Stoptober - reasons to go smoke free

Stoptober

We understand that quitting smoking can be a real challenge and it involves a lot of patience, commitment, and proper support. Now that Stoptober has passed, we want to know how you got on. Have you succeeded in quitting smoking for good or are you still struggling?

Reasons to go smoke-free

Stoptober is a public health campaign taking place throughout England and Wales during October. Launched in 2012, it is supported by public health England. The campaign encourages smokers to kick the habit with daily text messages and emails, celebrity videos and podcasts, and informative articles. In 2014, over a quarter of a million people registered for Stoptober. According to the organisers, those who did not smoke for 28 days were 5 times more likely to remain smoke-free than those who did not.

Read on to see Oxford Online Pharmacy’s reasons to go smoke-free and find out why you should join the thousands quitting with Stoptober this year.

Smoking laws from October 2015

On 1st October 2015, it was made illegal to smoke in a car (or other vehicles) with anyone under 18 present. The law is changing to protect children and young people from the dangers of second-hand smoke. If caught doing this, both the driver and the smoker could be fined £50.

UK smoking facts in numbers:

• Based on an annual population survey, in the UK in 2019, 14.1% of adults smoked cigarettes, which equals 6.9 million people in the population.
• The proportion of smokers in the UK has significantly dropped from 14.7% in 2018 to 14.1% in 2019.
• England has the lowest percentage of smokers in Great Britain with 13.9% of adult smokers, followed by 15.4% of adults in Scotland, 15.5% of adults in Wales and 15.6% of adults in Northern Ireland.
• In the UK, 15.9% of men smoked compared with 12.5% of women.
• Those aged 25 to 34 years had the highest proportion of current smokers (19.0%).
• In the UK, around 1 in 4 (23.4%) people in routine and manual occupations smoked, this is around 2.5 times higher than people in managerial and professional occupations (9.3%).
• In Great Britain, more than half (52.7%) of people aged 16 years and above who currently smoked said they wanted to quit, and 62.5% of those who have ever smoked said they had quit, based on the estimates from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey (OPN).
• In Great Britain, 5.7% of respondents in 2019 said they currently used an e-cigarette, which equates to nearly 3 million adults in the population.
• 506,100 hospital admissions attributable to smoking. Similar to 2018/19 but 10% higher than 2009/10 when it was 461,700.
• 74,600 deaths attributable to smoking. Decrease of 3% from 2018 (77,000) and 9% from 2009 (82,000).
• 710 thousand prescription items to help people stop smoking dispensed. Decrease of 4% from 2018/19 (740 thousand) and 71% from 2009/10 (2.48 million).

Do you know what you’re smoking?

There are over 4000 chemicals in one cigarette. These include chemicals that are also found in lighter fluid, toilet cleaner and batteries.

Staying smoke-free

• After 3-9 months, your lungs will have room for up to 10% more oxygen.
• After 72 hours of stopping smoking, your lungs start clearing out the build-up of tar, breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase.

The benefits of stopping smoking

• Within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your circulation improves. This makes activities, like walking and running, much easier.
• It improves blood flow which can help with better erections for men and orgasms for women.
• Quitting smoking boosts your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu.
• Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb, improving fertility.
• Based on a cost of 11.52 for a pack of 20 cigarettes and smoking an average of 10 cigarettes per day, you could save yourself £2,096.64 per year.
• Quit by 30 and you could add 10 years to your life. Quit by 60 and you could add 3 years to your life. It’s never too late to quit.

Related articles

• Tips to help yourself quit smoking
• How To Stub Out Your Smoking Addiction
• Stoptober - kick smoking this October!
• E-cigarettes: a blessing or a curse?
• How Smoking Affects Your Oral Health

Sources:
www.nosmokingday.org.uk
www.patient.co.uk/health/smoking-the-facts
www.nhs.uk/smokefree/why-quit/cost-calculator
ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_106.pdf
bma.org.uk/working-for-change/improving-and-protecting-health/tobacco/smoking-statistics
www.gov.uk/government/news/smoking-in-vehicles
www.hscic.gov.uk/catalogue/PUB17526
www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/causes-of-cancer/smoking-and-cancer/how-smoking-causes-cancer
www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2617833/Fancy-cigarette-From -rat-poison-nail-polish-remover-list-ingredients-make-think-twice-lighting-up.html
www.nhs.uk/Livewell/smoking/Pages/Betterlives.aspx
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/healthandsocialcare/healthandlifeexpectancies/bulletins/adultsmokinghabitsingreatbritain/2019
https://www.oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk/blog/stoptober-reasons-to-go-smoke-free