How Smoking can Increase the Cost of Your Travel Insurance

If you’ve made the decision to quit, the Stoptober initiative is here to help. This initiative was set up by the Department of Health and Social Care in 2012. It provides support and resources to help people give up smoking, which is responsible for over 64,000 deaths annually. Although smoking is declining, around 14% of the UK population in the 25-34 age group still currently smoke tobacco products. Those over 65 have the lowest smoking rates at 8.2%.

The campaign aims to help the nation’s five million smokers quit once and for all. It works on the principle that if you can remain smoke-free for 28 days, you are five times more likely to be able to stop permanently.

With support and encouragement, this has been an achievable goal for thousands of people. So how do you get started? Here are six key points that the Stoptober organisers recommend to help you reach your goal…

1. Set a Date to Stop Smoking

Whether you quit in October or decide to give up later in the year, it’s important to pick a date and stick to it. You’ll need to prepare by removing all smokable products and paraphernalia – such as cigarettes, cigars, tobacco, rolling papers, ashtrays and lighters – from your home or vehicle. Enlist the support of your friends, family and work colleagues bv informing them you are determined to quit and have a plan to achieve your aim.

2. Get Support and Encouragement

Make use of a range of a free resources that have been set up the NHS. These include daily email support, contact details for local stop-smoking services, and a downloadable Quit Smoking app. If you join a support group, solidarity with other smokers who are also on a mission to quit for good can motivate you to succeed.

3. Investigate Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

Look into the various options available that can reduce nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Products to help with this include nicotine gum, patches and lozenges. Seek guidance from your GP or a healthcare professional in order to choose which option is most suitable for you.

4. Identify Smoking Triggers

Raise your awareness of the triggers that lead to the desire to smoke. By identifying the emotional states or scenarios that typically lead you to light up a tobacco product, you can establish strategies to cope with them. For example, if stress has you reaching for the cigarette packet, beat the urge to smoke by employing relaxation techniques such as meditation or deep breathing to help you unwind.

5. Engage in Activities

As well as being good for your general health and well-being, an active lifestyle helps to lift your mood when the cravings strike. Swimming, yoga, cycling, running, walking and exercise classes can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from your nicotine cravings. Regular exercise can also help alleviate weight gain, which may occur when you quit. Smoking suppresses appetite and speeds up your metabolic rate, which means that you burn calories faster. But when you stop, the metabolic rate goes back to normal, which can lead to an increased appetite and the potential to put on weight.

6. Reward Your Achievements

It’s important to reward yourself for making progress on your mission to stay smoke-free. Focus on reaching key milestones, starting with one week without lighting up. Treat yourself again when you reach one month, and continue to give yourself some positive reinforcement as your quit journey continues.

One of the biggest health issues related to smoking is that you are at increased risk of developing the respiratory condition Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease, otherwise known as COPD. Stopping smoking is the best way to prevent smoking-related diseases such as COPD, cancers and heart disease.

We are constantly reminded of the health dangers of smoking tobacco, due to its serious implications on your health. When it comes to buying travel insurance, it also has an impact on your pocket as well! Specialist insurance providers take the risks posed by smoking very seriously. This can result in increased premiums as smokers can be more at risk of claiming due to illness, compared to a non-smoker.

Since its launch in 2012, Stoptober has helped over 2.5 million people attempt to quit for good. According to the NHS Islington Primary Care Network, smoking has a huge impact on society as a whole. In England alone, it is estimated to cost the nation £21.3 billion per year in total. The impact on the NHS and social care is believed to be £3 billion per year, due to the financial impact of millions of appointments, scans and operations.

ASH, the campaign for Action on Smoking and Health, states that in 2024-2025 around 238,000 people attempted to quit using their local stop smoking service. This was an increase of 40,000 on the figures from 2023-2024, so the impact of last year’s Stoptober will have played a key part in this. In addition, in 2024-2025, the highest number of people set a quit date and stopped smoking since 2017-18, so this is another positive step in the right direction.

John Waldron, the Policy and Public Affairs Manager at ASH, had this to say about the uptick in quit statistics:

“It’s hugely welcome to see more people accessing local stop smoking services and going on to quit smoking as a result. People using these services are three times more likely to quit than those making an unassisted quit attempt. Today’s figures show what’s possible when there is sustained investment in high-quality quit support. As we mark 25 years of local stop smoking services in England, it’s vital that this investment continues so even more smokers get the help they need to quit for good.”

Statistics provided by GOV.UK suggest that smokers are 67% more likely to quit when their partner stops smoking, and a third more likely to quit when a close friend or someone they work with stops. Conversely, the data also shows that individuals are much more likely to smoke if their partner or a close friend smokes. This highlights the powerful influence that people’s social networks have on their own smoking behaviour.

Supporting the campaign, Chief Medical Officer Professor Dame Sally Davies said:

“Smoking is still our biggest preventable killer: 80,000 people die a year in England because of smoking, and so stopping smoking is the single best thing a person can do for their health.”

Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director of Health and Wellbeing for PHE also said:

“The benefits of stopping smoking are almost immediate: quitters will soon see reduced blood pressure, easier breathing and better circulation. It is one of the best things a person can do to improve their health and reduce their chances of developing long-term conditions and dying prematurely.”