There are always health and financial benefits to quitting smoking, but quitting now will help you:

 

1. Reduce the likelihood of life-threatening complications from COVID-19. Smoking damages your lungs, and your heart, which can put you at greater risk of life-threatening complications if you get COVID-19.

 

2. Reduce your risk of other diseases caused by smoking such as cancer, diabetes, heart attack, emphysema, bronchitis and stroke. Quitting will improve your health, and help protect the NHS.

 

3. Stopping smoking allows your body to repair itself  after 8 hours oxygen levels return to normal, after 2 days, your lungs start clearing out smoking debris, after 3 days breathing becomes easier and within weeks, your heart attack risk begins to drop. Watch this film which explains all the benefits of quitting.

 

4. Protect the health of others. Exposure to secondhand smoke also increases the risk of complications from respiratory infections, especially in children. It also increases the risk of heart attacks, strokes and cancer. During this time, when we are spending most of our time at home, it’s important to protect others from tobacco smoke. See also guidance for smokers and vapers from Public Health England.

 

Support for you

Visit the today is the Day website

Read success stories from others who’ve decided to quit

Stop smoking services – support from friendly trained professionals can triple your chances of successfully stopping smoking.

Visit Smokefree Lewisham to find out more including their Tips to Stop and Stay Stopped and Coping with Cravings

NHS remote support – good online advice from NHS Smokefree and downloading the free Smokefree app for apple devices  or android devices can also help improve your chances of successfully stopping smoking.

Medications and vaping – using other sources of nicotine such as e-cigarettes and stop smoking medicines can double your chances of successfully stopping smoking.