Family Life

Your local Morrisons Pharmacy is a great place to pick up friendly, expert advice for quitting smoking. We know that sometimes it takes more than willpower alone to put down your cigarettes for good, that’s why we’ve created a guide to giving up.

Why should you stop?

Smoking can be an expensive habit in more ways than one. There are plenty of reasons why you should consider quitting:

• Reduce the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer.
• Protect people around you from passive smoking.
• Save money – one pack of 20 cigarettes a day costs more than £2,000 a year.
• Breathing becomes easier and food and drink tastes better.
• You’ll look fresher as the tar in cigarettes can stain your skin and teeth.

Where do you begin?

The best plan of action for giving up is to pick a quit date and stick to it. Make sure you have plenty of distractions in place to take your mind off your cigarettes.

• Get rid of anything that reminds you of smoking, including ashtrays, lighters and of course, cigarettes!
• Keep yourself fit and active as part of a weekly routine.
• Take up a hobby to keep your mind off cigarettes.
• Snack on fruit as an alternative to smoking.
• Talk to your Morrisons pharmacist for great advice and suitable therapy.

How can we help?

Only 3% of smokers are able to stop without the help of pharmacists like ours. We can offer a variety of nicotine replacement options to help you kick the habit.

Timeline to health after giving up

• 20 minutes – Blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
• 8 hours – The risk of a heart attack goes down.
• 24 hours –The lungs begin to get rid of mucus and debris.
• 3 days – Breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase.
• 12 weeks – Circulation continues to improve and it becomes easier to exercise.
• 9 months – Any previous breathing problems will begin to improve.
• 5 years – The risk of having a heart attack falls to half that of a smoker.
• 10 years – The risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker and the risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

Find your nearest Morrisons Pharmacy for more friendly expert advice on quitting smoking and healthcare advice for all the family.