NHS provides best route to kicking the tobacco habit
Today is World No Tobacco Day, is another excellent opportunity for smokers to get support to help them give up smoking.
For those who are giving up for the first time or need more support since quitting on No Smoking Day, there are lots of health professionals waiting to give you a helping hand.
One in five smokers say they want to give up before the smokefree legislation comes into force in England in July and the best way to quit is by using an NHS stop smoking service.
That can provide help, support and nicotine replacement therapies – research shows that smokers are four times more likely to succeed in quitting if they use stop smoking services.
Vishnee Sauntoo, Campaign Manager of the charity No Smoking Day told PinkNews.co.uk:
“World No Tobacco Day is another great opportunity to try and quit smoking before the legislation comes into force.
“1.1 million smokers quit smoking on this year’s No Smoking Day in March and many more took a step towards quitting.
“Because of the impact of the smokefree legislation throughout the whole of the UK, many smokers are seriously thinking about their lifestyle choices, one in five smokers have said they will quit before smokefree – all they need to do now is set a quit date and get help and support from their local stop smoking service.”
Worldwide over one billion people smoke and this addiction kills around five million people every year.
The role of the health professional is key in reducing this avoidable death toll.
Smokers who use support from health professionals as well as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) are four times more likely to stay stopped for good than those who go it alone.
The benefits of stopping start almost immediately.
After just 20 minutes blood pressure returns to normal.
After 24 hours the lungs start to clear out the build up of tar.
48 hours later nicotine will have almost cleared out of the body.
After a few weeks exercise will be easier.
After five years the risk of a heart attack is halved.
In one year a 20-a-day smoker will have saved around £1,825.
To find out where your local stop smoking service is log onto www.nosmokingday.org.uk or call 0800 169 0 169
