Stopping Smoking
Giving up smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health, especially if you have diabetes.
'Every cigarette costs 11 minutes of your life' (British Medical Journal, 2000)
The harmful effects of smoking include:
- Cancer
- Chest diseases eg. Bronchitis and emphysema
- Lung cancer
- Heart disease
- Strokes
- Peripheral vascular disease and foot ulcers
- Kidney failure
- Eye disease (retinopathy)
- Dull skin and wrinkles-smoking accelerates the ageing process
- Bad breath, yellow fingers and dental disease.
If you have smoked since being a teenager or young adult:
- If you stop smoking before the age of about 35, your life expectancy is only slightly less than it is for people who have never smoked.
- If you stop smoking before the age of 50, you decrease the risk of dying from smoking related diseases by 50%
Timeline of health benefits after stopping smoking
| After... | Health benefit |
| 72 hours | Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase. |
| 1 month | Skin appearance improves, owing to improved skin perfusion. |
| 3-9 months | Cough, wheezing, and breathing problems improve and lung function increases by up to 10%. |
| 1 year | Risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker. |
| 10 years | Risk of lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker. |
| 15 years | Risk of heart attack falls to the same level that it would be for someone who has never smoked. |
You can get support and medication to help you stop smoking from:The North Yorkshire NHS Stop Smoking Service Call: 0800 2465215 or please click on the link
You can also email: info@smokefreelifenorthyorkshire.co.uk
To find a Support Centre near you - please click on the link: Support Centres
- Your GP practice- most GP practices in York offer this service.