Information On Smoking
Adolescent Smoking Cessation Officer:
All Wales National Smoking Cessation service:
0800 169 0 169
www.quit.org.uk|
I am worried about my mum smoking. She comes into my bedroom smoking and I want her to stop because it's bad for her health and mine. How do I help her to stop? Smoking should be banned.
Second-hand smoke, also known as passive smoking, is smoke from other people's tobacco. Passive smoking can lead to heart disease and lung cancer and make illnesses like asthma and hayfever worse, so you are right to be concerned about anyone smoking around you. It's difficult to persuade anyone to stop smoking. It has to be the smoker themselves who decides they want to give up. Providing the right sort of encouragement and support is really important. Tell your mum how concerned you are about the health risks to you both, and the cost of smoking, and encourage her to find out more by talking to her GP, Pharmacist or one of the contacts given on the back page.
I have tried giving up smoking but am finding it really hard. What are the long-term health effects? Can you help?
Young people often start smoking because they think it's glamorous and grown-up, and don't think they'll be smoking for life. But the nicotine in cigarettes is very addictive. 70% of adult smokers started when they were aged 11-15 years. Well done for wanting to try to give up you will find details of organisations that can help you on the back page.
What is being done about shopkeepers selling cigarettes or alcohol to under age people?
Trading Standards routinely send advice and education leaflets to shopkeepers to inform them of what they should and shouldn't be doing and what the law states. Trading Standards also run a programme of 'test purchase operations' where they use an obviously underage person to try and buy cigarettes/alcohol from any premises which sell these products. If a shopkeeper sells cigarettes to anyone under 16 they risk being prosecuted and fined up to £2500. With regards to alcohol, as well as receiving a substantial fine the licensee risks having his license revoked which means he would not be able to sell alcohol.
UK Smoking Statistics:
Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit.
Almost a quarter of Britain's 15 year-olds - 18% of boys and 26% of girls - are regular smokers - despite the fact that it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children aged under 16.
Smoking kills around six times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (3157), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066), and HIV infection (234) all put together (22,833 in total - 2002 figures).
Cost - A 20-a-day smoker can save the following when they quit (based on £4.70 per pack):
Benefits of stopping smoking can be seen straight away:-
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20 minutes: blood pressure and pulse return to normal.
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1 hour: the body starts to get rid of tobacco toxins
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8 hours: nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood are halved.
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24 hours: carbon monoxide will be eliminated from your body. Your lungs will have started to clear out the tar that's been clogging them up and the chance of having a heart attack starts to decrease.
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48 hours: no nicotine left in your body. Taste and smell are greatly improved.
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72 hours: breathing becomes easier. Energy levels increase.
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2-12 weeks: circulation improves. Exercise is easier.
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3-9 months: coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve.
Source: Welsh Assembly Government