Do I really want to stop smoking?

A lot of people that get this far and know the answer before they read another word......... For those who are unsure read on.

It has been estimated that, in England , 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals each year due to diseases caused by smoking.

One in two long-term smokers (50%) will die prematurely as a result of smoking - half of these in middle age. The most recent estimates show that around 114,000 people in the UK are killed by smoking every year, accounting for one fifth of all UK deaths.

Cigarettes contain at least 43 distinct cancer-causing chemicals. Smoking is directly responsible for 87% of lung cancer cases and causes most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Smoking is also a major factor in coronary heart disease, stroke, and asthma.

Smoking claims the lives of 13,000 people in Scotland every year. The total for Drug related deaths is 317.

Smoking by parents is also associated with a wide range of adverse effects in their children, including exacerbation of asthma, increased frequency of colds and ear infections, and sudden infant death syndrome. 

Damage caused by smoking in your own body:

• Shortness of breath.

• Long-lasting chest colds.

• Morning smoker's cough. 

• Increase the severity of asthma and

• Common cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). 

How Hazardous Is Smoking?
Smoking is the single largest preventable cause of premature death and disability. Smoking kills more British people each year than cocaine, heroin, alcohol abuse, car accidents, crime, AIDS and suicide combined	Fact File At today's rates, a 20-a-day smoker will spend £31,025 (or £1550 per year) over the next 20 years!

Fact File Smoking and cancer More info

Thousands die annually prematurely from the effects of smoking, millions more live with damaged lungs and hearts.

Cigarette smoking accounts for the vast majority of deaths from lung cancer and from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For years, lung cancer has been the number 1 cause of cancer death in men; lung cancer has now surpassed breast cancer as the leading cancer killer of women, too.

Smoking contributes substantially to the development of atherosclerosis which affects the heart and peripheral blood vessels. Smoking is also implicated as a cause or is associated with other diseases and types of cancer (such as cancer of the larynx, oral cavity, esophagus, urinary bladder, kidney, pancreas, stomach, and uterine cervix).

Smoking and Skin Wrinkles   

We all develop skin wrinkles with age, but cigarette smoking can accelerate the process. Smokers in the 40-49 age group frequently have facial wrinkles equal to those of nonsmokers who are 20 years older.

Tobacco can affect your cardiovascular system, including blood circulation within your skin. Nicotine constricts small blood vessels and thus may impair your skin's nutrition. Direct exposure to cigarette smoke, which contains hundreds of toxic substances, can dry and irritate your skin and promote wrinkles.

The telltale wrinkles caused by smoking may include :

• Lines or wrinkles spreading from the upper or lower lips, or at right angles from the corners of the eyes (crow's feet).
• Deep lines or numerous shallow lines on the cheeks and lower jaw.
• Slight hollowness of the cheeks, which emphasizes the bony contours of the face and leads to a gaunt appearance, a leathery or worn appearance to the facial side, which may have a grayish tinge.

Want to know what is allowed to go into your cigarette
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Smoking Stats at Mensstuff
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