Why It's Best To Stop Smoking

Stopping smoking is the single most important thing people can do to reduce their risk of developing coronary heart disease - within 5 years your risk is half that of a smoker's and after 10 years it is the same as a non-smoker's - and whatever your age, it is never too late to give up smoking.
Here are some of the important health benefits associated with stopping smoking.

  • After 20 minutes: Blood pressure returns to normal, and temperature of hands and feet increases to normal
  • After 8 hours Carbon monoxide levels in the blood start to reduce to normal and oxygen levels in the blood start to increase to normal
  • After 24 hours The risk of a heart attack begins to fall
  • After 1 week The sense of taste and smell starts to improve
  • After 3 to 9 months Any breathing problems improve, including coughing, wheezing and shortness of breath
  • After 1 year The risk of developing heart disease is reduced to about half that of a smoker
  • After 5 years The risk of a heart attack is half that of a smoker
  • After 10 years The chance of getting lung cancer is now half that of a smoker. Your chances of having a heart attack are now the same as someone who has never smoked.

For more information and your questions answered, speak to your local All About Health pharmacist. You can find your nearest one here.

It’s never too late to give up smoking – whatever your age. Giving up drastically reduces the risk of a heart attack – within five years your risk is half that of a smokers and after ten years it is the same as a non-smokers.

There are other advantages too – you reduce your risk of lung cancer and lung diseases such as emphysema. You will be able to breather more easily, have a better sense of taste and smell, and generally feel much fitter. Not only that but your complexion will improve and you’ll have a lot more money in your pocket!

Top tips
Dealing with the urge to smoke can of course be difficult but there are some useful tips to getting through this:

- Wait until the craving passes – you may find the urge only lasts a few minutes
- Drink some water – helps avoid smoking and takes your mind of smoking
- Distract yourself – do not try and justify ‘just one cigarette’
- Remind yourself why you wanted to quit
- Avoid social situations where you would normally smoke until you are ready
- Watch out for signs of stress and try and diffuse them eg through a brisk walk, a chat with a friend
- Seek support from your local pharmacist who will have lots of practical advice around managing your weight, cholesterol and blood pressure as you give up – as well as helping you monitor the positive results!

Will I have any side effects when I quit?
Giving up smoking is difficult because the body is addicted to nicotine. When you give up you may become irritable, depressed or restless and have difficult concentrating. These feelings will pass though and it is important to persevere, as the benefits will last a lifetime.

Will I gain weight when I give up smoking?
This is not inevitable but many quitters do gain a little extra weight. Don’t replace your cigarettes with lots of sweets or fatty snacks – choose fruit instead. It’s not worth smoking to keep your weight down – eating healthily and exercising can easily lose a few extra pounds!

What are the health benefits of stopping smoking?
After 20 minutes: Blood pressure returns to normal
After 8 hours: Carbon monoxide levels in the blood return to normal
After 24 hours: The risk of heart attack begins to fall
After 1 week: The sense of taste and smell starts to improve
After 1 year: The risk of developing heart disease is reduced to about half that of a smoker

How can my pharmacist help?
By stopping smoking it is well know that you can drastically improve your health. Smokers are at risk of suffering not only from cancer related illness but also from high cholesterol, high blood pressure and heart disease. In fact one quarter of deaths from coronary heart disease are smoking related. Your pharmacist can give advice on managing these effects from weight management through to cholesterol, blood pressure and diabetes it’s worth seeking advice.