Wednesday 14 March is No Smoking Day so if you’ve been thinking about quitting, today is the ideal time to start.

Halton Borough Council’s Health Improvement Team advise that no matter how old you are, or how long you’ve been smoking, quitting today is by far the best thing you can do for your body and you’ll start to reap the benefits in a matter of hours.

  • Within 20 minutes your blood pressure and heart rate will return to normal
  • Within 48 hours your blood oxygen level and carbon monoxide levels are back to normal
  • Within two weeks your risk of having a heart attack has dropped and your lungs are starting to get better.

If you’re a smoker, why not make this No Smoking Day the day you set that quit date?

You’re four times more likely to quit with help and support so take advantage of the Health Improvement Team’s free drop-in sessions and come and see one of the advisors.

We run sessions at venues across Runcorn and Widnes, in places including community centres, GPs, leisure and shopping centres. We can also offer one to one appointments on request if you are pregnant or cannot get to any of our public venues for health reasons.

 

Check out our list of venues and opening times on our website – www.halton.gov.uk/quit or call 0300 029 0029.

When you first come to one of the sessions, the stop smoking advisor will go through the different options and products available to find the best way to help you to quit. They’ll also be there to offer free ongoing advice and support during your quit attempt.

You may well relapse along your journey, maybe more than once, but this is perfectly normal and you are welcome to come back to see the team as often and as many times as you need. They know how hard it can be to quit and can help you through the rough times and give you helpful tips on how to control cravings and how to deal with situations where you’d normally reach for a cigarette.

 

If you’ve already made the decision to quit using an e cigarette, we’re more than happy to help you kick the habit for good. Although we cannot provide or promote e-cigs as a quit therapy, we’d be happy to help you and provide moral support if and when you need it.

Halton Borough Council’s Executive Board Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Marie Wright, said: ““I’d like to encourage everyone who’s a smoker to make the Wednesday 14 March the day they start to stop.

“Smoking is still one the biggest causes of premature death in Halton so if you’re a smoker, the best thing you can do for your health is quit. Our expert advisers will be there to help you along the way.”

For more information call 0300 029 0029 or visit www.haltonhealthimprovement.co.uk

 

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