March Campaign – No Smoking Day, Wednesday 9 March 2016
Every year, the White Ribbon Association promotes No Smoking Day. Co-ordinated by the British Heart Foundation, this annual event is an excellent opportunity for smokers who have been thinking about stopping to finally quit.
Free advice, support and encouragement is available through online forums, moderated by ex-smokers who understand the challenges of quitting.
For residents of England, they can even apply for a free NHS Smokefree Quit Kit, which contains all the information they need on ways to quit and what to expect from the process.
So what are the benefits of quitting?
The benefits of stopping smoking can be experienced within minutes and up to years after quitting. Just take a look at the timeline below:
- 20 minutes – the pulse rate returns to normal
- 48 hours – nicotine and carbon monoxide are eliminated from the body
- 72 hours – breathing becomes easier
- 2-12 weeks – circulation improves
- 1 year – the risk of heart disease is half compared to someone still smoking
- 10 years – the risk of lung cancer is half compared to someone still smoking
- 15 years – the risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who never smoked
The health benefits alone are an excellent reason to quit, but there are other great motivations as well.
Smoking can be very expensive. If someone smokes 20 cigarettes a day, that is over £3,000 a year spent on smoking. Just think of the ways that money could be spent!
Smoking affects non-smokers as well. If someone smokes around their family or friends, they could be forcing them to breathe in their second-hand smoke. Even if the smoker smokes in another room it can linger on clothes, hair and furniture for hours so other people, including children, are at risk of all the damaging health effects smoking can bring through third-hand smoking.
By promoting No Smoking Day through our educational and community work, we are supporting smokers to quit. Our Development Officers can deliver informal and interactive health events at your school, college or workplace, and our free Community Health Information displays are ideal for libraries and health hubs.
Throughout March you will find our displays in libraries, colleges and workplaces across the West Midlands, including Marston Green, Hobbs Moat and Chelmsley Wood libraries, Cockshut Hill College and City of Wolverhampton College, Tudor Grange Academy and Employment Plus Nechells and Oldbury
For more information on how we can help you, get in touch today!