Every time you visit the Stop Smoking Service we will measure the amount of carbon monoxide gas in your breath.

Blowing into the monitor is a quick and easy way of finding out how much the oxygen level in your blood has been reduced by smoking.

Your red blood cells will take up carbon monoxide gas instead of oxygen if it is in the atmosphere. Because carbon monoxide is present in high quantities in cigarette smoke you are deliberately giving yourself a large dose of it (along with about 4000 other chemicals) every time you take a puff of a cigarette!

Carbon monoxide from cigarettes contributes towards heart disease, and makes you more breathless as it reduces the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood.

The good news is that when you give up smoking completely and have your carbon monoxide level measured at the end of your first week without cigarettes, it will be the same level as it would be for a non-smoker.

This is just one example of the many rapid improvements to your health when you finally quit smoking.

To get your CO level tested you can book an appointment with the stop smoking team. Just call 0800 0820 388 or email us at quit@smokefreelewisham.co.uk.