Why you should quit
People all over the world have successfully quit smoking. It is a very real achievement. Research has shown that the most effective way to quit is to seek ongoing support from a health professional, such as a doctor, nurse or pharmacist, and use a combination of counselling and medication.
In fact, only 3-5 per cent of unaided quit attempts succeed. With counselling and support from health care professionals and the use of stop-smoking medication, your chance of success is increased to 25-30%. Quitting is always going to be tough, but seeking support will give you the motivation, resources and practical quitting skills you need to support your quitting journey.
Your healthcare professional can also recommend medication to ease your withdrawal symptoms and cravings. Seek help from your doctor – whether you are helping a loved one quit or you want to stop smoking yourself – you deserve to be supported.
The benefits of quitting
There are immediate benefits to quitting smoking at any age, with the largest reduction in health risks in those who quit the earliest. There are even health benefits to quitting if you have already been diagnosed with a smoking related disease. Stopping smoking decreases the risk of lung and other cancers, heart attack, stroke and chronic disease. Here are some more incentives:
- You will prolong your life and feel better.
- You will protect your loved ones from second-hand smoke. People who breathe in second-hand smoke are at risk of the same diseases as smokers. Second-hand smoke is particularly dangerous to babies and children as they breathe more rapidly and their lungs are not yet fully formed.
- If you have an existing lung condition, the best thing you can do is quit smoking. Quitting will help you with your symptoms and potentially stop your condition getting worse. It will also improve your quality of life.
- You will save money.
- After 12 hours, almost all nicotine will be out of your system.
- After 24 hours, the level of carbon monoxide in your blood will drop dramatically and you will have more oxygen in your bloodstream.
- Within 1 month, your blood pressure returns to its normal level and your immune system begins to show signs of recovery.
- After 2 months, your lungs will no longer be producing extra phlegm caused by smoking.
- After 1 year, your risk of dying of heart diseases is half of what it would have been if you kept smoking.
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Resources
References
1 Wakefield, M., Haynes, A., Tabbakh, T., Scollo, M., Durkin, S. (2023). Current vaping and current smoking in the Australian population aged 14+ years: February 2018-March 2023. Report prepared for the Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care.
2 A Larcombe, S Allard, P Pringle, R Mead-Hunter, N Anderson, B Mullins. Chemical analysis of fresh and aged Australian e-cigarette. doi:10.5694/mja2.51280.
3 Banks E, Yazidjoglou A, Brown S, Nguyen M, Martin M, Beckwith K, Daluwatta A, Campbell S, Joshy G. Electronic cigarettes and health outcomes: systematic review of global evidence. Report for the Australian Department of Health. National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Canberra: April 2022.
4 National Drug Strategy Household Survey 2022–2023, About. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. Published February 29, 2024. Accessed February 29, 2024. https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/illicit-use-of-drugs/national-drug-strategy-household-survey/contents/about
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