No Smoking Day
No Smoking Day is taking place on Wednesday 12 March this year! We'll be asking people to join in our campaign and showcasing the benefits that can be gained by quitting smoking to staff, communities and young people.
The theme this year is 'Quit and Win', encouraging people who smoke to quit and win with their health, fitness, mental health and finances when they leave tobacco behind.
No Smoking Day is taking place on 12 March 2025
Health and fitness
Your health starts to improve within hours of stopping smoking.
After 20 minutes, your heart rate and blood pressure drops.
After 12 hours, the level of carbon dioxide in your blood returns to normal.
After two weeks to three months, your lung function and circulation improve.
After nine months, coughs and shortness of breath decreases and your lungs are recovering.
After one year, your risk of coronary heart disease is halved.
After five years, your risk of many types of cancer is reduced.
Finances
We've calculated how much you could save if you quit!*
If you smoke the average amount of cigarettes a day (12) you could save
After one week: £47
After one month: £208
After six months: £1,250
* based on the cheapest packet of cigarettes
Family
Everyone has personal reasons for stopping smoking, and the benefits can be substantial not just for you, but also for the people around you.
Second-hand smoke can increase the risk of lung cancer for people who don't smoke by 30%.
As we get older, many of us also consider how much time we have left with our loved ones.
We talked to Fran who shared her story about why she decided to quit smoking. To motivate her to stop smoking, Fran wrote her grandchildren's names on each cigarette. You can listen to her story here.
Support for No Smoking Day
Keep an eye out for our toolkit, launching in February. Join in the conversation and spread the message on social media.
#NSD25
Supporting people who want to quit
Around two-thirds of people in Scotland who smoke want to live a tobacco-free life.
For No Smoking Day, we want to signpost people who may need some help to give up smoking to Scotland's national person-centred Quit Your Way service.
- Quit Your Way is a free NHS Scotland service that can provide support and advice on how to stop smoking.
- Quit Your Way advisors are available to talk on the phone or via webchat.
- People who want to quit can also visit local pharmacies to get advice and plan how to overcome cravings.
Successful stop smoking stories
We're asking people to share their stop smoking stories to help inspire others who want to quit.
Click below to read last year's stories, or submit your own!