Why Quitting Smoking Should Be On The Top Of Your 2016 To Do List

*Guest post by Lloyds pharmacy

Have you been planning to stop smoking for a while, but haven’t yet managed to beat your addiction? To give you the extra motivation you need to finally break free from cigarettes, here are a few reasons why kicking the habit should be top of your do list in 2016.

A range of stop smoking treatments to choose from

OK, so when you’re in the habit of getting a regular nicotine hit, giving up smoking may not be easy. However, there are now a range of stop smoking treatments available that can make this process more manageable. For example, the prescription only medicine Champix works by relieving the withdrawal symptoms and cravings associated with quitting cigarettes. The treatment comes in tablet form and it doesn’t contain nicotine. Medical experts Lloyds Pharmacy Online Doctor note that research suggests people who take Champix are over three times more likely to succeed than individuals who try to quit unaided.

Nicotine replacement products like patches, gums, sprays, lozenges and inhalers can also raise your chances of success, and you might want to investigate the options of counselling or hypnotherapy. By making the most of treatments like these, you should find it easier to free yourself from the shackles of smoking.

Enjoy a range of health benefits

Quitting cigarettes can also help you to kickstart a healthier lifestyle. You’ll feel less out of breath when you exercise, making it easier to hit the gym or get stuck into sports. You will also lower your risk of a range of serious diseases, including a variety of cancers, heart disease, stroke, bronchitis and pneumonia. And as well as benefiting your personal wellbeing, you’ll also be protecting your family. Did you know that breathing in secondhand smoke can raise a person’s risk of developing heart disease or lung cancer by 25 per cent? Also, kids are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects of smoke.

Then there are the cosmetic benefits of kicking the habit to consider. For example, stopping smoking can improve the condition of your skin. This is because the chemicals contained within cigarettes are known to restrict blood flow, reducing the amount of oxygen that your skin receives and making it more prone to wrinkles and sagging.  

Make big savings

Consider the financial benefits of going smoke-free too. The average smoker in the UK spends over £27 per week on their habit, which equates to more than £90,000 over their lifetimes. Just think what you could use all this cash for. Perhaps you’d spend the money on family holidays, make improvements to your home or put it away in savings accounts for your kids. It’s worth doing some simple calculations to see exactly how much you currently spend on your habit. Seeing the figures right there in front of you could give you the added willpower you need to quit.

If you do decide to stop smoking, make sure you take advantage of the support on offer to you. As well as speaking to your friends and family, you may benefit from asking your doctor or local pharmacist for advice.

 

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