Benefits of stopping smoking

Health benefits of stopping smoking

The benefits from stopping smoking begin straightaway. The following are examples of the dangers that can be avoided or reduced by quitting smoking.

You reduce your risk of getting serious disease no matter what age you give up. However, the sooner you stop, the greater the reduction in your risk. In fact, researchers have found that if you stop smoking before the age of 50 your risk of dying prematurely is virtually reduced to that of a non-smoker. Even if you give up after the age of 60, your risk of dying at any given age is reduced by about 39% compared to a person who carries on smoking.

If you stop smoking you:

• Reduce the risk of getting serious smoking-related diseases such as heart disease, cancers, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and peripheral arterial disease.

• Reduce the risk of getting various other conditions which, although not life-threatening, can cause unpleasant problems. For example:

  • Erection problems (impotence).

  • Fertility problems.

  • Optic neuropathy - this is a condition affecting the nerve supplying the eye.

  • Cataracts.

  • A breakdown of the tissue at the back of the eye (macular degeneration).

  • A skin condition called psoriasis.

  • Gum disease.

  • Tooth loss.

  • 'Thinning' of the bones (osteoporosis).

  • Raynaud's phenomenon - in this condition, fingers turn white or blue when exposed to cold.

• Reduce the risk of pregnancy complications if you are pregnant.

• If you have smoked since being a teenager or young adult:
  

  • If you stop smoking before the age of about 35, your life expectancy is only slightly less than it is for people who have never smoked.

  • If you stop smoking before the age of 50, you decrease the risk of dying from smoking-related diseases by 50%.

• It is never too late to stop smoking to gain health benefits. Even if you already have COPD or heart disease, your outlook (prognosis) is much improved if you stop smoking.

Timeline of health benefits after stopping smoking

Other benefits of stopping smoking

Benefits include:

• Your breath won't smell any more of stale tobacco.

• The smell of stale tobacco will also go from your clothes, hair and home.

• Foods and drinks taste and smell much better.

• Finances improve. You may well save as much as £3,000 per year if you smoked 20 a day.

• Better rates of insurance policies.

• You are likely to feel good about yourself.

So, if you have decided you would like to try to quit, see our separate leaflet called Smoking (Quitting Smoking).