Think Smoking Helps with Stress? Think Again
Many people light up a cigarette thinking it’ll calm their nerves—but the truth is, smoking can actually make stress and anxiety worse.
That’s one of the key messages behind London Smoking and Mental Health Awareness Week, running from 2–6 June. This campaign is shining a spotlight on the high rates of smoking among people with mental health challenges—and offering support to help them quit for good.
Did you know that people with mental health conditions are far more likely to smoke than the general population? The numbers are striking: around 26% of people dealing with stress and anxiety smoke, and that figure jumps to 45% among those with serious mental illness.
But smoking doesn’t soothe stress—it fuels it.
Just ask Paul, a Royal Greenwich resident who recently quit smoking with support from the NHS. “Cigarettes used to help me with anxiety,” he said. “Now I’ve swapped them for a vape, and I’m healthier, happier, and have more money in my pocket.”
Paul was born in Uganda in 1985 and has lived in the UK for the last 25 years. His smoking journey started young—he was just 13 when a friend handed him his first cigarette. What began as a ‘cool’ habit quickly turned into a serious addiction. Over time, smoking became less about image and more about feeding a craving.
Living with bipolar disorder, Paul was recently admitted to Queen Mary’s Hospital. That’s where he met Kalyan, a Tobacco Dependence Treatment Advisor from Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust. Kalyan offered Paul a vape and a nicotine patch—and that simple act changed everything.
“One month on, I feel like a new person,” Paul said. “No more yellow fingers, no more chest pain, and I can actually taste my food again. My mental health is better, and I’ve saved so much money.”
Paul’s advice to others? “Don’t go cold turkey—get help. It’s free, and it works. Vaping helped me manage my cravings and my anxiety. In the future I can see me giving these up too, but for now they really help me.
“When I met Kalyan I didn’t think he would be able to help me. But I thought to myself ‘why don’t you give the man a chance?’ And I am so glad that I did.”
Giving up smoking is hard—but you don’t have to do it alone. People like Kalyan are ready to help, wherever you are.
Get the support you need:
- Request a call back from your local stop smoking service
- Visit Stop Smoking London’s new mental health page for tips, tools, and real stories