Ditching the Cigarettes: 5 Steps to Quitting For The New Year

With the new year approaching, we all have the opportunity for a fresh start. Why not add giving up cigarettes to your resolution list this new year and start your journey to a smoke-free 2024?

Our 5 steps to quitting below are the perfect guide to kickstart your quitting journey. Why not give it a go this new year, whether it be on your own, or alongside your friends and family?

  1. Identify Your Triggers

There are several common triggers that may cause people to reach for a cigarette. These include:

  • Habits you associate with smoking (such as having a cup of coffee)
  • Alcohol
  • Stress

Several smokers find that coffee and alcohol can trigger the impulse for a cigarette. If this is the case for you, try to limit or avoid these drinks during your quitting journey to help resist the temptation.

If stress can be a trigger for you, start by trying to identify the cause of it. For example, if your stress is work-related, you could try talking to your manager about your workload, or any other concerns you might have, to try and reach a solution. Other general methods for managing stress could also help you. One popular method is practicing calming breathing exercises. There are several apps, such as Headspace, that offer free audio guides to talk you through these techniques and aim to improve your mental wellbeing. Talking to your friends and family could also help to release pent-up emotions and stress, leaving you with a clearer mind.

If you do slip up, it’s ok! Part of this journey is learning from your mistakes and everybody’s journey is different. Use this as an opportunity to identify the things that can cause you to reach for a cigarette and learn from this going forward. Most importantly, don’t give up and continue to believe that you can do this.

 

  1. Find out what resources are out there for support

You’re not on your own in this journey and there are plenty of resources available for support. The NHS provides several solutions to help you go smoke-free, including the Help Me Quit service, which makes you four times more likely to stop smoking than going it alone. Support is tailored to your needs to give you the best chance of quitting and is available in various places across your local area, including:

  • Hospitals
  • Pharmacies
  • Community venues
  • One to one appointments
  • Meetings with other smokers

Find out what services you could access here: https://www.helpmequit.wales/services-in-your-area/

Nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) can also be great in supporting your shift away from nicotine. These come in several forms, from patches to chewing gum, and supply you with a low level of nicotine to help aid the transition. Speaking to your GP or a pharmacist can help determine what the best type of NRT is for you.

To learn more about NRTs, visit our handy online guide: https://ash.wales/nrt_guide/

 

  1. Exercise and Staying Active

With a new year approaching, it’s the perfect time to take up a new activity, or maybe even return to that hobby you used to love. Whatever it is you choose to do, exercise is a great way of releasing stress and could also help to distract you from those pesky cigarette cravings.

If you haven’t got much time on your hands, getting out in the fresh air for a 10-minute walk can still have a great deal of health benefits. Get your friends and family involved and have them join you if that will make it more enjoyable!

 

  1. Make sure to reward yourself

Quitting smoking is no easy feat, so you should celebrate your achievements and reward yourself. Get your piggy banks at the ready as, by ditching the cigarettes, you could be saving yourself and your family thousands each year that can be put aside and saved for other necessities or treats.

Want to find out just how much you could be saving? Use our quick cost of smoking calculator to calculate how much you could decrease your annual spending by: https://ash.wales/cost-of-smoking/

The average smoker can save up to £2,759.40 a year by quitting. If you’re wondering what you could get with all those extra pennies, according to figures published by British Gas, you’d have enough to pay the average annual cost of bills for a two-bedroom house! You could even treat yourself, or your friends and family, to a gift for quitting – think about what reward will work best to motivate you.

 

  1. Keep a Positive Mindset

Keeping a positive mindset whilst trying to quit smoking can be challenging. Having measures in place for those days when you’re feeling down and lacking motivation to continue can help to keep you on track in this journey. One way you could do this is by creating a jar filled with notes on the reasons why you want to quit. By taking a note out of this jar when you feel like giving up, you can remind yourself of why you started this journey in the first place and hopefully feel reinspired to push through.

It is also important to remind yourself of how far you have already come. If you have managed to go even 48 hours without a cigarette, all carbon monoxide will already be flushed out of your body and your sense of taste and smell will have started improving.

 

Feeling Motivated?

Even just by following along and reading these 5 steps, you have already started your journey to a smoke-free 2024. Remember to celebrate each small victory along the way and embrace the positive changes you notice, but also be kind to yourself if it’s not all plain sailing. Continue to believe in yourself and grow from your mistakes to keep pushing and moving forward.

To feel inspired, read our real-life quit stories here: https://ash.wales/real-life-quit-stories/

Nearly Two Thirds of People in Wales Support Raising the Age of Sale – November 2023

Latest evidence · September 2026

This article reflects proposals and polling from 2023. For the current Wales law and implementation timetable, see our current law guide. For the latest approved public-attitudes findings, see our 2026 report.

Almost two thirds of people in Wales back raising the age of sale to create a smoke-free generation.

Plans to phase out tobacco smoking for the next generation are overwhelmingly supported by the people of Wales, new data reveals today.  

More than 6 in 10 adults in Wales say they back proposed new laws which would in effect impose a lifetime ban on young people ever smoking.  

The planned legislation, announced in the King’s Speech this autumn, would mean anyone born after 1st January 2009 would never legally be sold cigarettes.

[VIDEO] – ASH Wales Head of Policy, Louise Elliott, talking with ITV News about the benefits of raising the age of sale for tobacco products in Wales.

With one week to go until a public consultation on the measures closes, polling by the health charity ASH Wales, today shows that 62% of people in Wales, support the measure. Only 15% oppose the idea.  

Research previously carried out by ASH Wales has already shown that:  

  • 13% of adults in Wales smoke, with those living in our most deprived communities more than twice as likely to smoke than those in our most affluent areas
  • 77% of people who smoke say they had their first cigarette when they were under 18, and the vast majority of them wish they’d never started
  • 53% of people who smoke in Wales say want to quit at some point 

Chief Executive of ASH Wales, Suzanne Cass said: “No other consumer product comes with the devastating harms of tobacco and smoking kills two in three of its long term users.  

“More than five and a half thousand people in Wales die every year from smoking and tobacco costs the Welsh NHS more than £300m a year – none of this will change without bold action.” 

No young person will be criminalised by this measure. This legislation will simply extend the existing legal obligation not to sell tobacco to those who are underage. It will increase the age for sale by one year, every year, from 2027. 

Dr Hilary Williams, vice president for Wales at the Royal College of Physicians said:  

‘We welcome these plans and strongly support legislation to phase out tobacco sales. Smoking is still the main cause of premature death in Wales, killing thousands of people every year, and it’s increasingly important that we face up to the impact of avoidable tobacco-related illness. If you smoke, your risk of becoming seriously ill with many major health conditions is far higher; I am a consultant oncologist and see in my patients the devastating impact of lung cancer.  Most people who smoke wish they had never started in the first place – these changes will protect more young people from avoidable illness and early death.’ 

Welsh Government cannot raise the age on the sale of tobacco without the UK Government passing this legislation. 

Suzanne added: “Public opinion and debate has driven governments to do the right thing before and it can happen again.  

 “It’s not often we see such overwhelming public support for government policy and we urge Welsh MPs to listen to their constituents and use their vote to protect the health of future generations.” 

 

ASH Wales / YouGov poll:  

Regional Breakdown: 

Question: The UK Government has announced legislation to raise the age of sale for tobacco for those born in 2009 or later by one year, every year, so it will never be legal to sell them tobacco. To what extent, if at all, would you support or oppose. 

Mid and west Wales: 

  • 62% support
  • 11% oppose 

North Wales: 

  • 63% support
  • 15% oppose 

Cardiff and south central Wales: 

  • 63% support
  • 15% oppose

South east Wales: 

  • 58% support
  • 17% oppose

South west Wales: 

  • 63% support
  • 18% oppose

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov plc. Total sample size was 1.024 adults. 

Fieldwork was undertaken between 15 – 20th November 2023. 

The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in Wales (aged 18+) 

For further information, please contact Louise Elliott, Head of Policy, ASH Wales 

Louise.Elliott@ashwales.org 

07496259220

Plastic Overshoot Day: World exceeds amount of plastic pollution it can manage on 28th July 2023

On 28th July 2023, the amount of plastic waste outweighs the world’s ability to manage it. This day has arrived at a time with many environmental disasters occurring across the globe and fingers are partially pointed to our polluted waste.

The result of this day is due to significant amounts of plastic winding up in our environment every year. 43% of plastic produced and used is mismanaged as waste, meaning 68,642,999 tons of additional plastic waste will end up in nature this year[1]. According to Greenpeace[2], a truckload of plastic enters the ocean every single minute. Bottles, tubs and food trays are some of the more obvious items we may think of, but there are other items we may not think about.

Every year around 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are discarded globally, making them the most littered item on earth[3]. Cigarette butts are made with single-use plastic and can take over a decade to breakdown, they become microplastics ending up in our environment becoming a danger to our oceans and animals. Further to their plastic pollution, cigarettes leach toxins into our waterways, beaches and streets and are a danger to pets and children who may pick them up.

Yet cigarette butts remain unseen in the latest Environmental Protection (Single Use Plastic Products) Act in Wales[4]. ASH Wales firmly support action on single use plastics to reduce risk of environmental crisis and damage to nature, but strongly encourage that cigarettes be included with action to protect our Welsh landscapes.

In the interest of protecting Welsh landscapes, ASH Wales continue to create Smokefree spaces to not only reduce litter and pollution but to de-normalise smoking in the eyes of children and young people. Smokefree Beaches has become an interest of many and the organisation look forward to more local authorities in Wales joining the campaign and creating a cleaner and smokefree coastline. To read more about the campaign, visit the campaign page here.

 

[1] https://plasticovershoot.earth

[2] https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/challenges/plastic-pollution/

[3] https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/cigarettes-story-of-plastic

[4] https://www.gov.wales/environmental-protection-single-use-plastic-products-wales-act

 

Tobacco Tax Rise Set to Reduce Youth Smoking in Wales

Smokers are to pay nearly £1 more for cigarettes as the UK Government rises tobacco duty tax in the UK. According to the health charity ASH Wales, the rise is likely to price cigarettes out of the reach of young people in Wales.

Earlier this month the UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt released the Spring Budget which raised tobacco tax to 2% above inflation (RPI). The rise will mean a packet of 20 cigarettes will increase by 95 pence, taking average prices to more than £14 a packet.

The move has been welcomed by the tobacco control charity ASH Wales, who mark that raising prices is one of the most effective ways of reducing smoking rates, especially amongst young people. In Wales, 9% of 15-16 year olds smoke on a regular basis, a figure that has remained largely unchanged for a decade.

The price increase is welcomed by ASH Wales after recent research by the University of Essex found increased tobacco tax is effective at reducing smoking rates in those aged 25 and younger.

The research suggests those in younger age groups are more sensitive to price changes, which means a rise in price often translates to lower youth consumption of cigarettes.

According to ASH Wales smoking is an addiction of childhood. According to the charity’s latest YouGov survey, the majority of adults in Wales (77%) had their first cigarettes under the age of 18.

The charity marks that public support to protect youth health is strong in Wales, as 73% of Welsh adults are in favour of Government action to limit youth smoking.

ASH Cymru CEO, Suzanne Cass, said: “Smoking is such a deadly addiction we need to do everything we can to keep these tobacco products out of the hands of children. With more than 6,000 children taking up smoking every year in Wales, clearly there is still work to be done.

“Pricing tobacco products out of the reach of young people makes tobacco less affordable and less accessible.

“We know the younger you start smoking the more likely you are to smoke in later life. Raising tobacco prices helps to limit this pathway, and in turn helps to reduce smoking related harms in both adults and youth in Wales.”

The tobacco industry lobbies against tax increases, arguing that high taxes cause illicit trade, however, Roger Mapleson, Lead Officer for Tobacco from Trading Standards Wales, said these claims are unfounded:

“With the average price of a packet of 20 cigarettes doubling in the last ten years you would expect the trade of cheap illegal tobacco to increase, in fact the sale of illegal tobacco, whilst still a problem, has decreased.

“The illegal tobacco market makes up 10% of all tobacco sales in Wales and makes it easier for children to start smoking and brings crime into the community. However there is little evidence that price increases translate into significant increases in the illegal trade.

“We would encourage anyone who knows anything about the sale of illegal products to report it through Wales’s national reporting portal Noifs Nobutts.”

Anonymous reports of illegal tobacco sales, underaged tobacco sales, and illegal tobacco sellers can be made via the Welsh reporting portal: noifs-nobutts.co.uk

ENDS

 

Notes

  • UK Government Spring Budget was published on Weds 15th March 2022, and can be found here.
  • Research from the University of Essex (2021), can be found here.

 

For further information contact:

 

Simon Scheeres |Policy & Public Affairs Manager| simon@ashwales.org.uk | 07841 571 516|

 

About us:

 

ASH Wales Cymru is the leading organisation working for a smokefree Wales via strong tobacco control policy and country-wide campaigns. We work to raise awareness of the health, economic and environmental effects of smoking by engaging with communities, young people and partners across Wales.

 

NB: Please refer to ASH Wales as a health charity/ tobacco control organisation.

 

Website www.ash.wales  Facebook www.facebook.com/ASHCymru

Twitter www.twitter.com/ASHWalesCymru

Study shows quitting smoking lowers stress, anxiety, and improves mood

Smokers are being urged to use this No Smoking Day, March 8th, to stub out stress after research showed quitting can make you happier and be as good as antidepressants on symptoms of anxiety and low mood.

A national drive by charity ASH Wales and Public Health Wales aims to dispel the myth that smoking effectively deals with stress and encourages smokers to take up free NHS support.

The latest YouGov survey for Wales shows over 50% of smokers, including those with mental health problems, would like to quit. Thousands of smokers across Wales will use No Smoking Day as the start of their quit journey.

According to ASH, smoking does not address the root causes of stress and actually increases anxiety and tension.  This is due to the addictive chemical in tobacco, nicotine, which produces feelings of irritability and stress when a smoker craves a cigarette. These withdrawal symptoms increase feelings of stress in those already experiencing this condition.

Beyond stress, the charity is highlighting research which found that smokers who quit for six weeks or more were happier than those who continued to smoke.

The research was conducted in 2021, and was published within the Cochrane Library, which is often seen as the gold standard for medical research and review.

The study found those who successfully stopped smoking could feel the mental health benefits in as little as six weeks, and that these benefits were felt even years later.

The study also found that quitting smoking held similar benefits to antidepressants in reducing anxiety and depression.

This year’s No Smoking Day theme was inspired by the ever-increasing financial burden of smoking and the impact this addiction has on mental health. Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, said:

“Smoking is not a lifestyle choice, it is an addiction. The cost of living, increased stress, and poor mental health are all acutely felt by smokers.

“Our work has shown that many turn to smoking to relieve the stresses of modern life, without realising that smoking could be making things worse.

“Many think cigarettes are a good stress reliever, when in fact research shows that smoking is not an effective or safe way of dealing with stress. Today is a chance to address these misconceptions, and to signpost the brilliant NHS help that is available in Wales.”

Fiona Edwards is an NHS Smoking Cessation Practitioner who supports people living with mental health conditions to quit. She said:

“People with mental health conditions are just as motivated as anyone else to quit smoking, but are often scared to leave behind what they view as a crutch for stress.

“Though, every year I see people quit and actually improve their levels of stress in the long-term, while also improving their physical health too.

“Taking charge of your physical and mental health through quitting smoking is really empowering, and I applaud anyone who is taking positive steps towards going smoke-free.”

Liz Newbury-Davies, Principal Public Health Practitioner for Tobacco Control at Public Health Wales said:

“Stopping smoking doesn’t need to be stressful as the free NHS ‘Help Me Quit’ smoking cessation service is on hand to help you go smoke-free.

“Smokers that receive support with our experts have the best chance of quitting for good, and are up to 300% more likely to quit when compared to going it alone.

“Help Me Quit services provide tailored support and free stop smoking medications worth up to £250. Our support is available in a range of options including through the telephone,  face-to-face in community venues, or via local pharmacies and hospitals.”

Join thousands of smokers across Wales this No Smoking Day who are using March 8th to commit to quitting. Beyond No Smoking Day, support is free in Wales and available all year.

For free support please contact ‘Help Me Quit’ on: helpmequit.wales. Alternatively, the service can be reached by calling 0800 085 2219, or by texting 80818.

Supplement:

HEALTH BENEFITS OF QUITTING

Beyond mental health, what are the psychical benefits of quitting smoking?

8 Hours after quitting

Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood reduce by half and your oxygen levels return to normal.

24 hours after quitting

Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body; lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.

48 hours after quitting

There is no nicotine left in your body and the ability to taste and smell is greatly improved.

72 hours after quitting

Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax, and your energy levels should start to increase.

2-12 weeks after quitting

Circulation improves. Oxygenated blood is flowing around your body and helping to improve your health.

3-9 months after quitting

Coughs and wheezing reduce, and how well you can breathe increases by up to 10%.

1 year smokefree

Your risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker.

10 years smokefree

The risk of getting lung cancer falls to about half that of a smoker.

15 years smokefree

Your risk of a heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

Notes

  • Cochrane study into mental health benefits of stopping smoking, found here, here and
  • Physical benefits of stopping smoking found here.
  • ASH Wales YouGov Survey found here.

Crackdown on Criminals Selling Illegal Tobacco to Children in Wales

A national campaign to stop criminals offering children illegal tobacco has been launched after a new survey revealed over a third of children that smoke in Wales had been approached by sellers.

The Wales-wide survey of over 1,000 11 to 16-year-olds showed that 32% of current smokers had been offered cheap illegal tobacco and 25% had gone on to buy it.

According to latest research from ASH Wales, illegal tobacco makes up 10% of the entire tobacco market, funds criminality in the community and makes it easy for children start smoking.

The NEMS survey, which is the largest of its kind in the UK, showed children in Wales were most likely to be offered illegal tobacco by friends or family (39%), in educational settings (17%) and in shops (11%).

The study also indicated that children who had bought illegal tobacco were highly likely to buy it every time they were offered it (89%).

Welsh Government, Trading Standards and the tobacco action group ASH Wales, have launched a national drive to encourage members of the community to anonymously report information about illegal tobacco through the NoIfs-NoButts website.

Lynne Neagle MS, Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, said: “I am aware of the recent research from NEMS and I am concerned by this. When we protect our children from illegal tobacco, we protect them from life of possible tobacco addiction.

“Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Wales, a fact that dominates our health landscape. That’s why the Welsh Government has set a target of a smoke-free Wales by 2030, meaning less than 5% of the population smoking.

“I am especially committed to keeping cigarettes out of the hands of children and I urge anyone to report sellers who break the law.”

The survey also revealed that of the children who bought illegal tobacco, over 50% said it allowed them to continue smoking because it was cheaper and easier to get hold of.

Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, said the case for action was now very clear: “Smoking is not a lifestyle choice it is a deadly addiction that nearly always starts in childhood.

“These latest figures show that far too many children in Wales are being offered and sold illegal tobacco by criminals who don’t care how old they are or about the laws we have in place to protect them.

“Cheap illegal tobacco creates a gateway into smoking because its cheap and easy to get hold of. We need communities across Wales to pull together and report these illegal sales and protect our children.”

Illegal tobacco takes many forms, which includes:

  • ‘Cheap whites’, which are cigarettes mass produced in one country and smuggled to another.
  • Fakes, which look like well-known brands.
  • Genuine tobacco smuggled into the UK with no-duty paid (often cheap and display foreign languages).

Reports gathered from the Government’s Noifs- NoButts website have already led to raids across Wales. Last month alone, a quarter of a million cigarettes and 20Kg of rolling tobacco were seized in raids across North Wales.

Trading Standards Tobacco Lead in Wales, Roger Mapleson, said: “The extent of the impact of this criminality on our communities should not be underestimated.

“With nearly one million illegal cigarettes being smoked in Wales every single day, illegal tobacco is being sold in every corner of Wales.

“We are dedicated to finding those that break the law, seizing illegal product, causing maximum disruption, closing down their operations and prosecuting criminal behaviour.“

In 2021, Welsh Trading Standards teams confiscated over 3 million illegal cigarettes off the informal black market. If you know anyone who is selling illegal tobacco in Wales, an anonymous reporting portal can be found at: noifs-nobutts.co.uk.

Notes:

2022 NEMS Survey Results: 11-16 year olds total sample: 1022

Heard of illegal tobacco54%
Current smokers7%
Current smokers who smoke daily52%
Current smokers who smoke cannabis41%
Ever been offered illegal tobacco (current smokers)32%
Those who have bought illegal tobacco when offered (current smokers)24%
Frequency of purchase when offered (illegal tobacco buyers)89%
Tried illegal tobacco (current smokers)36%
Ever bought illegal tobacco (current smokers)25%
Normal channel of illegal tobacco: shop (illegal tobacco buyers)11%
Normal channel of illegal tobacco: friend / family member (illegal tobacco buyers)39%
Normal channel of illegal tobacco: educational setting (illegal tobacco buyers)17%
  • The 2014 Illegal Tobacco Survey (NEMS), can be found
  • The recent 2022 NEMS survey was run by ASH Wales, and was funded by Welsh Government.
  • More information about illegal tobacco in Wales, found
  • Recent North Wales raid (original press release), found
  • 2021 figures from national illegal tobacco raids in Wales (original press release), found here.
  • Noif- No Butts reporting portal found here.