HEALTH: Quitting Smoking In Later Life

Voluntary Action Calderdale and Public Health produce a regular series of advice articles, aimed at “Working together to get people talking”.

This week’s topic is smoking – mainly that it is never too late to quit smoking not matter what your age. Even if you quit smoking over the age of 65, your whole body and your bank balance will thank you.

It’s never too late to quit

Even after many years of smoking, it’s still worth giving up. The encouraging news is that older smokers who decide to give up have been shown to be more successful at staying away from smoking than younger people.

Whatever your age you can expect a range of benefits if you stop smoking, and many of these benefits can be seen quite quickly. You’re likely to:

be able to breathe easier
feel better overall
find that any existing heart and lung problems that you have are less likely to become serious
be less likely to have a stroke or heart and lung problems
recover quicker after an operation
live longer
(Source: http://www.ageuk.org.uk/health-wellbeing/keeping-your-body-healthy/healthy-living/smoking/ )

The effects of quitting smoking on your body

Putting out that last cigarette as late as 60 to 80 can halt many of the worst effects of smoking. Yet many older smokers don’t believe quitting at this stage in their life is worthwhile. If you fall into that category consider this:
Within eight hours of quitting, your pulse rate and blood pressure drop and oxygen levels in your body will rise.
Within 24 hours of quitting, your risk of a heart attack decreases.
After one month, your circulation improves, your energy levels surge and your lung function expands by up to 30%.
After one year, your risk of heart disease is half that of someone who continues to smoke.
After five years, your risk of having a stroke begins to decline.
After 10 years, your chances of developing lung cancer are the same as that of someone who has never smoked.
(Source: https://www.healthstatus.com/health_blog/stroke-2/you-are-never-too-old-to-stop-smoking/ )

The effects of quitting smoking on your bank balance

Making the decision to quit is the best decision you can make. The prospect of quitting smoking can be incredibly daunting but you don’t have to do it alone.

The Calderdale team of Yorkshire Smokefree can offer expert advice, support and methods to help anyone looking to quit. They offer a wide variety of services including:

Practical advice from our specialist advisors
Access to medication to help you stop smoking
Free group sessions in Calderdale

To find out more about Yorkshire Smokefree, call 0800 612 0011(FREE from landlines) or 0330 660 1166 (FREE from most mobiles) or visit http://yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/

It’s never too late to quit smoking. As soon as you put down that last cigarette, the benefits begin.

Starting soon….