The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust has outlined the immediate and long-term health benefits of quitting smoking, urging people to access specialist support.

Physical improvements can begin within 20 minutes of a final cigarette, as heart rate and blood pressure start to return to normal levels. After 24 hours, nicotine is no longer present in the body.

Within two to 12 weeks, circulation improves and lung function increases. Between one and nine months, many former smokers notice reduced coughing and breathlessness, along with higher energy levels.

Longer-term gains include a halving of heart disease risk after one year and a halving of the risk of cancers of the mouth, throat and bladder after five years. After 10 years, the risk of dying from lung cancer is about half that of a continuing smoker, and after 15 years, heart disease risk becomes similar to that of a non-smoker.

Claire Black, a smoking cessation specialist with the trust, said many people assume the damage is already done, but the body begins to recover almost immediately after stopping. She added that quitting can boost energy, improve quality of life and save money.

The trust emphasised that specialist support significantly increases the chances of quitting successfully. It encourages anyone attending its hospitals to ask healthcare professionals for a referral to the free Smoking Cessation Service.

Further information is available at stopsmokingni.info.