Britons are celebrating No Smoking Day on Wednesday (09Mar16), in partnership with the British Heart Foundation. So for those of you who are planning to light up, you may want to think twice.

What better time to cut the habit for good and to help make it easier, NiQuitin carried out a study to find out the benefits from no longer puffing away.

Lung, mouth, throat, kidney and stomach are just some of the many cancers that you're at risk of being diagnosed with as a result of smoking, with other health risks including heart attacks, strokes, coronary heart disease and pneumonia.

By quitting smoking, as well as improving your health, you regain an hour of your day, as many smokers admit to feeling frustrated by the time they waste on it.

Out of all the ex-smokers surveyed, 39 per cent are able to relax in front of the TV or with a book during the time they would usually spend smoking, while 17 per cent chose to exercise and another 14 per cent dedicated their free minutes to other self-benefiting activities. Over twice as many women (11 per cent) turned to social media after quitting than men (4 per cent), meaning you could find yourself with a better social life without cigarettes.

As well as this, 78 per cent of ex-smokers feel proud about successfully quitting, while 66 per cent of current smokers have overwhelmingly positive thoughts about stopping. You will also save money, which 36 per cent took into account, and 1 in 5 smokers revealed their desire to quit stems from wanting to make their friends and family proud.

Still need reasons to stomp that cigarette out? It may come as a surprise but only one in 10 smokers said they enjoy the social aspect of it, while a mere 16 per cent would choose smoking over another activity or hobby.

There's plenty of options to help out there, from gum to patches by the likes of NiQuitin and Nicorette.

Annelies Smits, from NiQuitin commented: "With the British population ever more squeezed for time, the time spent smoking feels increasingly like time wasted. Simply by replacing cigarettes with an on-the-go nicotine replacement therapy such as a mini lozenge, smokers can gain, on average, nearly an hour back into their day. And from there the opportunities are endless – from spending time with the family, joining a new sports team or cooking a delicious meal."

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