Quit Smoking
When you quit smoking, good things start to happen. You’ll begin to see almost immediate improvements to your health. You don’t need to imagine a life without smoking, you can live it!
Over 5 million adults in England still smoke. Smoking causes 75,000 deaths a year, making it the biggest cause of preventable illness and death. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. The good news is, if you quit smoking for 28 days, you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
Going ‘cold turkey’ is still the most common way that people attempt to give up, but quit attempts are successful more often when using quit smoking support.
We encourage smokers to quit by exploring the free support available. There’s a wide range of free quitting tools available, including the NHS Quit Smoking app, the Personal Quit Plan, expert support from local stop smoking services and a Smokefree Facebook support group.
There’s also lots of information about aids such as nicotine-free medicines, nicotine replacement therapies and vaping, available at nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking.
Get your free Personal Quit Plan here https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/personal-quit-plan
Together, we can do this. Find your local stop smoking service.
“The support from ‘Everyone Health BaNES’ has changed my life completely! I have noticed so many health benefits since stopping smoking, from no longer coughing, improved smell, taste and breathing.”
Find out more about the stop smoking service and clinics in BaNES.
Wiltshire resident and former smoker, Laura Deacon is supporting Wiltshire Council in urging smokers to get the help they need to give quitting a go this Stoptober. Laura, who lives on a narrow boat in Devizes had smoked for 20 years when she got help from Wiltshire Council’s stop smoking service to quit. Read more
Nicola had been smoking for years — up to 30 cigarettes a day — and felt stuck in a cycle she couldn’t break.
On a quiet morning in May, Nicola began her journey to quit smoking with the help of cytisine, a medication she had waited two months to start. She was nervous, especially as her anxiety had been rising, but she was ready. She agreed to have her sessions recorded for a case study, hoping her story might help others one day.
Nicola didn’t just rely on medication. She bought a static bike and started pedalling at home — not just for exercise, but to fight off cravings. She used nicotine gum after finishing her tablets and practiced CBT techniques to challenge the thoughts that used to lead her back to smoking.
By July, Nicola was not only smoke-free — she was thriving. She felt happier, more active, and proud of herself after so many failed attempts. She knew cravings might still come, but she had tools, support, and a plan.
Brian had been smoking since he was 15. Cigarettes and cannabis were part of his daily routine, and although he had tried to quit many times, nothing seemed to stick.
When Brian started the program, he was smoking around 20 roll-ups a day, half of them mixed with cannabis. His health was showing signs of strain—emphysema symptoms and a lung node discovered years earlier were reminders that it was time for change.
At first, Brian was hesitant. He picked up a vaping kit but didn’t start using it right away. He was overthinking, waiting for the “right moment,” and worried about cravings. But with gentle encouragement and regular support calls, he finally took the leap. On the morning of April 30th, he opened the box and started his journey to be smoke free.
From that day, things began to change. Brian stopped smoking tobacco and started using his vape for both nicotine and cannabis. He noticed his breathing improving, his sleep getting better, and even his lung function showed progress during his routine NHS check-up. He was proud of his progress and he was right to feel in that way.
Over the next few weeks, Brian reduced his nicotine strength. He gained a bit of weight, which he thought might be part of quitting, but he stayed focused. He was grateful for the support and said that without the calls, he might not have made it.
“I had been smoking for over 40 years, since I was 14, thirty a day, every day, all year. Over the years I have tried to give up smoking on a number of occasions, a lot of the time giving it lip service and then popping out to buy a sneaky packet of fags. Nothing had ever worked before and it was difficult. I must have tried to stop smoking about 40 times.
The reason I think I have done it this time was the constant support from the stop smoking service. The call every week or fortnight with encouragement, asking if I had given up and saying well done, and by getting the patches and mints, gave me the confidence and boost to stop smoking.
I used to lie in bed before going to sleep and I could hear my chest wheezing when I breathed. Nowadays I don’t get any of that. My chest is clear and I don’t smell of fags. One of the biggest benefits is finances.
I’m proud I’ve stopped smoking. Every now and again I get a sudden urge to have a cigarette and I think why waste over a year of my life to go back to smoking again? I’ve resisted the urge and don’t honestly think I’ll go back to smoking again.
