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You are in: Home > Heart Information > Reducing The Risks > Stop Smoking

Stop Smoking

• What smoking does to your body
• Reasons to stop smoking
• How to stop smoking
• Useful contacts

What smoking does to your body

Apart from the increased likelihood of heart disease and strokes, smoking also damages the lungs causing chronic lung disease and increases the risk of many cancers.

• Smoking multiplies other risk factors that you may have.
• Smoking makes the smooth lining of blood vessels rough. This encourages the build up of atheroma, the fatty material that narrows and blocks blood vessels.
• Smoking increases the amount of fibrinogen (blood thickening agent) in the blood and makes it stickier. This increases the chance of blood clots forming that can cause heart attacks and strokes.
• Smoking also increases blood pressure and speeds up the heart.

Remember, from the moment you stop smoking the risks start to decline.

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Reasons to stop smoking

There are all sorts of reasons why people smoke (apart from the addiction to nicotine) even though they know it is doing them harm. Benefits or reasons to stop could include:

• Freedom from an addictive habit
• Poor health
• Smelly breath
• Bad role model for children

Stopping smoking is not easy. But there is a lot of support available once you chose that you want to stop.

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How to stop smoking

First of all you need to make the decision that you really want to stop.

• Prepare to stop: work out your smoking habits and be ready to make changes to your routine.
• Some people put on weight when they stop smoking so plan how you could manage this.
• Set a date and stick to it – tell family and friends and ask for their support.
• When you feel the urge to smoke try to distract yourself. For example, brush your teeth, think about fresh air or do something to take your mind off it
• Seek professional help. Ask your doctor about what support is available to help you. Most areas have specialist smoking cessation nurses who run groups and / or offer one to one support.

You are four times more likely to quit smoking with professional support and prescribed treatment such as nicotine replacement therapy.

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Useful contacts

Smokeline provide free advice and support. Tel: 0800 84 84 84 (open noon to midnight).

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