When you stop smoking, good things start to happen

Stoptober is back! In its 12 years, it has helped 2.5 million people to have a go at putting the fags away for good. Evidence shows that those who can stay smoke-free for 28 days are 5 times more likely to quit.

Over 5 million people still smoke in England, and it remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death. Every year around 64,000 people die from smoking with many more living with debilitating smoking-related illnesses. The total cost of smoking to society in England is approximately £17 billion a year! Yes, that was billions!

This includes the cost to the NHS of treating diseases caused by smoking at approximately £1.9 billion a year. That’s a lot of money on illness and disease that Stoptober aims to help prevent in the future.

Feel Good Suffolk has our own range of support for you if you are ready to give it a go, or if you are a friend or family member of someone who is. The benefits of quitting speak for themselves.

New research from Censuswide found that nearly 95% of ex-smokers saw positive changes in their life soon after quitting. Really soon, after 48 hours of their last cigarette ex-smokers report their sense of taste and smell improving and after 2 weeks having more energy, feeling healthier and breathing better.
The impacts are not just physical either all smokers report a healthier bank balance as a result of stopping. On average smokers spend nearly £40 a week on smoking, that’s around £2000 a year. What could you do with an extra couple of grand in your pocket?

The hardest part of stopping for most smokers is dealing with social situations and handling the cravings that come with nicotine withdrawals. But Feel Good Suffolk can help you to manage the roadblocks to quitting. It’s a good idea to get friends and family to support you or make your quit attempt with someone. Together we are stronger and getting support can increase your chances of success.
For cravings, you might want to try vaping or Nicotine Replacement Therapies, they can help you deal with your body adjusting to life without nicotine. Many people wrongly believe that vaping is more harmful than it is and for many it is one of the most effective ways to kick the habit. Also, while secondhand smoke from cigarettes causes serious harm to others, there is no evidence so far that vaping is harmful to those around you.

Feel Good Suffolk has a range of information to help if you want to find out more.

Stoptober offers a range of free quitting tools; you can find out more by searching ‘Stoptober’ for more information. Or look at our Stop Smoking pages for more information about what’s available for you locally. Make this year the year that good things start to happen!