Public health news: No Smoking Day

Public health news: March 2024

People who smoke in South Tyneside are being encouraged to put smoking behind them this No Smoking Day (13 March 2024) for better health, more money and less stress.

People are being encouraged to make a fresh quit and visit www.FreshQuit.co.uk for tips, advice and local quit support.

There are lots of reasons to make a quit attempt and go smokefree:

• Feel healthier: easier breathing, fewer coughs and colds and less risk of a diseases such as cancer, heart attack, stroke and COPD.
• Practice makes perfect: if you've tried before, you can learn from what worked and what didn't. Treat previous tries as a stepping stone.
• More money: quitting smoking will give you money you didn't know you had, another £47 a week or £2400 a year.
• Less stress: quitting smoking is proven to leave people feeling calmer and happier after a few weeks. Using quit aids, nicotine replacement or a vape can help ease any cravings while you quit.
• Quitting smoking makes it less likely your children will smoke.

South Tyneside is supporting the Smoking Survivors campaign from Fresh in the run up to this year's No Smoking Day on Wednesday 13 March 2024. The annual No Smoking Day campaign is now in its 40th year.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: "No Smoking Day is another great opportunity to give quitting a go. However you quit smoking it's a good way - whether that's using a quit aid, getting support or switching to vaping. Easing cravings can take a lot of the stress out of quitting.

Our Smoking Survivors campaign has helped thousands of people to move closer to quitting smoking. Even if you have tried to quit before, why not make a fresh quit - this time it can be different."

It can take a number of attempts to successfully stop for good, but there are lots of ways to stop which can take a lot of the stress out of quitting.

Your chances improve if you use a quitting aid or switch completely to vaping to reduce cravings. Stop Smoking Services can also help you develop a plan to help you stop for good. 

Here's how your body recovers when you quit:

After 20 minutes

Your pulse rate starts to return to normal.

After 8 hours   

Your oxygen levels are recovering, and the level of harmful carbon monoxide 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

If you notice that breathing feels easier, it's because your bronchial tubes have started to relax. Also your energy will be increasing.

After 2 to 12 weeks

Blood will be pumping through to your heart and muscles much better because your circulation will have improved.

After 6 weeks

Smokers who stop have better mental health than those who continue to smoke. One study found that benefits could be seen as soon as six weeks and were maintained even a number of years after stopping.

After 3 to 9 months

Any coughs, wheezing or breathing problems will be improving as your lung function increases.

After 1 year

Great news: 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.

Source: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/

Smoking in Pregnancy

Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do if you're having a baby.

The sooner you stop smoking, the better it is for you and your baby.

Nicotine is very addictive so it's really important to get the right support to help you quit.

We're offering Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Love2Shop vouchers with free support from a trained adviser to help give pregnant women the best chance to quit smoking for good.

You can choose to do this in the hospital or at a local Family Hub.

We can support your partner or other family members to quit too.

If you're pregnant, stopping smoking is the best thing you can do. Quitting smoking now you are pregnant has lots of benefits to you and your baby.

You will reduce your risk of:

• Miscarriage
• Premature birth
• StillbBirth
• Sickness during pregnancy
• Heart disease
• Cancer

You will reduce the risk to your baby of:

• A low birth weight
• Asthma
• ADHD
• Colic
• Ear infections
• Respiratory infections
• SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

Speak to your midwife to find out more about getting help to quit smoking during your pregnancy.