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Let’s Stop Smoking Together This October

Let’s Stop Smoking Together This October
An infographic showing the health benefits over time after quitting smoking. After 20 minutes: Your pulse is already returning to normal. After 8 hours: Your oxygen levels are recovering, and the harmful carbon monoxide in your body has halved. After 48 hours: All carbon monoxide is flushed out. Your lungs are clearing out mucus, and your senses of taste and smell are improving. After 72 hours: Breathing feels easier, and you’re feeling more energetic. After 2 to 12 weeks: Your blood is pumping to your heart and muscles better, thanks to improved circulation. After 3 to 9 months: Your lungs are working 10% better, so there’s less coughing and wheezing. After 1 year: Your risk of a heart attack has halved compared to a smoker. After 10 years: Your risk of death from lung cancer has halved. After 15 years: Your risk of heart attack is now the same as someone who has never smoked.

This October, NHS Lincolnshire wants to help you stop smoking. If you stop for 28 days, it can help you quit for good. Smoking is bad for your body. It can make you sick. It can even cause death. Every year, 80,000 people in the UK die because of it.

Here’s the good news: when you stop, your body starts to heal. You will feel better. Your family and friends will feel better too.

Just 20 minutes after you stop, your body starts to fix itself, and you keep getting better every day.

Stopping smoking also saves you money!
If you smoke 20 cigarettes a day, you could save about £4,841 a year by quitting.

Need Help to Quit?

In Hospitals:
If you are in hospital and smoke, you can get free help from NHS services. You will be referred to a team that can help you quit. These teams include:

  • QUIT Team – for mental health and community hospitals
  • STAAR Team – for maternity services
  • Acute Tobacco Team – for hospital patients

These teams will:

  • Make a plan just for you
  • Meet with you to check how you’re doing
  • Give you support
  • Give you free stop-smoking aids like gum, patches, lozenges, and inhalers

In the Community:
You can also get help from One You Lincolnshire One You Lincolnshire. This is a free service for anyone aged 12 and over. You can join group or one-to-one sessions, even in the evenings. The programme lasts up to 12 weeks.

To find help near you, visit:

www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/find-your-local-stop-smoking-service/

You can also download the NHS Quit Smoking app from the App Store or Play Store.

Remember: quitting smoking isn’t about losing something — it’s about gaining better health, more money, and a happier life.

Working in partnership with:


United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust
Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust
Lincolnshire County Council & One You Lincolnshire

1 October 2025

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