoking is just another worry on your list.

With support from the NHS or even more local with us here at Brio or Cheshire Change Hub, you can set the path to success for free!

You’re five times more likely to quit smoking altogether if you stop for 28 days! Why not give it a try? 28 days of not smoking could help you start living a healthier lifestyle.

First, let’s look at what happens when you smoke; there are so many risks that can increase when you smoke.

• Gum disease and yellow teeth
• Risk of cancers in the throat
• Persistent cough
• Risk of lung cancer
• Risk of heart disease and strokes
• Risk of type 2 diabetes
• Lack of appetite
• Can cause infertility
• Blood clots
• Weakened immune system
• Prematurely ageing skin

Quitting smoking helps, not only the list above but so much more! Here are some reasons why quitting is so good and how your body changes within minutes of stopping.

• Within 20 minutes, your heart rate returns to normal.
• After 8 hours of stopping, oxygen levels return to normal.
• 48 hours later, and your smell and taste improve as well as having no carbon monoxide in your body.
• Breathing becomes more natural, and your energy increases after 72 hours.
• Within 2-12 weeks, circulation improves.
• 3-9 months after you’ve quit, lung function increases by 10%!
• 1 year later and the risk of a heart attack is half the risk of a smoker.
• After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer halves.
• The risk of a heart attack is the same as a non-smoker after 15 years!

As you can see, just quitting even a couple of days can completely transform the way your body feels! Not only does quitting help your body, but it also helps your lifestyle.

You can save so much money from not smoking; the average smoker has 13 cigarettes in a day, this is 364 a month and costs £141 a month. Over a year, that is £1,696! Just think of the money you could save from quitting, that money could go towards a house or holiday.

Your general health, fitness and appearance improve drastically; and it is a lot less second-hand smoke your friends and family will be breathing in.

Support

There are so many people out there willing to help support and encourage you through this. The NHS offers so many free ways for you to get support and help. Offering, a Stoptober app, email support, online community, personal plan and face to face support.

Cheshire Change Hub offers support to discuss the best way to stop smoking and will guide you through the range of options that can help you to quit for good. You’re four times more likely to quit smoking with CCH than going it alone. Getting support in the early days of quitting is essential; they have advisors that will meet with you for up to 12 weeks to ensure you’re successfully smoke-free.

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