2 minute read

Five reasons to quit smoking for yourself and your family

Next Article
PLAYING THE MARKET

PLAYING THE MARKET

One of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself and your family is to give up smoking. While there are many benefits to giving up smoking, Chief Cancer O cer and CEO of the Cancer Institute NSW, Professor David Currow has narrowed down the top five reasons to quit for good:

1. Reducing your risk of many smokingrelated diseases

Tobacco smoking is one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and death in Australia. Research estimates that two in three lifetime smokers will die prematurely from a disease caused by smoking. These diseases include many different types of cancer, heart disease, stroke and chronic bronchitis.

“The good news is that making the decision to quit smoking, no matter how long you’ve been smoking for, is one of the best things you can do to improve your health and wellbeing as it reduces your likelihood of smokingrelated diseases and improves your health,” Professor Currow said.

2. Looking after your family Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals, at least 70 of which are known to cause cancer. Non-smokers who live with second-hand smoke are at a 20-30 per cent increased risk of lung cancer and a substantially increased risk of heart disease.

“Quitting smoking for the health and wellbeing of your family is a great motivator. It allows you to have a healthier smoke-free home and sets a good example for younger generations,” Professor Currow said.

3. Saving a lot of money

With the current cost of cigarettes, a pack-a-day smoker could save around $10,000 each year if they give up the deadly habit.

That’s enough for a nice holiday or to visit family and friends overseas. Within a few years you would have enough saved for a new car!

“The next tobacco tax increase, on 1 September 2020, will see the cost of cigarettes increase by a further 12.5%, so now is the time to quit and save that money for something more important,” Professor Currow said.

4. Improving your looks

Quitting smoking can reduce your likelihood of wrinkles, psoriasis and even losing your teeth. The good news is once you quit smoking the appearance of your skin, nails, hair and eyes can improve.

5. Enjoying better sense of taste and smell

One of the first changes many smokers notice when they quit is a much better sense of taste and smell. Many smokers describe rediscovering these wonderful senses after a few days.

“You may also begin to recognise the unwanted, unlikeable smell of stale tobacco smoke on your clothes, and even on other people. This can be a great motivator to keep yourself on track having quit smoking,” Professor Currow said.

For professional support and advice on how to quit smoking in your language, call Quitline on 13 78 48.

To get information and advice to help you quit in your language, head to www. icanquit.com.au/quitting-methods/

This article is from: