Take your life back this No Smoking Day
Smoking a cigarette is estimated to cut 20 minutes off a person’s life expectancy.
That’s why, on Wednesday, 12 March, smokers are encouraged to mark No Smoking Day by committing to quit for good and contacting their local stop smoking service to give themselves the best chance.
This year the theme of the day is ‘Take your life back’, as giving up smoking has wide-ranging impacts, from the almost immediate to the life-long.
First comes the reduction in harmful carbon monoxide levels in your blood, followed by the improvement in your senses – taste and smell – your ability to breathe more easily and a boost in your energy levels. Over time you’ll start to look better too, as more oxygen reaches your skin and there’s no longer any tar staining your teeth.
In the long term, your levels of anxiety and stress will be lower and your risk of developing cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis and dementia will also have gone down.
Smoking damages blood vessels, raises blood pressure, and reduces oxygen flow to the heart, increasing the risk of heart disease and stroke. Quitting improves heart health, lowers disease risk and enhances lung function.
With smoking claiming 64,000 lives every year in England alone and being responsible for one in four of all cancer deaths in the country, it’s no exaggeration to say that giving up smoking is the best thing you can do for your health.
Dr Lalitha Iyer, Chief Medical Officer of NHS Frimley, said: “Every hospital admission and every death as a result of smoking is an admission or a death too many, and we want to help our communities to change this situation.
“It really is never too late to quit smoking. Even if you have tried before, it is worth giving it another go. There’s free expert support available which I would encourage anyone to use, as local stop-smoking services are proven to give smokers the best chance of quitting successfully.”
Stop Smoking services covering East Berkshire, North East Hampshire, Surrey Heath and Farnham can be found on our Quit Smoking webpages and national advice and support can be found on the NHS Better Health website.