New Oxford University research has found that those who successfully quit smoking see a significant reduction in anxiety levels, contrary to the widely-held belief that smoking helps relieve stress.
The results of the study, carried out by academics from several universities including Oxford, Cambridge and King’s College London, were obtained by analysing data which examined people’s experience of quitting smoking. This included a measurement of anxiety levels before and after attempts to quit. Researchers found that those who smoked in order to cope with stress saw the largest decrease in anxiety levels as a result of quitting — though they are also at the greatest risk of increased stress levels if an attempt to quit fails.
The Oxford academic participating in the research, Dr Paul Aveyard, said he was not surprised by the results. He told Cherwell, “Other studies have had the same outcomes and when you look at lab studies you find no evidence that either cigarettes or nicotine is a stress-reliever, despite what is commonly believed.”
The study was the first to analyse the effects of quitting in relation to the reasons for smoking, allowing researchers to identify those who smoked to relieve stress as the greatest beneficiaries of quitting in terms of anxiety levels. As a result, Dr Aveyard said these findings should be incorporated into NHS support schemes, saying, “People should be told that they may feel bad for a few weeks – we call this withdrawal – but after that they will be less anxious and depressed.”
However, he went on to highlight the complexity of the issue, explaining, “Lots of people want to give up smoking and this is another good reason to do it. Most people have many more reasons to stop smoking than to carry on with it, but when they try to stop they find it difficult and in most cases they don’t succeed.”
Smokers seemed to agree that the new findings are unlikely to translate into successful New Year’s resolutions, with Nina Pattinson commenting, “It’s all very well for the NHS to change its advice as a result of this study, but I can’t see it making that much difference. Many smokers use stress relief as an excuse to avoid the difficulty involved with trying to quit. Most people, including myself, already know about the evidence to support quitting, but smoking remains popular because addiction is irrational. Knowing the risks is just the first step!”
