Smokers in the UK are being challenged to celebrate October as "Stoptober" and give up smoking for one month. The theory is, once you've stopped smoking for that long, you're 5 times more likely to continue not smoking. You can give the one-month challenge a shot any time of year, but the sooner the better - and here are 10 excellent reasons why...
Smokers in the UK are being challenged to celebrate October as "Stoptober" and give up smoking for one month. The theory is, once you've stopped smoking for ... more
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Created 10/16/12
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1
Increase your life expectancy
This is a pretty good reason right off the bat. The life expectancy of an average long-term smoker is around 10 years less than that of a non-smoker. If you quit before the age of 30, you can make up that difference, but even if you quit later in life it can still make a difference of at least 3 extra years.
2
Reduce your risk of heart and lung disease
Around half of smokers die of a disease related to their smoking. For instance, of the 30,000 deaths from lung cancer in the UK each year, about 80% can be traced back to smoking. Similarly, about 1 in 6 of the 120,000 people who die of heart disease annually were affected by smoking. But by quitting now, you can lower your risk of smoking-related illnesses and increase your chance of living a healthy life into old age.
3
Improve your fertility
Quitting smoking improves the quality of both men's sperm and women's womb lining, making it easier to conceive both naturally and through IVF. It also greatly increases your chances of giving birth to a healthy baby and reduces the chance of miscarriage.
4
Boost your lung capacity
Within 9 months of quitting smoking, your lung capacity can increase by as much as 10%, meaning you'll find you breathe easier and struggle less with exercise and even such daily tasks as climbing stairs or carrying the shopping. The older you get, the more noticeable the difference becomes, so quit now to enjoy a more comfortably active old age.
5
Get more energy and fewer colds
Your circulation generally improves within 2 to 12 weeks of quitting smoking, which means your body will have access to increased levels of oxygen in the blood. Not only will this help power your muscles more effectively, which will make any physical activity easier, but it will reduce fatigue, strengthen your immune system and help get rid of minor headaches.
6
Improve your sense of taste and smell
Smokers' sense of taste and smell are often numbed by all the toxic chemicals found in cigarettes, which means they can't always appreciate all the nuances of a scent or flavour. Once you quit smoking, you'll be amazed at how much more vivid your taste and smell experiences become.
7
Look younger
As smoking decreases the amount of oxygen in the blood, it tends to dry the skin and zap it of youthful resilience. This results in the early onset of wrinkles, lines and sallow complexion. Smoking can also stain your teeth yellow and increase your risk of gum disease, which can eventually lead to tooth loss - all of which will make you look old before your years.
8
Stress less
Nicotine cravings create a cycle of dependency which can be quite stressful. After each cigarette, smokers experience withdrawal symptoms that leave them anxiously looking for their next fix. Programmes such as Allen Carr help you overcome this cycle and find mental and emotional stability without resorting to cigarettes.
9
Reduce your risk of multiple medical conditions
Aside from the major diseases associated with smokling, there are a whole host of other serious medical conditions that are linked to the habit. While these may not be life-threatening, they will certainly impact on your quality of life. For instance, smoking increases your chance of developing Raynaud's phenomenon, erectile dysfunction, macular degeneration, osteoporosis and peripheral arterial disease, among others.
10
Protect loved ones from passive smoking
Smoking doesn't just affect your health. By exposing your children, your partner, and your friends to second-hand smoke, you are also increasing their risk of heart disease, cancer, and stroke, among other diseases. Children in particular are vulnerable to the effects of cigarette smoke, which dramatically increases their risk of a range of illnesses, from croup and pneumonia to asthma and ear infections.
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