Stopping smoking is one of the best things you will ever do for your health. It is never too late to give up.
Using tobacco in any form is very harmful to your health. If you smoke tobacco through a cigarette or shisha, you are at increased risk of health problems such as:
Quitting smoking has been proven to boost mental health and wellbeing. It can improve mood and help relieve stress, anxiety and depression.
Improve your mental health by quitting
Every day smokers go through withdrawal symptoms which damage their mental wellbeing, these are eased by smoking but quickly return as the effect of the nicotine wears off. Stopping smoking breaks this cycle improving people’s sense of wellbeing.
The immediate impact of quitting for most smokers is a range of withdrawal symptoms that worsen people’s sense of mental wellbeing from increased irritability to heightened sense of depression. Research indicates that these symptoms rarely exceed two to four weeks.
The improved mental wellbeing happens from at least six weeks after quitting though people may well feel the benefits sooner.
There could be a number of reasons why quitting improves your mental health: one is that it breaks the cycle of nicotine dependence.
Tobacco that you do not smoke, including paan, betel quid and chewing tobacco, is not a ‘safe’ way to use tobacco. It causes oral cancer and can be as addictive as smoking, with a significant impact on your health.
There are lots of ways to quit, from using nicotine replacement therapies or e-cigarettes, to free quit tools and expert support from local NHS stop smoking services.
You can put together a package that fits into your lifestyle as you are up to four times more likely to quit successfully with free expert advice and help from your local stop smoking service.
Quitting tipsYou have made a great decision to give up smoking. Here are some tips to help you succeed.
List your reasons for quitting.
Tell people you are quitting.
If you have tried to quit before, remember what worked.
Get daily email support - sign up for 28 days of stop smoking advice and tips, or Join the Facebook group for support and advice.
You can do it!
Support to quit
Quit Right Tower Hamlets
Quit Right Tower Hamlets provides stop smoking services to all residents and people who work or study here in Tower Hamlets. They also provide culturally sensitive services for people from the Somali, South Asian and migrant communities who chew tobacco or use paan.
Female advisors are available, and patients can be seen one-to-one or in a group setting.
A specialist service is available for pregnant women. For those with high levels of addiction who may need extra, behavioural support is provided in groups or individually.
Clients can self-refer or be referred through their GP practice.
Health and Lifestyle Research Unit 2 Stayners Road London E1 4AH