Stop smoking
Smokers may experience more severe symptoms from Coronavirus (COVID-19) if they are infected. There has never been a better time to quit with help and support from Smokefree Liverpool.
Every cigarette you smoke causes you real harm, so the sooner you stop, the sooner you should start feeling good. It’s never too late to quit. No matter how long you’ve smoked for, even if you’ve smoked for years, you should start to feel a real positive difference right away.
Smokefree Liverpool is a FREE, confidential service to help Liverpool residents quit smoking tobacco or e-cigarettes, no matter how many times they’ve tried before.
In response to the government advice around Coronavirus (COVID-19) and to protect the health of clients and staff, Smokefree Liverpool is now offering telephone and online support. Vouchers to access FREE Nicotine Replacement Therapy will be available to all eligible clients and will be sent by post. Smokefree Liverpool also offers stop smoking support for pregnant women.
Feel the benefits immediately:
1 hour
Your blood pressure and pulse will return to normal.
8 hours
The level of carbon monoxide in your blood will halve and your oxygen levels will return to normal.
24 hours
The carbon monoxide leaves your body and within 48 hours your body is nicotine free.
After a few weeks
You will start to notice your food tastes better, your lungs are clearer and you have more energy.
12 weeks
Your circulation is now improved throughout your body.
Stopping smoking can help you:
Live longer
Going smokefree can add a decade to your life. Half of all long-term smokers die early, so giving up smoking could help you live longer.
Look after your heart
Giving up cigarettes is good for your heart and can reduce your chance of suffering a heart attack.
Boost your energy levels
Within 3 months of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This will give you more energy to get on with everyday life.
Lift your mood
Stopping smoking has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety. After you’ve quit smoking you should feel more relaxed and less tense.
Look younger
Giving up cigarettes has been found to slow ageing. If you stop smoking you should start to see a real difference to your appearance, including a healthier skin tone, a whiter smile and less risk of tooth loss.
Improve your taste buds and sense of smell
The poisons in cigarettes dull your taste buds but soon after stopping your sense of taste and smell should start to recover.
Save money
Stopping smoking is great for your pocket too! According to the NHS Smokefree cost calculator smokers, on average, spend £250 per month/£3,000 per year. Just think how much all that extra money could benefit you.
Breathe more easily
Within 9 months of stopping smoking your lung capacity should increase by 10%. All this extra oxygen can help put a spring in your step and help you feel good.
Reduce the risk of serious health issues
The day-to-day effects smoking has on your heart, your lungs and other areas of your body can lead to long term smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and stroke.
Smoking around your family can put them at risk too, but if you can stop smoking, you can help protect your family from harm too. Secondhand smoke puts children at risk of respiratory infections and asthma.
Tips for giving up smoking
Don't go it alone
You’re four times more likely to quit with support from smokefree Liverpool than going it alone. They offer a free, proven personalised programme of motivational support and can help you deal with stress, weight gain or mood swings. Support is personalised offering patches, gum, mouth / nasal spray, inhalator and lozenges and these will be free if you don’t pay for prescriptions.
Free help is available
There’s lots of free help on offer at NHS Smokefree including support emails, text messages and a smartphone app. By choosing the support that’s right for you, you’ll be boosting your chances of quitting.
A reason to quit
What’s your reason for quitting? Your kids? Your health? You want to feel fitter and look younger? It doesn’t matter whether you want to get rid of an annoying cough or help avoid a serious illness, just focus on what matters most to you. Keep that in mind to help keep you motivated.
Keep going
Understand how nicotine is playing with your mind and body. The withdrawal symptoms start around 2 hours after your last cigarette – and often peak about 3 days later. So weirdly, the worse the cravings, the closer you are to your goal. Keep that in mind to help you stay strong.
Save money
On average, most people who quit save about £250 a month. That’s £3,000 a year. Imagine having that money to play with instead of it going up in smoke. That will help keep you on track!
Know your triggers
Every time you smoke, make a note of when and where, and who with. These are your triggers. Work out the ones you can avoid and make a point of changing your routine – for the first few weeks anyway. For triggers you can’t avoid, find something to distract you. Chew gum, sip water through a straw, or take big deep breaths. Keep your hands busy – anything but smoke.
Relax and breathe
When you’re stressed and feeling like you need a cigarette, there’s a really simple thing you can do to relax and take your mind off smoking. And that’s just breathing. Breathe in deeply – let you tummy push out. Hold for a second. Now breathe out and let your tummy come back in. Repeat for ten breaths in and out. It might feel funny, but it works.
Find out more…
You can find out more by visiting the following websites
Smokefree Liverpool
Smokefree Liverpool is a FREE, confidential service to help Liverpool residents quit smoking tobacco or e-cigarettes, no matter how many times they’ve tried before.
The service is now offering offering telephone and online support. Vouchers to access FREE Nicotine Replacement Therapy will be available to all eligible clients and will be sent by post. Smokefree Liverpool also offers stop smoking support for pregnant women.
Quit the Ciggies
This is a local website offering motivation for women looking to quit the ciggies. The site features true stories from local women who have quit, along with hints and tips.
Kick the Ciggies
This is a local website with a footie theme offering tips and tactics to kick the ciggies.
Small changes feel good
See how small changes can help improve many areas of your life.
