Time to Quit? Give up Smoking This Year, Kick the Habit and Save Money to Boot!

Dec 20, 2022 Stop Smoking

 

There are many things that you can do to improve your health. One of the most impactful is to quit smoking. We know that giving up smoking isn’t easy but there are many reasons why you will benefit from being smoke-free. 

 

Why Give Up Smoking?

If smoking is something that you enjoy, why give it up? The saying, “ a little of what you fancy does you good” is fine if you’re indulging in dessert but when it comes to smoking the consequences can be, quite frankly, deadly. This isn’t us trying to scare you, this is the official stance of the World Health Organisation. According to WHO, smoking causes or contributes to numerous conditions, is known to cause cancer and can contribute to premature death.

According to the NHS, smoking causes approximately seven out of ten lung cancer cases as well as other cancers such as mouth, throat and oesophagus. You can read more about mouth cancer here. Other cancers associated with smoking include stomach, pancreatic, bowel, bladder, kidney, liver and more. According to WHO, tobacco cigarettes contain carcinogenic (cancer-causing) ingredients which makes them so damaging.

As well as the risk of cancer, smoking is directly connected to increasing your risk factors for stroke, heart disease, heart attack and numerous other very serious conditions. Smoking can cause and make worse conditions such as COPD, bronchitis and other respiratory ailments and diseases. 

The health issues surrounding smoking are the main reason it’s advised to stop buying tobacco cigarettes. This isn’t the only reason to quit smoking though.

Give Up Smoking For Others

Did you know that passive smoking can be as dangerous to those around smoking as it can be for those doing the smoking? This is one of the reasons that the Go Smoke Free legislation was put in place in 2007. This is what effectively banned smoking indoors/around others such as in cafes and pubs, on public transport, at work and in other places. Added to this legislation is a ban on smoking in private vehicles with minors present.

It is clear that passive smoking is dangerous to others and that in itself is a very good reason to quit.

 

Quit Smoking and Save Money

The cost of smoking is eye-watering. Cigarettes are very expensive with a packet of twenty cigarettes costing around £10. Some smokers go through 10 - 20 cigarettes per day which is a cost of £300 - £600 a month. Given the cost of living rises, that amount of money could really come in handy if it wasn’t being spent on cigarettes.

In just 6 months you could potentially put away around £1800!

One thing many ex-smokers say is that they wished they’d put away the money they would have spent on smoking. It’s clear that you could put away some serious money for your short or long-term goals by doing this. It’s also a great way to keep you motivated. What would you spend the money you’d save on?

 

Support for Those Wanting to Quit Smoking

 

There are a number of reasons to quit smoking. Once you’ve decided to do it, finding the best way forward is the next step. Some people just give up. This is sometimes referred to as “cold turkey”. This isn’t for everyone as some people struggle with nicotine withdrawal and moving past the habits they’ve built up around smoking. Nicotine Replacement Therapy is commonly used by those looking to give up smoking and is often recommended by health professionals and those running NHS Go Smoke Free clinics and services. These clinics can also be great for offering practical support and accountability.

 

In Conclusion

Giving up smoking isn’t easy but the end result is well worth the effort. Not only can you dramatically drop your risk of cancers, heart disease and attacks, respiratory disease, impotence and fertility issues, but you can also protect others and save money. 

There is a lot of support available for those looking to kick their smoking habit. From friends and family, local and online groups, NHS clinics and using targeted products such as Nicorette gum or similar to help you get over the nicotine addiction which makes just stopping so hard.

If you are starting your stop smoking journey the NHS Quit Smoking app can be a great tool to help keep you on track.