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What cigarettes do to your healthSmoking is a risk factor for many health problems, some of which are life-threatening. In fact, according to figures from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) http://www.ash.org.uk, 120,000 people in the UK die each year as a result of smoking. Put into perspective, this means that smoking kills around six times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents, other accidents, poisoning and overdose, murder and manslaughter, suicide and HIV infection, all put together. Key PointsCancer risksSmoking is a risk factor for a number of forms of cancer, causing one-third of all cancer deaths. In fact, said a spokesperson for Cancer Research UK (CRUK) http://www.cancerresearchuk.org, "Smoking is the biggest avoidable risk factor for cancer. It's the cause of nine out of 10 cases of lung cancer, and a risk factor for cancers of the throat, mouth, oesophagus, stomach, kidney, bladder and cervix. Plus, it's linked to some types of leukaemia as well." In the case of lung cancer, the risk is directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked - so people who smoke a lot of cigarettes have a higher risk. The risk is also dependent upon how long someone has smoked for. For example, smoking one packet a day for 40 years poses more hazards than smoking two packets a day for 20 years. The main reason for the cancer risk lies in the tar in cigarettes, but there are also numerous other harmful chemicals included in each product. These include benzene, cadmium and formaldehyde, which are also carcinogenic. Even low-tar, light or mild cigarettes pose just as much risk and CRUK says it's a fallacy that they're somehow 'healthier' than normal cigarettes. The cancer risks are reduced once smoking is stopped, regardless of age. Smokers who quit have their risk of lung cancer cut in half after 10 years and the longer you remain an ex-smoker, the more you reduce your risk. In fact, smokers who stop before they're 35 years old will have a life expectancy similar to non-smokers. Heart risksAccording to the British Heart Foundation (BHF) http://www.bhf.org.uk, each time you have a cigarette chemicals are released into your body that make your blood vessels sticky. In turn, this causes fatty deposits - called atheroma - to collect in the arteries, leading to a condition called atherosclerosis. If too many fatty deposits build up, it can cause the lining of the artery to rupture and lead to the development of a clot. Professor Sir Charles George, medical director of the BHF, said, "Smokers are twice as likely as non-smokers to have a heart attack. They have a much higher risk than non-smokers of developing atherosclerosis, the build-up of fatty deposits in the artery wall. This can lead to angina or a sudden heart attack." The good news is that five years after quitting smoking, the risk is cut by nearly 50 per cent and after 10 years of stopping the risk falls to the same level as someone who's never smoked at all. Stroke risksStrokes are the largest single cause of disability in the UK and more than 300,000 people are affected. In England and Wales alone a quarter of all strokes are directly caused by the act of smoking. A spokesperson for the Stroke Association http://www.stroke.org.uk said, "People who smoke are three times more likely to suffer a stroke and smokers with high blood pressure are 20 times more likely to have a stroke than a non-smoker with normal blood pressure." The reason for the link between smoking and strokes is because, "Smoking causes narrowing and furring of the arteries and makes the blood more likely to clot, both of which are risk factors for stroke. Plus, it also increases blood pressure, which is another major stroke risk factor." Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease"Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, otherwise known as COPD, is an umbrella term used to describe a number of conditions, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema, all of which make it very difficult to breathe," explained a spokesperson for the British Lung Foundation http://www.britishlungfoundation.org. COPD damages the airways in the lungs, making them narrower and therefore harder for air to get in and out. The most common cause of COPD is smoking, and it can severely affect people. Although there are treatments available to ease the symptoms, there's no cure for COPD. The best prevention is to not smoke or to stop if you do. "Once you give up smoking, the chances of having COPD is gradually reduced," said the British Lung Foundation. "Or, if you already have it, its progression is slowed by quitting." Passive smokingApart from harming your own health, smoking can have detrimental effects on other people's health, too. A spokesperson for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) http://www.ash.org.uk said, "Research has shown tobacco smoke can cause immediate effects on others, such as coughing, headaches, eye irritation and nausea, as well as increase the risk of smoking-related diseases, such as lung cancer and heart disease." "Young children exposed to smoke at home have a higher risk of lower respiratory tract infections [chest infections]," he added, "and it can increase the severity of asthma in all children." Babies and even unborn fetuses can be affected by smoke. According to the Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths (FSID) http://www.sids.org.uk/fsid, smoking during pregnancy and in the same room as a young baby can increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), or cot death as it's also known. Action PointsSummarySmoking causes more than an instant feeling of pleasure, it is associated with a number of health risks for both you and those around you. The good news is that giving up will help to reduce and eventually remove many of these risks. LinksHelplinesNHS Smoking Helpline Tel: 0800 169 0 169 (7am to 11pm) Action on Smoking and Health - http://www.ash.org.uk
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