No Smoking Day 2025
Be part of No Smoking Day on the 12th March. Get involved, spread the word and take the first step.
For 40 years, No Smoking Day has helped people across Wales take a stand against smoking and move towards a healthier future. Since it began, smoking rates have dropped from 33% in 1984 to just 13% today—a huge step forward. But smoking still remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in Wales, and thousands of people continue to battle nicotine addiction.
This No Smoking Day, we’re inviting everyone to take action and make every minute count.
Every Cigarette Takes 20 Minutes of Life
Recent research from University College London (UCL) found that each cigarette smoked reduces life expectancy by an average of 20 minutes. That means a pack of 20 cigarettes can take nearly seven hours off a person’s life.
But the good news? Quitting smoking gives that time back.
Within just 20 minutes of quitting, the body starts to heal—heart rate returns to normal, circulation improves, and oxygen levels increase. The sooner you stop smoking, the more time you regain to spend on the things that matter—your health, your family, and your future.
Help Me Quit is run by NHS Wales and offers free smoking cessation advice and support to all smokers in Wales.
As well as helping smokers to find the stop smoking support that suits them best, it offers weekly group and one to one sessions with a smoking cessation advisor.
Why Help Me Quit?
Giving up smoking can be very tough and those that choose to go it alone are less likely to successfully quit.
In fact, research has shown that you’re up to three times more likely to quit for good if you give up using a combination of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and behavioural support.
Help Me Quit’s expert advisors can provide you with behavioural support to help you cope with cigarette cravings and advice on the many different types of NRT products that are available for you to try.
For more information, click here.