Quitting smoking could improve your health and leave you less stressed in 2023, and pay for the average energy bill, new research has suggested.

Smokers across the region are being encouraged to give up their habit in the new year.

New research by anti-smoking programme Fresh has found stopping smoking could save £2,451 a year on average, almost enough to pay for a years’ energy bills under the £2,500 price guarantee, amid the current cost of living crisis.

Read more: Traffic cop gives harrowing insight into North East's most tragic accidents

A new campaign from Fresh will launch on Wednesday (December 28) named ‘Don’t Wait’, aiming to outline the benefits quitting can have on the body.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Thousands of people try to stop smoking in January and with this campaign we hope to give people a bit of extra motivation. We recommend people use a quit aid and get free local support to stop to make the process less stressful and more successful.

The Northern Echo: Ailsa Rutter OBEAilsa Rutter OBE (Image: PR)

“Stopping smoking is one of the biggest gifts you can give to your loved ones and to yourself this New Year. There aren’t many things that can bring more money and better health. Quitting can make life a lot better for you and your family – feeling better, more money and less stress.”

Dr Ruth Sharrock, Consultant Respiratory Physician and Clinical Lead for Treating Tobacco Dependency on behalf of North East and North Cumbria NHS, added: “Smoking causes so many serious diseases such as 16 types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. If you smoke you probably know it’s important to quit sooner rather than later– don’t wait another year.

The Northern Echo: Dr Ruth SharrockDr Ruth Sharrock (Image: PR)

“Smoking also makes you feel worse day to day, can leave you out of breath and cause a persistent cough and make you more vulnerable to chest infections. But the benefits of stopping begin almost immediately as you flush the poisons out of your body and your lungs and circulation start to recover.

To get more stories direct to your email basket go here 

“The benefits of quitting just get better as the weeks and months go by and you give yourself the best chance to be around with your family in the future.”  

According to data from 2019, 42% of smoking households in the North East were living in poverty, the highest proportion in the UK.

And research suggests that quitting for good could increase the average disposable incomes in our region by 11.4%.

Nationally 1.5 million households including smokers lived in poverty containing 2.2 million working age adults, 1 million children and 400,000 pensioners.

Stopping smoking has been proven to cause 16 different types of cancer, heart diseases, dementia, stroke and COPD, as well as making users more vulnerable to infectious diseases such as Covid and flu.

Scientists say that after just six weeks quitters will feel less stressed and see an improvement in their mental health.

Read next:

If you want to read more great stories, why not subscribe to your Northern Echo for as little as £1.25 a week. Click here