What smoking a single cigarette really does to your body if you relapse after 30 days

Smoking a single cigarette after calling quits on the habit could have detrimental effects on your health.

Stoptober is coming to a close today (31 October), with the annual campaign run by the Department of Health and Social Care in the UK to help smokers quit.

Things like the NHS Quit Smoking app and advice on stop-smoking aids are often highlighted to those participating so they can throw their ciggie boxes out once and for all.

Over two-and-a-half million people in the UK have taken part in the initiative since it was introduced back in 2012, and while the country has taken measures to ban it in public areas since 2007, it's fair to say that smoking has made a comeback through the likes of vapes and e-cigarettes.

Health warnings may be plastered across packaging of these products, but it won't stop users from getting that nicotine hit that they crave.

Quitting smoking can be incredibly challenging (Getty Stock Image)

Smoking just one cigarette can take a chunk of your life off, with quitting the habit bringing on several health benefits.

Simulations in the past have revealed the damage just one cigarette can do to your lungs, while vaping may not look as harmful - though they come with their own risks.

Chris Notap carried out his own simulation of smoking by filling a water bottle with smoke from one cigarette before using a cotton ball to soak up the smoke.

While cotton isn't an accurate representation of lung tissue, it goes a good way to show the effects of just one cigarette.

When you remove the cotton ball, you can see that it is already discoloured and yellow, highlighting just how grim and damaging a cigarette can be to your health.

The NHS suggests that carrying out Stoptober makes a smoker five times more likely to give the habit up altogether, as things can improve just hours after your last cig.

So here's what happens when you quit the habit at every stage:

20 minutes

Your blood pressure and pulse will begin to drop, according to MedicalNewsToday, while your circulation should also get a boost.

Eight hours

Here, your oxygen levels will improve while your body begins to cleanse itself.

24 hours

Just one day without smoking can lower your chances of suffering a heart attack, while going further will bring more health benefits.

48 hours

At this point, your taste buds will return to normal while your sense of smell becomes more vivid in the absence of tobacco and tar.

72 hours

Three days clean will mean it's easier for you to breathe, a benefit which many would welcome, while your energy levels will also spike.

Two weeks

Your organs are said to start performing more optimally, with lung function improving while blood circulation also continues to improve, as blood will be pumped through the heart and to your muscles more easily.

Being short of breath will be a thing of a past if you quit the habit for a month (Getty Stock Image)

One month

If you make it the whole month, or make it through Stoptober, coughing and shortness of breath will decrease greatly, with cilia, hair-like structures in your lungs, regaining their typical function and allowing mucus to make its way out of the lungs more easily.

Your lungs will be better equipped to fight off infection due to this, and quitting the habit for good will mean you'll enjoy these benefits for the rest of your life.

Medical expert on quitting smoking

Dr. Hana Patel, NHS GP and GP Medico-Legal Expert Witness, explained to LADbible: "It is difficult to stop smoking, so well done to anyone who attempts Stoptober. It can often take people a number of attempts before they quit smoking for good. The more times you try, the better their chances of success."

"Here are some tips to try and help yourself stop - keep some spare NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) to hand rather than a cigarette – you can use this long-term to prevent relapse and try different stop-smoking medications. If you’ve had a cigarette or 2, try not to give up on quitting smoking again. Throw the rest of the packet away and continue your quit attempt.

"If you’ve relapsed and are back to regular smoking, don’t feel too down. Set a new quit date, maybe in a week or a month – whatever is most likely to be successful. You can make this the time you quit for good and start enjoying all the benefits of being someone who doesn’t smoke."

"Remember, the first 10 days are the hardest of stopping smoking. During this time, someone may start to notice that they are not only breathing easier, but maybe also walking more easily. "This is thanks to improved circulation and oxygenation."