In the UK one person dies from a smoking-related disease every four minutes.
Smoking causes:
Lung cancer (smoking causes over 80 per cent of all lung cancer deaths)
Heart disease
Bronchitis
Strokes
Stomach ulcers
Leukaemia
Gangrene
Other cancers e.g mouth and throat cancer
Smoking can also worsen colds, chest problems and allergies like hay fever, bronchitis and emphysema. It can bring on unpleasant side-effects such as wrinkles and bad breath and can make you feel short of breath when you exercise.
Stopping Smoking
The benefits of stopping smoking are immediate. Within weeks you will have better breathing and cleaner clothes. Even better, the risk of serious disease starts going down immediately and continues going down for years as your body recovers.
As well as the health effects of giving up smoking there is the cost of smoking, complete the smoking calculator to see how much you could save by going smokefree.
The National Public Health Service (NPHS) operates Stop Smoking Wales, which provides support for smokers across Wales through the process of giving up. Most people used to smoke – now only 25% do. Thousands have given up, helping themselves and those around them.
Call 0800 085 22 19 for support and advice on giving up.
www.ash.org.uk
www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
www.gosmokefree.nhs.uk