Ways to quit smoking

(original on MedicalNewsToday)

Somerset NHS Stop Smoking Service is preparing to help smokers in Somerset as they join millions of UK smokers to stop on No Smoking Day. This year’s theme, ‘take the first step’, acknowledges that No Smoking Day is the first step of a quitting journey and individuals will not be alone in their quit attempt. The theme lends itself to the message that smoking is an expensive habit and you can save a packet if you give up!

So why not take the first step this No Smoking Day? You can take the first step with the help and support that is available from Somerset NHS Stop Smoking Service. Those who do stop smoking on March 11 will gain health and financial benefits in next to no time, including:

Feeling fitter and having loads of energy to start that healthy lifestyle - not feeling out of breath when the dog takes you for a brisk walk!

Saving loads of money - giving up a 20-a-day will is like a £40 a week pay rise! Stop on No Smoking Day and by June you can save almost £500

Having a better sex life - smoking can create hormonal imbalances which decrease libido

Jonathan Chetland, Somerset Stop Smoking Specialist, said, "Around 22% of adults in Somerset smoke and research has shown that over two thirds of them would like to stop. No Smoking Day provides an excellent opportunity for them to do that. By using the support available on No Smoking Day and throughout the year you can significantly increase your chance of success."

Here’s some top tips to help you:

Call your local free stop smoking service on 0844 568 9840 or visit http://www.somersetstopsmoking.nhs.uk and check out what it offers - you are 4 times more likely to stop smoking

Get some Nicotine Replacement Therapy such as patches or gum. It can double your chance of stopping - talk to your GP or pharmacist

Write down all the reasons you want to stop and stick it on the fridge to help you stay motivated

Talk to your friends, family and workmates - support from them is essential - why not quit together and keep each other motivated?

No Smoking Day is in its 26th year and is a registered charity supported by an alliance of the UK’s health promotion agencies and major health charities

Smoking is bad for your dental health. It is not a new discovery, you It is well known fact that smoking bad for lungs and  full respiratory system is in turmoil over it. Now understand the fact that your dental health is also affected by smoking. It causes the breath to go foul. Okay, you will chew some extra strong mint to take care of that problem, but that is just cosmetic. The real damage is already done.

Oral cancer is in fact one of the most devastating effects of smoking. In fact, the death rate from oral cancers (which includes cancers of the tongue, mouth, gums, tonsils and pharynx) exceeds the death rate from cervical cancer, according to experts.

 Only about 50 percent of people who get oral cancer survive for five years or more, in part because the disease often is not discovered until it is more advanced, according to a study carried in Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

Warning signs of dental problem:

• Sticky tar deposits or brown staining on the teeth. Heavy smokers will have almost brown teeth.

• ‘Smoker’s palate’ - red inflammation on the roof of the mouth

• Delayed healing of the gums

•  Increased severity of gum disease

• Bad breath or halitosis

• Black hairy tongue

• Oral lesions

• Gum recession - with chewing tobacco at the site of the tobacco "wad", the gums react by receding along the tooth root, exposing the root

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