The Facts and figures 
 

• - One in five people in Great Britain smoke

• - 63% of smokers in Great Britain want to give up

• - 21% of the population are smokers, 25% of the population are ex-smokers and 54% have never smoked.

• - 15% of smokers have their first cigarette within five minutes of waking up

  
   

* Figures from General Household Survey 2009

Today one in five people in the UK smokes – 63% want to quit. No Smoking Day (Wednesday 9 March 2011) aims to help them, as with the right NHS support people are four times more likely to succeed in quitting. On Wednesday 9 March events will be held across the UK organised by a variety of health professionals and stop smoking services to reach smokers who wish to quit. No Smoking Day will also continue to run its website for quitters www.wequit.co.uk, an online hub where people can find out about help available, get tips and advice on how to succeed, and chat with other quitters and ex-smokers who understand what they are facing.

• - 20 minutes after quitting your blood pressure and pulse return to normal

• - 48 hours - no nicotine is left in your body. Your senses of taste and smell are greatly improved.

• - 72 hours - your breathing becomes easier and your energy levels increase

• - 2-12 weeks after quitting smoking your circulation improves and exercise can be easier

• - 3-9 months - any coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve

• - Within five years the risk of heart attack is halved

• - Within 10 years the risk of lung cancer is halved and the risk of heart attack is at the same level as non-smokers

• - Medium to long term – stopping smoking at any age increases your life expectancy, provided you stop before the onset of serious disease. Even if you have developed a disease, you can benefit from stopping as your body will be under less strain and be able to fight it more easily.

  
  
   

After:
 

• - 1 day: £6.30 = a movie rental or a few magazines

• - 1 week: £44.10 = facial, a cheap flight or DVDs, paintballing, a day at the races

• - 1 month: £189 = a shopping spree or premiership football tickets

• - 3 months: £567 = holiday or a new laptop, flat screen TV

• - 6 months: £1,134 = football season ticket, a family holiday or a home cinema, top of the range bicycle

• - 1 year: £2,299 = a new kitchen, a second hand car or a luxury leather suite

*Please note that these figures are based on a 20-a-day smoker paying £6.30 per packet of 20 cigarettes.

Free helplines can tell you the location of your nearest free stop smoking service, give you access to specialist counsellors and send you further information:

England - 0800 169 0 169

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) comes in gums, lozenges or patches which wean you off nicotine while you stop smoking. Used correctly NRT can double your chance of stopping.  To find out which NRT will suit you visit the link below.

Many therapists (acupuncturists, hypnotherapists etc.) advertise services for smokers who want to stop. While some people find them helpful, they are not tested in the same way as products like NRT.

www.wequit.co.uk

Check out the online forum where you can seek support from other ex-smokers and smokers trying to quit, as well as a Facebook app, interactive tools, local services, top tips to quit and much more. Run by the No Smoking Day Charity.