Stop Smoking

Here at Lady's Maid, we look at encouraging people to quit smoking cigarettes. You'll have heard all the good things that happen when you quit cigarettes & quit smoking altogether.

You reduce your risk of getting cancer, lung, and otherwise, as well as your risk for heart disease, COPD, stroke, and peripheral vascular disease. Also, you'll notice all those unpleasant symptoms - the smoker's cough, the wheezing, the shortness of breath - start to subside.

The NHS Smoke Free website has said that there is growing evidence that e cigarettes can help people stop smoking but adds that you should also stop smoking cigarettes to get the best from vaping.

What are e-cigarettes and how do they work?

An e-cigarette is a device that allows you to inhale nicotine in a vapour rather than smoke.

E-cigarettes do not burn tobacco and do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most damaging elements in tobacco smoke.

They work by heating a liquid that typically contains nicotine, propylene glycol and/or vegetable glycerine, and flavourings.

Using an e-cigarette is known as vaping.

What types of e-cigarette are there?

There are a variety of models available:

• Cigalikes look similar to tobacco cigarettes and can be disposable or rechargeable.
• Vape pens are shaped like a pen or small tube, with a tank to store e-liquid, replaceable coils and rechargeable batteries.
• Pod systems are compact rechargeable devices, often shaped like a USB stick or a pebble, with e-liquid capsules.
• Mods come in different shapes and sizes, but are generally the largest e-cigarette devices. They have a refillable tank, longer lasting rechargeable batteries, and variable power.

How do I choose the right e-cigarette for me?

A rechargeable e-cigarette with a refillable tank delivers nicotine more effectively and quickly than a disposable model and is likely to give you a better chance of quitting smoking.

If you're a lighter smoker, you could try a cigalike, vape pen or pod system.

If you're a heavier smoker, it's advisable to try a vape pen, pod system or mod.

It's also important to choose the right strength of e-liquid to satisfy your needs.

Lady’s Maid can help find the right device and liquid for you.

Will an e-cigarette help me stop smoking?

Many thousands of people in the UK have already stopped smoking with the help of an e-cigarette. There's growing evidence that they can be effective.

Using an e-cigarette can help you manage your nicotine cravings. To get the best out of it, make sure you're using it as much as you need to and with the right strength of nicotine in your e-liquid.

A major UK clinical trial published in 2019 found that, when combined with expert face-to-face support, people who used e-cigarettes to quit smoking were twice as likely to succeed as people who used other nicotine replacement products, such as patches or gum.

You will not get the full benefit from vaping unless you stop smoking cigarettes completely. You can get advice from a specialist vape shop or your local stop smoking service.

Getting expert help from your local stop smoking service gives you the best chance of quitting smoking for good.

How safe are e-cigarettes?

In the UK, e-cigarettes are tightly regulated for safety and quality.

They're not completely risk free, but they carry a small fraction of the risk of cigarettes.

E-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke.

The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at much lower levels.

What about risks from nicotine?

While nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, it's relatively harmless.

Almost all of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke, many of which are toxic.

Nicotine replacement therapy has been widely used for many years to help people stop smoking and is a safe treatment.

Are e-cigarettes safe to use in pregnancy?

Little research has been conducted into the safety of e-cigarettes in pregnancy, but they're likely to be much less harmful to a pregnant woman and her baby than cigarettes.

If you're pregnant, licensed NRT products such as patches and gum are the recommended option to help you stop smoking.

But if you find using an e-cigarette helpful for quitting and staying smokefree, it's much safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke.

Do they pose a fire risk?

There have been instances of e-cigarettes exploding or catching fire.

As with all rechargeable electrical devices, the correct charger should be used and the device should not be left charging unattended or overnight.

Is e-cigarette vapour harmful to others?

There's no evidence so far that vaping causes harm to other people around you.

This is in contrast to second-hand smoke from smoking, which is known to be very harmful to health.

Can I get an e-cigarette from my GP?

E-cigarettes are not currently available from the NHS on prescription, so you cannot get one from your GP.

Here at Lady’s Maid we offer our support and encourage those that wish to quit smoking through vaping, contact us for further information.

Stopping smoking lets you breathe more easily

People breathe more easily and cough less when they give up smoking because their lung capacity improves by up to 10% within 9 months.

In your 20s and 30s, the effect of smoking on your lung capacity may not be noticeable until you go for a run, but lung capacity naturally diminishes with age.

In later years, having maximum lung capacity can mean the difference between having an active, healthy old age and wheezing when you go for a walk or climb the stairs.

Stopping smoking gives you more energy

Within 2 to 12 weeks of stopping smoking, your blood circulation improves. This makes all physical activity, including walking and running, much easier.

You'll also give a boost to your immune system, making it easier to fight off colds and flu. The increase in oxygen in the body can also reduce tiredness and the likelihood of headaches.

Ditch the cigarettes and feel less stressed

The withdrawal from nicotine between cigarettes can heighten feelings of stress. As the stress of withdrawal feels the same as other stresses, it's easy to confuse normal stress with nicotine withdrawal, so it can seem like smoking is reducing other stresses. 

But this is not the case. In fact, scientific studies show people's stress levels are lower after they stop smoking.

If you find that you're prone to stress, replacing smoking with a healthier, better way of dealing with stress can give you some real benefits.

Quitting leads to better sex

Stopping smoking improves the body's blood flow, so improves sensitivity.

Men who stop smoking may get better erections. Women may find their orgasms improve and they become aroused more easily.

It's also been found that non-smokers are 3 times more appealing to prospective partners than smokers.

Stopping smoking improves fertility

Non-smokers find it easier to get pregnant. Quitting smoking improves the lining of the womb and can make men's sperm more potent.

Becoming a non-smoker increases the possibility of conceiving through IVF and reduces the likelihood of having a miscarriage.

Most importantly, it improves the chances of giving birth to a healthy baby.

Stopping smoking improves smell and taste

When you stop smoking, your senses of smell and taste get a boost.

You may notice that food tastes and smells different as your mouth and nose recover from being dulled by the hundreds of toxic chemicals found in cigarettes.

Stop smoking for younger-looking skin

Stopping smoking has been found to slow facial ageing and delay the appearance of wrinkles.

The skin of a non-smoker gets more nutrients, including oxygen, and stopping smoking can reverse the sallow, lined complexion smokers often have.

Ex-smokers have whiter teeth and sweeter breath

Giving up tobacco stops teeth becoming stained, and you'll have fresher breath.

Ex-smokers are also less likely than smokers to get gum disease and prematurely lose their teeth.

Quit smoking to live longer

Half of all long-term smokers die early from smoking-related diseases, including heart disease, lung cancer and chronic bronchitis.

Men who quit smoking by the age of 30 add 10 years to their life. People who kick the habit at 60 add 3 years to their life.

In other words, it's never too late to benefit from stopping. Being smoke-free not only adds years to your life, but also greatly improves your chances of a disease-free, mobile, happier old age.

A smoke-free home protects your loved ones

By stopping smoking, you'll be protecting the health of your non-smoking friends and family, too.

Breathing in second-hand smoke increases the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and stroke. 

In children, it doubles the risk of getting chest illnesses, including pneumonia, ear infections, wheezing and asthma.

They also have 3 times the risk of getting lung cancer in later life compared with children who live with non-smokers.

Smoking, anxiety and mood

Most smokers say they want to stop, but some continue because smoking seems to relieve stress and anxiety.

It's a common belief that smoking helps you relax. But smoking actually increases anxiety and tension.

Smokers are also more likely than non-smokers to develop depression over time.

Why it feels like smoking helps us relax

Smoking cigarettes interferes with certain chemicals in the brain.

When smokers haven't had a cigarette for a while, the craving for another one makes them feel irritable and anxious.

These feelings can be temporarily relieved when they light up a cigarette. So, smokers associate the improved mood with smoking.

In fact, it's the effects of smoking itself that's likely to have caused the anxiety in the first place.

Cutting out smoking does improve mood and reduces anxiety.

The mental health benefits of quitting smoking

When people stop smoking, studies show:

• anxiety, depression and stress levels are lower
• quality of life and positive mood improve
• the dosage of some medicines used to treat mental health problems can be reduced

Smokers with mental health problems

People with mental health problems, including anxiety, depression or schizophrenia:

• are much more likely to smoke than the general population
• tend to smoke more heavily
• die on average 10 to 20 years earlier than those who don't experience mental health problems – smoking plays a major role in this difference in life expectancy
• need higher doses of some antipsychotic medicines and antidepressants because smoking interferes with the way these medicines work

Stopping smoking can be as effective as antidepressants

People with mental health problems are likely to feel much calmer and more positive, and have a better quality of life, after giving up smoking.

Evidence suggests the beneficial effect of stopping smoking on symptoms of anxiety and depression can equal that of taking antidepressants.

Your GP can refer you, or you can phone your local stop smoking service to make an appointment with an adviser.

In England

• Call the free Smokefree National Helpline on 0300 123 1044

In Scotland

• Call the free Smokeline on 0800 84 84 84

In Wales

• Call the free Help Me Quit helpline on 0800 085 2219

In Northern Ireland

Call a provider in the town or city where you live (telephone numbers can be found on the Want2Stop website)