Adults living with a liver condition

Stopping smoking

Stopping smoking will improve anyone’s health. If you have a liver condition it is even more important.

The information on this page is for:

Adults with a liver condition
Family, friends, carers, and healthcare professionals.

Smoking can make all types of liver disease worse. It also increases the risk that your liver condition could cause liver cancer.

Smoking harms your overall health. This can affect your liver disease treatment options.

If you are waiting for a liver transplant, you will need to stop smoking completely.

But stopping smoking is very hard. Especially if it has been part of your life for a long time. There are lots of things that can help but it might take a while to find what works for you.

On this page:

Remember your why

We all know that stopping smoking is good for us. But if you have decided to make that change, take a moment to write down exactly why it is important to you. This might be a bit different for everyone.

It could be that you want to reduce your risk of liver cancer.

Perhaps you want to improve your overall health so that you can tackle your liver condition.

Or you might be thinking about keeping up with the kids or saving some money.

You can come back to what you have written if you are struggling. Telling other people about your plan and your reasons can also help you to stick to it.

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Getting help

Ask your medical team

Your liver medical team and GP will know about the risks of smoking. They may be able to recommend local services to help you quit.

Online help

NHS stop smoking services.

It is easier to stop smoking if you get help. NHS stop smoking services offers one-to-one or group appointments. Advisors can give you support and advice on a range of different ways to quit. Appointments might be in person, for example at your GP surgery or you could join by phone or video call.

The service is available in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. You can contact it using the link above or talk to your GP or pharmacist.

NHS better health and Quit smoking app

The NHS better health website has lots of information about stopping smoking. Including information about vaping and how your health improves in the hours, days, and years after you quit.

You can also download a free app. This lets you track your progress, get daily support, and see how much money you are saving.

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Useful links
Living with a liver condition
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Eating, drinking, and keeping active
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Family, friends, and carers

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