Chances of you starting smoking again despite quitting explained as video shows damage one cigarette does
Quitting smoking isn't easy and is something that should always be celebrated, but sometimes the temptation for 'just one' cigarette still lingers.
Whether you've gone cold turkey or weaned yourself off using nicotine patches or vapes, everyone knows it takes work and dedication to quit.
Is it ever just 'one cigarette' though?
After a few pints or a glass of wine, or thinking about sparking up when socialising with friends who still smoke, it can seem like a bright idea.
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A sobering video has shared the damning reality of what having a cigarette can do to your chances of taking up smoking again and undoing all of your hard work, and it doesn't make for pretty viewing.
This is all after finding the strength to quit, too, with research suggesting that smokers make several failed attempts at kicking the habit before finally succeeding, such is the grip of the addiction.
Studies have also found that between 60 and 90 percent of quitters are estimated to relapse and smoke again in the first 12 months.
It's estimated that around one in eight, or 12.9 per cent of the UK population, call themselves a smoker.
Maybe you've successfully stopped for the full month after following 'Stoptober', and now the temptation is rising.
YouTube creator Chris Notap shared a shocking video, where he had recreated a human lung with a modified drink bottle, plus some water and cotton wool balls.
He assembled the experiment so that the cigarette burns while water slowly leaves the bottle, which simulates exhaling and 'breathes' the smoke into the bottle 'lung'.
The smoke fills up the bottle, and it's not long before the sticky brown residue from the smoke starts to build and stains the inside of the bottle and the cotton wool is no longer pristine white.
After the cigarette, it is stained yellow and greasy.
Although it's unlikely you'd hold the smoke in your lungs for as long as the experiment took, it's still a shocking visual representation of what's happening inside.
Researchers examined a pool of people who had made the decision to quit, and tried to find the best ways to support them to prevent them from taking up smoking again.
They found that nicotine replacement, antidepressants, and behavioural support all increased the long-term success rate of quitting, compared to the people who were not assisted in the control group.
Despite this, some initially successful participants still took up smoking again eventually.
You can find further information and advice on stopping smoking on the NHS website.
Jen Thomas