Stop Smoking

• Not smoking is one of best ways to ensure a healthy life for you and those around us.
• Not smoking also sets an excellent example to children, who need good role models.
• The evidence that smoking is harmful to our health and those around us is overwhelming.
• We can tell you how to increase your chances of quitting fourfold.

How risky is smoking?

• About half of all smokers worldwide eventually die from smoking related illnesses (WHO)
• Some smokers may die in the height of their productive life, often leaving a young family behind.
• In 2004, 114 people died in fires started by smoker's materials.
• Men in their 30s and 40s have a significantly increased risk of impotence (inability to get a good erection and ejaculate) and women are more likely to be infertile.
• Even smoking under 5 cigarettes per day significantly increases your chances of dying from smoking related illnesses.

What diseases can you get from smoking?

Smoking causes many devastating diseases, one of which is lung cancer. We will consider them by each part of the body.

Lungs cancer

• It is the commonest cancer in the UK and it is very difficult to treat.
• It is rarely seen in non-smokers and is smoking is the leading cause.
• Smoke contains carcinogens (cancer causing chemicals, that damage the lung lining and turn healthy cells cancerous).
• Fortunately, if you quit now, the risk declines over time and after 10 years of not smoking, it is possible to reduce your risk almost to that of a non smoker.
• So give up now, before it is too late, and lead a healthy life!

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (or COPD)

• It is almost exclusively caused by cigarette smoke and is a devastating disease
• The lining of the lungs becomes more and more damaged over time and this makes breathing more and more difficult.
• The result can leave sufferers housebound, constantly gasping for breath and even needing constant oxygen therapy.
• These sufferers can get severe lung infections, leading to a breathing crisis, and needing urgent hospital treatment.
• Although the damage to your lungs is permanent, once you quit, further damage is prevented, and it will stop the breathing worsening any more.
• The best advice is to quit now before you start to notice your lung damage!

Cardiovascular System - Heart, Brain, Kidneys and Legs

• Cigarette smoke causes build up of fatty deposits (called atheromatous plaques) in the arteries throughout the body.
• Arteries are the blood vessels that carry blood from the heart around the body. They are different sizes, and can be like a hosepipe or narrower than a straw.
• As the fat builds up, it can cause blockage, or weakening (and then rupture) of the arteries.
• Smoking causes ‘sticky blood', which makes it more likely that your fatty arteries will block, as the blood components can stick to the fatty deposits.
• If the arteries supplying your heart muscle (coronary arteries) block, it can lead to a heart attack. Nearly 1 in 5 of all heart attacks are caused by smoking, and are therefore preventable.
• If the arteries supplying the brain get blocked, this will cause a stroke, often leading to permanent brain damage.
• Blockages in the leg arteries can lead to gangrene and amputation.
• Therefore, these blockages are preventable if you stop smoking.

Other Cancers

Smoking causes other cancers such as throat, tongue, pancreatic and bladder cancer. Some, such as throat cancer are almost entirely due to smoking.

Why quit when you are young?

Although smoking undoubtedly poses more health risks the longer you smoke, there are still many reasons for giving up whatever you age. Below are some of the health benefits for giving up when younger:

• Better fertility - Men in their 30s and 40s have a 50% increased risk of impotence and women are more likely to be infertile or have difficulty conceiving
• Healthier Eyes - less redness, soreness and stinging
• Healthier Skin- the condition of your skin should visibly improve
• More Energy - increased energy, easier breathing, less coughing in the mornings as well as increased physical fitness and stamina
• Healhier Taste - get more pleasure from how your food tastes
• Healthier Smell - your hair and clothes will no longer reek of smoke.
• Healthier lungs - stop the irreversible damage now, which will affect you whatever your age.
• Healthier society - other people can develop cancer and illness because of your smoke
• Healthier children - even if you do not smoke in the house, the smoke particles stick to your clothes and may cause health problems for your children.
• Healthier wallet - You could save £2000 extra per year (based on 20/day habit)

Does my smoking really harm children?

Smoking is particularly dangerous to children and unborn babies.

Smoking in pregnancy can put the unborn child at risk of  limb defects, ectopic pregnancy, spontaneous abortion and low birth weight babies. Even exposure to second hand smoke during pregnancy can be harmful and has been linked to worsened lung function in the baby during the first year of life. Overall, the proportion of babies who die at or around the time of childbirth is increased by about one third if the baby's mother smokes.

After birth, the risks of parental smoking continue. As a baby, exposure to cigarette smoke is one of the strongest causal factors associated with cot death. The risk rises with the number of cigarettes smoked in the household.

Exposing children to second hand smoke in the home can both cause asthma and worsen the disease in asthmatics. Passive smoking in childhood is also linked with recurrent ear infections.

Smoking can harm childrens' health even if you do not smoke in the house. Smoke particles can stick to clothes (hence the smell!) and may act as an allergen (allergy causing particle), thereby causing allergic illness such as asthma in children.

What if I only smoke a little and/or light cigarettes?

‘Light' cigarettes were supposed to be less harmful than conventional cigarettes, contain filters or less nicotine. Thanks to clever marketing many UK smokers thought that ‘light' cigarettes were less harmful than the normal variety.

Unfortunately this is not the case.. Smokers of low tar or 'light' cigarettes compensate for the lower nicotine content by taking more puffs, inhaling more deeply and some even block the vent holes in the filter. The brain requires a certain ‘fix' of nicotine and therefore you automatically change your smoking behaviour to achieve this.

In fact there is some evidence that ‘light' cigarettes tend to cause more severe lung cancers than the traditional cigarettes as the smoker inhales the smoke more deeply into his/her lungs.

The more you smoke, the more likely you are to get a smoking illness. However, even smoking less than five cigarettes per day significantly increases your chances of a smoking illness, so it is better to smoke no cigarettes at all.

I'm not addicted, I just like to smoke

People often say that they are not really addicted to cigarettes and do intend to give up when they are a little older. However, would you really choose, on a regular basis, to inhale arsenic, cyanide, formaldehyde, tar and other toxic chemicals into your fragile lungs if you were not addicted?

• Most smokers in the UK have tried to give up the past.
• Many who did not get extra help, relapsed within a year.
• Smoking, of course, is extremely addictive, but it is possible to give up, especially with the help of smoking cessation programmes.
• It has been suggested that on initial use, your risk of addiction from the nicotine in that first cigarette is greater than that of cocaine or alcohol
• Fortunately, there are ways in which quitting can be made easier and you can succeed.
• Nicotine replacement products doubles your chances of successfully quitting.
• Attending a smokers' clinic can increase the chance of quitting successfully by four times

Maximise your quitting potential

Quitting can be difficult, but there is loads of help proven by research to increase your chances of successfully stopping. In this section we will cover some tips to modify your behaviour, the range of nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), and the contribution of support groups.

Tips to help you quit for good:

1. Set yourself a date to stop in the near future. This demonstrates your commitment to stopping, and increases your chances of stopping

2. On the day of your ‘stop date' throw away all your smoking accessories including cigarettes, ashtrays and lighters.

3. Recognise the triggers and associations that make you smoke, and write these down if necessary. Do you smoke when you wake up? After a meal? In the pub? By identifying these stressful times, you can mentally prepare yourself for them. A large part of cigarette addiction is psychological links with places and people. For example it might be wise to change supermarket if you routinely bought cigarettes there.

4. Save your money that you would have spent on cigarettes and treat yourself with the proceeds. This should be a treat that you would not normally indulge in - a reward for avoiding relapse.

5. If you relapse, do not give up. Every smoke free day improves your health and is a bonus. Try to identify what caused you to relapse and use this to make you more successful in the future.

6. Consider doing other things to improve your health at the same time. For example, join a gym and take up exercise. If you exercise, you will find it easier to quit smoking.

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT)

• NRT replaces nicotine, the addictive component in cigarettes, without exposing you to tar and the 600 other chemicals that are contained in tobacco smoke.
• They typically also replace the rapid high of nicotine delivered by a cigarette for a lower dose of slowly released nicotine.
• This helps to reduce cravings and withdrawal symptoms
• NRT is one of the most established ways of increasing you chance of successfully quitting and makes a big difference to many smokers who struggle to give up.

NRT comes in many forms and the product that you choose is likely to depend on individual preference. Here are the common types:

Patches - These are stuck to the skin and last for over 16 hours, depending on the patch. They release nicotine slowly and reduce cravings. They come in a variety of strengths for different habits and can be gradually tapered.

Gum/Tablets/Lozenges - For those who like chewing gum, this is a good option. The gum releases nicotine when pressed against the cheek and the chewing often distracts from the need to smoke. It gives more control over use than the patch but is similarly discreet. There are tablet and lozenge varieties for those not keen on gum.

Nasal Spray - This is a nicotine nasal spray that is primarily designed for heavy smokers.

Inhalers - these are devices that you inhale nicotine through. They are useful if you crave the physical action of smoking and need a replacement for it.

Other treatments and groups

Medications - There are various medications that can be taken to reduce cravings and help you stop smoking. We suggest you talk to a doctor about these if you feel you wish to try a medication for this. They can be successful in achieving quitting.

Smoking Support Groups - These are very affective and have been shown to improve your chances of giving up four-fold. There are many different groups available depending on your area and they offer both counselling about ways to stop including NRT products and a forum to talk to fellow ex-smokers.

Smoking helplines - NHS stop smoking helpline 0800 022 4 332

Want to know more?

Much of this can be accessed online at http://www.bhf.org.uk/smoking/online.asp
For more information on the evidence behind smoking visit http://www.tobaccofactfile.org/
For help with quitting, www.smokefree.nhs.uk

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