Smoking causes many serious and life threatening conditions including heart disease, lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema to name a few.

It is estimated that tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, many of which are harmful when inhaled. The three main components are nicotine, carbon monoxide and tar.

Nicotine is a highly addictive and is absorbed rapidly when inhaled. Nicotine causes a number of effects on the body including increased blood pressure and heart rate, constriction of the small blood vessels and thickening of the blood.

Carbon monoxide is an odourless, colourless and poisonous gas. When it is inhaled it combines with the red blood cells and reduces the ability for the blood to carry oxygen around the body. To compensate for the reduced oxygen levels the heart then has to beat faster. As a result many smokers will experience shortness of breath and fatigue.

Tar is a mixture of many different chemicals that form a thick, sticky residue. Many of these chemicals cause cancer. When inhaled the tar deposits on the lungs.

Well the good news is that there are many benefits of giving up smoking. Not only will your health improve but you will be financially better off too.

Some benefits start as soon as 20 minutes from stopping, with blood pressure and pulse rate returning to normal. After 8 hours oxygen levels also return to normal and after 3 days breathing becomes easier and energy levels increase. In the longer term, after 5 years, the risk of a heart attack falls to about half of a smoker.

There are also many personal benefits to giving up smoking including:

These are just a few of the many reasons to give up smoking now.

The Lloydspharmacy Stop Smoking service offers two different programmes, designed to help you quit.

Stop Now will help those wanting to throw away their cigarettes and make a clean break from smoking.

Cut Down and Quit will help those who find it very difficult to stop straight away. It works by reducing the number of cigarettes smoked over a period of time until you are able to stop completely.

Once enrolled, you will then have weekly one to one consultations. During these we will discuss how well you are getting on. We will give you ongoing hints and tips that will help you deal with any withdrawal symptoms or cravings you are experiencing.

At each appointment we will also measure how much carbon monoxide is in your body. You will need to blow into a machine that will give you a reading to see how well you are doing.

We will also discuss some of the treatment options that are available to you, such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy, or NRT, works by giving your body the nicotine it is craving in a safe way. NRT can be used to replace the cigarettes you would have smoked.

NRT still requires willpower, however it has been shown to more than double the chance of stopping.

No, when you use NRT you are replacing the nicotine but you are not receiving the other elements, carbon monoxide and tar, that can cause heart disease and cancer.

Anyone over the age of 18 who wants to stop smoking either totally or partially can join the service apart from pregnant or breastfeeding women.  If you are under 18, pregnant or breastfeeding you should speak to your GP.

Not all services are available in all of our pharmacies.
Use our store locator and select the services you require to find your nearest pharmacy where this service is available.
www.lloydspharmacy.com/storelocator