Did you know, if you stop smoking for 28 days, you’re five times more likely to quit for good?! If you’re thinking about giving up the cigs, join Stoptober this month. It’s an annual campaign that helps smokers quit for good. Signing up is completely free and you are given support tools from apps to packs to help you throughout the month. Why join? The reasons why you want to quit is personal to you. However, if you’re struggling to find a reason, how about one of these?
- Save the pounds – if you smoke one packet a day, it can cost you around £250 every month, so imagine having that cash in your pocket! You could spend it on that mini-break you’ve been saving up for, or save it for a rainy day.
- Boost your health – No matter how long you've smoked for, quitting can help improve your health straight away. See how smoking affects your oral health below.
- For family – you’ll have more energy to spend quality time with your family & friends, less likely to suffer from medical conditions and therefore are more likely to live a longer life.
Affects on your oral health
- Risk of oral cancer – smokers are 6 times more at risk of developing mouth cancer than a non-smoker.
- Risk of gum disease - smoking irritates the gum tissue and reduces the blood flow to the gums. This causes damage to the gums, which can result in the gums pulling away from the teeth. Gum recession exposes the roots of the teeth, which leave them vulnerable to tooth decay.
- Increased risk of cavities - as the receding gums are protecting the roots of the teeth less and exposing pockets between the teeth to food particles, this increases the risk of bacteria nestling into the pockets to feed on the decaying food, thus growing and causing cavities.
- Bad breath - It’s not surprising that bad breath would occur in a smoker, as over 4,000 chemicals pass through your oral cavity each time you smoke.
- Stained teeth - it’s well known that a smoker’s pearly whites, aren’t so white! Nicotine and tar leave unattractive yellow stains that over time discolour the tiny cracks in the tooth enamel.
How Stoptober can help you
Choosing to give up with Stoptober gives you tonnes of support for free!- Support emails Stoptober will send you an email every morning of October to keep you motivated & focused on choosing a smoke-free day!
- Chat on Facebook chat You can message Stoptober on Facebook chat anytime you need some help to beat those cravings or just need a boost in motivation. The chat is secure and private and will not be shared on your Facebook profile.
- Download the Stoptober app
