Smoking remains one of the biggest causes of death and illness in the UK, causing around 78,000 people to die every year, according to the NHS.
It not only increases your risk of developing dozens of serious health conditions, some of which can be fatal, but it can also harm those around you. Back in 2007, a smoking ban came into force meaning you could no longer light up in enclosed public places like pubs, restaurants or on public transport.
But despite the ban and graphic warnings on packages people were not as quick to quit the habit as was first anticipated. According to Cancer Research UK, around four in 10 cancer cases are preventable through things like not smoking and keeping a healthy weight.
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The NHS states smoking causes around seven out of 10 cases of lung cancer, but also causes cancer in many other parts of the body including the mouth, throat, voice box, bladder, bowel, cervix, kidney, liver and stomach. It also damages your heart and blood circulation which can lead to heart attacks, strokes, heart disease and damaged blood vessels and arteries.
Smoking will worsen or prolong respiratory conditions and can even cause impotence in men due to limiting blood supply, as well as fertility issues in men and women. There are also other changes such as poor vision, unhealthy teeth, smelly hair and a dull sense of smell and taste as well as increased anxiety and irritability.
Not to mention the yellowing of fingers and wrinkly skin due to reduced blood flow, according to healthline.
But there are also great risks to those around you, through what is known as second-hand smoke as the risk of lung cancer increases by a quarter. Children exposed to passive smoke are at an increased risk of chest infections, meningitis, persistent cough and asthma.
Those wishing to quit, will notice changes to your body and health within just 20 minutes. But a withdrawal from nicotine can result in headaches, sleep problems and increased mental health struggles.
But here are the benefits to your body when you quit smoking:
- After 20 minutes - your pulse will begin to return to normal
- After eight hours - your oxygen levels are recovering, and the harmful carbon monoxide level in your blood will have reduced by half.
- After 48-hours - All carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are clearing out mucus and your senses of taste and smell are improving.
- After 72 hours - breathing will feel easier because your bronchial tubes have started to relax and your energy will be increasing.
- After two to 12 weeks - blood will be pumping through to your heart and muscles much better because your circulation will have improved.
- After three to nine months - any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases by up to 10%.
- After one year - your risk of heart attack will have halved compared with a smoker's
- After 10 years - your risk of death from lung cancer will have halved compared with a smoker's.
A new study also shows that you could be saving over £4,000 a year by giving up a packet of cigarettes a day. Vaping experts at IndeJuice calculated how much money you could be saving based on the average UK cost for a pack of 20 cigarettes over various timespans.
The research revealed that if you are smoking one pack of cigarettes per day at the average cost of £11.50 per pack, you would save £349.79 per month or £4,197 over the course of a year by quitting – the cost of a family holiday abroad for four people, the cost of running your car for ten years or paying for 11 years' worth of gym memberships.
Someone who regularly smokes a full pack of cigarettes a day can expect to see staggering savings in the long run - banking up to £41,975 over ten years from quitting smoking. This is the equivalent of a 20% deposit on a £200,000 property, the price of a Porsche Cayman or nearly a kilogram of 24 carat gold.
For people who are only smoking a couple of cigarettes a day, the cost can still quickly add up. If you are smoking just one pack of cigarettes a week at the same average cost, you could still make savings of £598 a year, or £2,990 in your pocket over the next five years.
A spokesperson from IndeJuice added: "Many smokers are already aware of the harm imposed on their body by regularly smoking, but it is easy to overlook the financial savings that could be made by choosing to quit for good. When looking at Google Trends data over the past five years, there has been a significant increase in people searching the term ‘quit smoking’ year on year, with the exception of 2021 where there was a 2.3% decrease in searches from the previous year."