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Reasons for Giving Up Smoking |
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The health risks of smoking and the benefits of stopping smoking |
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The health risks of smoking |
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Smoking |
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- Cigarette smoke contains more than 4,000 toxic chemicals, at least 40 of which are proven cancer causing substances or carcinogens.
- Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and death in the UK.
- More than six million people have died from smoking related diseases in the UK during the last 50 years.
- Smoking is the cause of 120,000 preventable deaths in the UK each year.
- 320 British people die everyday as a result of smoking.
- A smoker dies every 5 minutes from smoking related diseases in the UK.
- Each cigarette reduces life expectancy by 11 minutes.
- A 20 a day smoker is losing one day of life for every week of smoking.
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Smoking and cancer |
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- Smoking is the cause of one third of all cancer deaths in the UK.
- Lung cancer is the cancer most commonly associated with smoking, smoking causes nine out of ten lung cancer cases.
- One person dies every 15 minutes from lung cancer in the UK - 33,000 a year.
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Smoking is also a risk factor for many other cancers including: |
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- Mouth and throat
- Bladder and kidney
- Oesophagus (food pipe)
- Stomach
- Cervix
- Leukaemia
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Smoking and heart disease |
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- Smokers are more than twice as likely to have a fatal heart attack as non-smokers.
- Smoking is responsible for 26,000 deaths from heart disease in the UK each year.
- At least 80% of heart attacks in men under 45 are thought to be due to cigarette smoking.
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Smoking and respiratory disease |
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- Respiratory diseases including bronchitis and emphysema kill nearly 30,000 people in the UK each year with more than 8 out of 10 cases being attributed to smoking.
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Smoking and sexual health |
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- Smoking damages human reproductive and sexual health. Smoking reduces the fertility of both men and women and leads delayed conception.
- Smoking reduces a woman's chances of becoming pregnant by around 40 per cent.
- Smoking is the cause of 1,200 cases of cervical cancer in the UK each year.
- 120,000 young British men are impotent because they smoke
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Smoking and pregnancy |
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- Smoking during pregnancy can significantly damage the health of the unborn child.
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Information provided by the National Clean Air Award |
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The benefits of stopping smoking |
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- Within 20mins - Blood pressure and pulse return to normal
- Within 1 hour - Circulation improves, you may notice your hands and feet feeling warmer
- Within 8 hours - Oxygen levels return to normal
- Within 1 day – Carbon monoxide levels drop dramatically
- Within 2 days - Carbon monoxide leaves the body, and the lungs start to clear out mucus and debris
- You are now nicotine free (unless you are using nicotine replacement products). Your sense of taste and sense of smell begin to improve
- Within 3 days - Breathing is easier and energy levels begin to increase, plus skin tone improves – you start to look Better!
- Within 2 weeks – Your symptoms of withdrawal should be starting to ease
- You may notice you have more money! (20 per day smoker based on packet costing £5 = £1825 per year, = £18250.00 for 10 years)
- After 6 months – Breathing problems, coughing, shortness of breath and wheezing improve. Lung function is increased by up to 10%
- After 1 year – Risk of Heart Attack falls to half that of a smoker
- After 10 years – Risk of Lung Cancer falls to half that of a smoker, and the risk of a Heart Attack is about the same as someone who has never smoked.
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