The Urwin Pharmacy Group
Stop Smoking Service
Why Should I Give Up Smoking?
There are several reasons that you should think about getting help to quit smoking. The biggest issue with smoking is the potential health damage this smoking can cause. Smoking has been shown that it can increase your chances of developing several diseases & illnesses including:
- Mouth, throat & lung cancer
- Circulation problems
- Fertility issues
- Coronary heart disease
According to the world’s largest study about smoking in 2004, around 50% of smokers will die due to a health issue directly caused by their smoking habit.
A more social/lifestyle reason to give up smoking is that the cost of a smoking addiction from a monetary perspective is quite staggering. Quitting smoking, on average, can save between £250-£300 per month (£3000-£3600 per year), which is around 15% of the average monthly salary in the UK.
Why Giving Up Smoking Is So Difficult?
Giving up smoking can be difficult because it smoking is an addiction. Habits can be hard to break, but smoking is a physical addiction to the drug nicotine. Nicotine triggers a release of chemicals within the brain that make you feel good, hence why smokers keep smoking to keep receiving those good feelings.
Over time nicotine can change the way your brain operates, making it seem that you need nicotine just to feel ‘normal’ or ‘ok’. This makes smokers feel like they now rely on nicotine to feel ‘normal’.
When you first quit smoking & stop receiving nicotine, for a short period it can upset the brain making you feel anxious, irritated or upset. This is what is referred to as ‘withdrawal’. These moments will pass over time, but it can be the period in which many people relapse.
Tips To Quit Smoking
Set a date to quit
This is so that you can start to prepare mentally for the quit date, meaning that you can give yourself time to adjust to get ready for the drastic lifestyle change.
Tell family And friends
Informing your family & friends that you’re quitting smoking means that you now have social support & encouragement around you. This can help as any of your friends or family that are smokers themselves, will be more aware that you’re trying to quit and should be more conscious of trying to not smoke around you.
Remove all tobacco products from your surroundings
When you have set a quit date, you can prepare to remove all tobacco products from your house, car & work environments. It is important to try and wash all of your clothes to reduce any smells of smoke, as these smells could trigger a brain response to encourage you to smoke. Removing temptation will help any lapses.
Keep note of a craving diary
Writing down any times you have had a craving or trigger can help you for the future. It means you can analise the time of day, what you were doing, who you were with & how it made you feel. Being able to look back and see the worst times for triggers & cravings, means that you can potentially prepare for them and work around them.
For example, if you find yourself craving around 12pm on a lunch break, you may be able to swerve these feelings by going for a walk. Over time these feelings will reduce, it’s being able to give yourself tools to reduce these cravings.
What is the most effective Nicotine Replacement Therapy?
NRT can be purchased across the counter from pharmacies and some shops on the high street. It’s also available on prescription from a doctor or NHS stop smoking service.
It comes as:
- chewing gum
- skin patches
- inhalators
- tablets, oral strips and lozenges
nasal and mouth sprays
These methods are proven to be effective in comparison to going completely cold turkey. In fact, you are four times more likely to quit smoking with help & support from NRT.
Is the NHS Stop Smoking Service Free?
Yes, the NHS stop smoking service is free. You can speak to one of our expert advisers who can help give you that extra motivational boost to help you quit, they can also make it easy & affordable to receive stop smoking treatments.