Stop Smoking

Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of premature death and avoidable illness. It affects health directly and contributes to diseases such as cancers, coronary heart disease, lung disease and stroke as well as many others.

9.4 million adults in the UK smoke
Smoking kills 2200 people in NI each year.
320 deaths each day in the UK are due to smoking
15.1% of men and 11.5% of women smoke in the UK (Census 2021)
15% of men and 12% of women smoke in NI (NI Audit Report 2024);

Download the ‘Stop Smoking Information Leaflet’

Tobacco is killing more people in NI than illegal drug use, road traffic accidents, suicides and AIDS combined. 15% of the population of NI are smokers with smoking causing 2200 deaths each year in Northern Ireland and 120,000 deaths UK wide. Approximately half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit as each cigarette shortens the lifespan by five minutes, which on average shortens the smoker’s life by 10-15 years.

Smoking 20 cigs a day costs a person approx. £6188 per year. Seventy percent of smokers want to give it up but find it extremely difficult because of their addiction to tobacco.

The Facts

Smoking is the single greatest preventable cause of premature death and avoidable illness. It contributes to many illnesses such as cancers, coronary heart disease, lung disease and stroke as well as many others. Below are some of the shocking statistics about smoking.

Deaths from Smoking:

Tobacco kills around 114,000 people in the UK each year. In NI, this figure is 2200. This accounts for 1 in 5 of all deaths

Cancer:

Nearly 1 in 3 cancer deaths are due to smoking
8 out of 10 lung cancer deaths are due to smoking

Heart Disease:

Smoking increases the risk of heart attack by 2/3 times
90% of peripheral vascular disease is caused by smoking – this can result in amputation

Diabetes:

Diabetics who smoke double their risk of a stroke and increase their risk of a heart attack 4 times

Coronary Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD):

83% of emphysema/bronchitis are caused by smoking

Pregnancy:

Smoking increases the risk of miscarriage by 25% and stillbirth by 40%

Ingredients in a Cigarette

Cigarette smoke contains over 7000 different chemicals many of which are cancer causing and addictive. The chemicals found in cigarettes can also be found in these other products:

Arsenic (poison)
Methane (sewer gas)
Cadmium (batteries)
Butane (lighter fluid)
Ethanol (alcohol)
Formaldehyde (used to preserve dead bodies)
Acetone (Paint Stripper)
DDT (insecticides)
Methanol (rocket fuel)
Carbon monoxide (car exhaust fumes)
Nicotine (insecticide)
Ammonia (toilet cleaner)

Health Benefits of Stopping Smoking

After stopping smoking, health benefits can almost be felt immediately:

20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal

8 hours: Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood are reduced by half, oxygen levels return to normal

24 hours: Carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body and the lungs will start to clear out mucus

48 hours: There is no nicotine left in the body

3-9 months: Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases

1 year: Risk of heart attack falls to half that of a smoker

10 years: Risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker

15 years: Risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoke

Further benefits:

Improved sense of taste and smell
More energy
Clearer, less irritated eyes
Feeling more relaxed
Wake up feeling better
Fewer allergy and sinus problems
Improvement in existing problems such as asthma, diabetes and emphysema
Improved complexion

Stopping Smoking and Gaining Weight

Gaining weight is a very real worry for lots of people who are thinking about stopping smoking. Many are actually put off the idea of giving up smoking because of this fear. The average weight gain for an individual will be about 6-8kg but and health implications caused by this minor weight gain will be far less when compared to the health risks associated with smoking.

Why do people gain weight when they stop smoking?

Nicotine is an appetite suppressant. This means that when you stop smoking you will feel hungrier which can lead to increased snacking between meals
Stopping smoking can alter your metabolism so that even by eating the same amount of food you may gain weight. Often when a smoker finishes a meal, they have a cigarette. When stopped smoking, the ex-smoker may continue to nibble
Some people find eating helps them get through a craving

By taking a few easy steps weight gain can be limited whilst stopping smoking:

Drink lots of water
Try eating raw vegetables or frozen grapes
Brush your teeth at the end of a meal instead of having a cigarette or leave the table straight away to avoid temptation
Chew sugar-free gum or nicotine replacement gum instead of eating sugary foods
Use of nicotine replacement therapy can delay the onset of weight gain

Try some gentle exercise which will help increase your metabolic rate to use up any extra calories. Exercise can also help cope with cravings and reduce stress levels.

Smokefree Homes

Secondhand smoke is defined as a mixture of exhaled mainstream smoke and sidestream smoke from a burning cigarette or cigar.

There is no safe limit to exposure to Secondhand smoke, and there is a risk of disease and ill health associated with this.

We would like to raise awareness on the harmful effects of secondhand smoke within the home and car on those exposed.

Among the harm associated with secindhand smoke is stroke, cardiac disease, glue ear in children, meningitis and respiratory illnesses.

Pets are also effected as they self groom and absorb the particulate on their fur, exposing them to the cancer causing agents within the secondhand smoke.

Please complete this Smokefree Training to raise awareness and help decrease the risks. For Smokefree Homes training please click here.

You will receive a certificate.

The training takes approx. 15 minutes

Any queries please contact Lisa Harper 07714153607 or Cathy Bell 07715044886

Smoking and Pregnancy

Around one in three women are smokers when they find out that they are pregnant. Even prior to conception, cigarettes have a negative effect on the reproductive system. Research has shown that women who smoke have an increased risk of ectopic pregnancy (a pregnancy in the fallopian tubes and not in the womb which can be life threatening for the woman) and miscarriage. This is mainly due to the damaging effects of smoking upon the ovaries making the eggs to be more prone to genetic abnormality.

If you are planning a family it is therefore of most benefit to stop smoking in preparation for your baby’s arrival.

Unfortunately and despite the clear messages that smoking is an extremely dangerous threat to the unborn baby’s life, over half of female smokers will continue to smoke throughout pregnancy and beyond. This is definitely a lottery as we know that 5000 miscarriages and stillbirths occur in the UK every year due to smoking during pregnancy.

Some 300 babies die every year before they are even a month old because their mummy smoked while they were pregnant. Although this information is shocking, the worst is yet to come as 2200 premature births occur annually in the UK causing lifelong problems and chronic pain for some babies.

Babies who are exposed to their mummy’s cigarette smoke in the womb are receiving the thousands of dangerous chemicals through the placenta, the very organ that sustains them. Carbon Monoxide is a dangerous by product of smoking and displaces healthy oxygen in the unborn baby which in turn can hamper growth and wellbeing.

If mums smoke between 1 and 9 cigarettes daily then they increase their baby’s risk of cot death to 4 times the number of those whose mummy’s don’t smoke. We would urge women to stop smoking especially if planning a pregnancy or during pregnancy to give their babies the very best start in life.

Please feel free to contact our Smoking Cessation Midwife for non- judgemental confidential advice:

Telephone: 07715 044 886

Or go to our Smoke Free Wombs page on Facebook.

The Financial Cost of Smoking

Smoking is an expensive habit. Have you ever sat down and worked out what exactly it coats to smoke. Take a look at the table below and you might be surprised:

Cigarettes Per Day	1 Day	1 Week	1 Month	1 Year	5 Years
10	£8.50	£59.50	£257.83	£3,094	£15,470
20	£17	£119	£515.66	£6,188	£30,940
30	£25.50	£178.50	£773.50	£9,282	£46,410
40	£34	£238	£1031	£12,376	£61,880

Think for a moment on what else you could be spending this money on:

Duration	Cost	Treat
1 Day	£17	Meet a friend for coffee or go see a movie
1 Week	£119	Buy a new item of clothing
1 Month	£515.66	Go on a weekend away or redecorate a room in your house
1 Year	£6118	Take the family on holiday
5 Years	£30,940	Buy a new car

Nicotine Replacement Therapy

Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a way of getting nicotine into the bloodstream without smoking. There are various forms of NRT including nicotine gums, patches, inhalers, tablets, lozenges, and sprays. These are all available on prescription from your GP or local chemist and can also be bought from most supermarkets.

To view a leaflet on Nicotine Replacement Therapy, click here.

Useful Links, Resources and Numbers

Useful Numbers

Trust Goes Smoke Free

The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust became smoke free on Wednesday 9 March 2016, National No Smoking Day.

Click on the links below to access the correct leaflet:

· Smoke Free Information for Employees

· Smoke Free Information for Patients

· Smoke Free Information for Visitors

The smoke-free policy prohibits smoking anywhere by anyone on Trust grounds or premises, including buildings, entrances, pavements, car parks or in cars.