If you're a smoker, stopping smoking can make a big difference to your health, as well as the health of your family and friends. It can improve your chances of living longer and you'll soon be feeling the benefits of giving up cigarettes. Even if you've been smoking for years, it's never too late to stop!

The Healthy Lifestyles Services offer a free 12-week telephone support programme to help you to stop smoking.

Some of the benefits of stopping smoking are almost immediate:

• After 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal
• After 8 hours nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half and oxygen levels return to normal
• After 48 hours, carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body, and lungs start to clear out mucus. At this stage, there is no nicotine left in the body and ability to taste and smell is greatly improved
• After 72 hours, breathing becomes easier
• After 2-12 weeks, blood circulation improves
• After 3-9 months, coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up to 10%
• After 5 years risk of heart attack falls to about half compared with a person who is still smoking
• After 10 years, the risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker and the risk of a heart attack is the same as someone who has never smoked

Aswell as some of the health benefits detailed above, you will notice some additional positive changes:

• Your sense of taste will return and food will start to taste better
• Your fitness will improve
• Your skin and teeth will start to look better
• If you are thinking about starting a family, your fertility levels will improve

You can book a pre-quit appointment with one of our specialist Stop Smoking Advisors to discuss how we can help you with the day-to-day challenges associated with stopping smoking such as managing cravings, changing routines and habits linked to your smoking. We can also advise you on what products you can buy to help you with your quit attempt.

How do I access this service?

You can access this FREE service in one of the following ways:

1. Request as a pre-quit appointment by email: healthylifestyles@telford.gov.uk
2. Complete the online form to make a referral or to get in touch with the Healthy Lifestyles team, please click HERE
3. Telephone: 01952 382582

A new national stop smoking campaign will launch on Wednesday 27 December 2023. 

 The campaign builds on the creative route of ‘good things happen when you stop smoking’ that was developed for this year’s Stoptober campaign back in October. 

Capitalising on the New Year moment when we know there is greater intent for smokers to make a quit attempt, the campaign promotes the many benefits of quitting and signposts to a range of quitting support and information on the Better Health website. 

The campaign will be delivered through TV, video-on-demand, radio, out-of-home advertising and search. There will also be a national PR moment on 28 December focusing on the generational harms of smoking, highlighting that children are up to three times as likely to start smoking if their parents smoke. 

Please visit the available resources to make 2024 the year you quit!