FROM THE GP’S SURGERY
STOPTOBER is a great time to give up smoking. According to Cancer Research UK, as many as two-thirds of all smokers will die as a result of their addiction, and smoking accounts for a quarter of all cancer deaths in the UK each year. But give up for 28 days and you’re five times more likely to quit for good.
However, giving up can be difficult, which is why there are still 10 million smokers in the UK.
There’s a range of strategies which can help. The important thing is to try one – or a combination – to find the method that suits you.
GO COLD TURKEY
THIS is tough, but recent studies have shown that those who stop abruptly are 25% more likely to succeed than those who try to wean themselves off cigarettes gradually.
NICOTINE REPLACEMENT THERAPY
YOUR GP or local NHS Stop Smoking clinic can prescribe treatments to help you stop smoking. These can come in the form of patches, breath sprays, chewing gum or inhalator devices – and the good news is they’re available on the NHS through repeat prescriptions.
CONSIDER VAPING
E-CIGARETTES (pictured left) are available in all sorts of designs and flavours, so it’s easy to see why so many people use them – but the debate about their safety rages on. Because it’s so new, there’s a lack of conclusive evidence, so vape with caution.
HYPNOTISM
IT might sound a bit ‘out there’, but hypnotherapy has helped thousands to quit. It only takes a few days for the nicotine to leave your body, so what you’re left with is a psychological craving. Hypnosis addresses this craving.
SHOUT ABOUT IT
TELL everyone you can that you’ve quit smoking; that way it will be harder to fall off the wagon. Why not get sponsored for charity too? Create as many incentives as possible to stop you having ‘just one’ when the urge hits.
Talk to your GP or online doctor, who can refer you to a NHS Stop Smoking service, and discuss treatments and medication to help you.