Help to stop smoking

If you're a smoker, stopping smoking can make a big difference to your health, as well as the health of your family and friends. It can improve your chances of living longer and you'll soon be feeling the benefits of giving up cigarettes. Even if you've been smoking for years, it's never too late to stop.

Some of the benefits of stopping smoking are almost immediate:

• after 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal
• after 8 hours nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half and oxygen levels return to normal
• after 48 hours, carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body, and lungs start to clear out mucus. At this stage, there is no nicotine left in the body, and ability to taste and smell is greatly improved
• after 72 hours, breathing becomes easier
• after 2 - 12 weeks, blood circulation improves
• after 3 - 9 months, coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up to 10%
• after 5 years risk of heart attack falls to about half compared with a person who is still smoking
• after 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker and the risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked.

As well as some of the health benefits detailed above, you will notice some additional positive changes:

• your sense of taste will return and food will start to taste better
• your fitness will improve
• your skin and teeth will start to look better
• if you are thinking about starting a family, your fertility levels will improve.

The Healthy Lifestyles Services offer a free 12-week telephone-support programme to help you to stop smoking.

You can book a pre-quit appointment with one of our specialist Stop Smoking Advisors to discuss how we can help you with the day-to-day challenges associated with stopping smoking such as managing cravings, changing routines and habits linked to your smoking. We can also advise you on what products you can buy to help you with your quit attempt.

Request a a pre-quit appointment by email healthylifestyles@telford.gov.uk.

Please note: that our Healthy Lifestyle Advisors and Practitioners are not clinically trained and offer healthy lifestyle advice and support only.

For more information on daily health messages and what is going on throughout the borough to improve the health of our residents check out our social pages:

• Twitter: @HealthyTF.
• Facebook: @HealthyTelford.
• Blog: Healthy Telford blog.

How do I access this service? 

Complete our online form to make a referral or to get in touch with the Healthy Lifestyles team

Email: healthylifestyles@telford.gov.uk
Telephone: 01952 382582 

Last updated: 20/04/2022 08:38