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Information / Smoking & chronic illness
Already living with a health condition? Stopping smoking still helps.
A diagnosis does not make quitting pointless. Stopping smoking can still reduce future risk, help prevent further damage and support treatment and recovery.
Last reviewed: 23rd September 2026
QUICK ANSWER
It is not too late.
The NHS says quitting improves health whatever your age and however long you have smoked. If you have COPD, stopping smoking is the most effective way to prevent the condition getting worse.
A diagnosis changes the question - not the value of quitting
If you already have a long-term health condition, you may be thinking less about preventing disease and more about what stopping can still do for you now.
Quitting cannot undo every change smoking has already caused. It can, however, reduce continued exposure to tobacco smoke and lower the chance of further smoking-related harm.
Long-term illness and smoking are also part of a wider pattern of health inequalities in Wales. Your GP, specialist team or pharmacist can help connect quitting support with the care you already receive.
Tell your healthcare team you want to stop
You do not need to wait for a routine appointment to contact Help Me Quit, but it is useful to tell the team looking after your condition too.
They can take your existing medicines, symptoms and treatment plan into account and advise you if anything needs monitoring when you stop.
What can stopping change if you already have a condition?
Some of the benefits are specific to the condition you are living with.
COPD & breathing conditions
If you have COPD and smoke, stopping is the most effective way to prevent the condition getting worse.
Existing lung damage cannot be reversed, but quitting can help prevent further damage. The NHS says people with more advanced COPD still benefit from stopping.
Heart & circulation
If you already have cardiovascular disease, stopping smoking remains part of reducing the chance of it getting worse.
Circulation begins improving within weeks of stopping, and the risk of heart attack and other smoking-related cardiovascular problems falls over time compared with continuing to smoke.
Diabetes
Diabetes already increases the chance of problems affecting blood vessels, the heart, kidneys, eyes and feet. Smoking adds another source of risk.
NHS diabetes guidance includes not smoking as part of reducing the chance of long-term complications.
Cancer & treatment
Stopping smoking is still worthwhile after a cancer diagnosis.
Macmillan says quitting can help people recover more quickly, reduce some treatment side effects and support the body’s response to treatment. Speak to your cancer team as well as using stop-smoking support.
What if smoking is how you cope with being ill?
Living with pain, breathlessness, fatigue, appointments or uncertainty can make smoking feel tied to breaks, stress relief or getting through the day.
That does not mean stopping is impossible. It means the quit plan needs to deal with what the cigarette is doing for you as well as the nicotine.
A stop-smoking adviser can help you plan for those moments instead of simply telling you to avoid them.
You can use quit aids with a long-term condition
NRT, stop-smoking medicines and vaping for adults who smoke are all options that may help with cravings and withdrawal.
Your adviser, GP or pharmacist can help you choose an option that fits with your existing treatment and medicines.
A useful next step depends on where you are
I’m ready to stop
Contact Help Me Quit and tell them about your condition and current treatment. You can start building a plan now.
I want to understand quitting first
The Quit Smoking hub explains nicotine dependence, withdrawal, triggers and what the first few weeks can feel like.
I’m worried about my condition or medicines
Speak to the GP, nurse, pharmacist or specialist team already looking after you. They can answer condition-specific questions and work alongside stop-smoking support.
Your health condition is a reason to get more support - not less
Help Me Quit is free across Wales. You do not need a GP referral and you can use the service alongside the healthcare you already receive.