Stoppers - a little encouragement

[Toci]

Adapted from a Stoptober article (him.uk.msn.com/health-and-f...

Cough - If you’ve been smoking for years you may have developed ‘smoker’s cough’, which may not be a sign of any serious underlying disease but is, nevertheless, really annoying. Some long-term smokers report that the chronic cough disappears within a week of quitting.

Smell - Smokers are often self-conscious about the smell of their clothes, hair, houses (if they smoke inside) and breath. And with good reason. Eau de stale fag is nobody’s idea of a fine perfume. Smokers are also twice as likely to have a reduced sense of smell compared to their non-smoking counterparts. Their sense of taste can also be affected.

Looks - Smoking makes you look old. Research has found that smoking causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of your skin, which impairs blood flow. Less blood means less of the important nutrients your body needs, and the result is premature sagging and wrinkling. It can also affect skin tone, making some long-term smokers look pale and leaving others with uneven, patchy skin. As if things couldn't get worse, smoking also causes lines around the mouth - the tell-tale ‘smoker’s pucker’. Stop smoking and you stop these changes in their tracks, so staying as young-looking as possible, for as long as possible, is another good reason to quit.

Relationships - Men, if you do manage to get a date as a smoker, you may not impress too much in the boudoir. A study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found a positive correlation between smoking and erectile dysfunction. Don’t believe what you see in the movies. That post-coital cigarette may be helping to ensure your coital moments are increasingly rare in years to come.

Sociability - The idea that smokers are more sociable was revealed as a myth. Heavy smokers are increasingly marginalised from social groups. Former smokers don't won’t to be near a smoker for fear of a relapse. People feel bad about inviting a smoker to a dinner party on a wet winter night and making them smoke in the garden, but nor do they want the smell of smoke in the house. Even smokers who are conscientious about lighting up away from non-smoking friends miss out on huge chunks of conversation.

Good teeth - According to dental researchers at Newcastle University, smokers who give up are much less likely to lose their teeth prematurely than those who stick with the fags. Statistics show that smokers are up to six times more likely to develop gum disease than non-smokers, and tobacco also stains teeth. Smokers are also more likely to suffer from persistent bad breath.

Hair - If you want to keep it, you may need to stop smoking. A study of more than 700 Taiwanese men aged 40 and over found that smokers are more likely to lose their hair than non-smokers, and that the more a man smokes, the worse his baldness is likely to be.

Energy - Smoking is detrimental to blood circulation, which means its detrimental to every physical activity you attempt, whether that’s walking to the shops or running a half marathon. But the good news is very good indeed. According to the NHS, your circulation will improve within a few short weeks of quitting, meaning your near future could be filled with far more running and far less wheezing.

Money- You know you’d be richer if you stopped smoking. If you only smoke five cigarettes a day, you’d still be over £52 richer per month. After a year, you’d have saved at least £630. And if you smoke 20 a day, the equivalent savings are £210 and £2,520. That’s based on paying around £7 for a packet of 20 cigarettes, which is cheaper than the average.

In other words, if the scary diseases don’t get you to quit, let positive reasons give you the motivation you need. You’ll be richer, better looking and have an altogether better quality of life. It's time to put down the fags for good.