Smoking
Welcome to this page, where we'll look at smoking and e-cigarettes (vapes) and what they mean for you. There's a lot of information out there, and it can be confusing, so let's break it down.
What is Smoking?
Smoking is when you burn tobacco, most often in a cigarette, and breathe in the smoke. This smoke contains lots of chemicals that are harmful to your body. Even if you don't smoke regularly, even trying it a few times can be risky because of how addictive nicotine is.
What's in a Cigarette?
Cigarettes are made from dried tobacco leaves, but they also contain hundreds of added chemicals. When you light a cigarette, it creates over 7,000 chemicals in the smoke, and at least 70 of these are known to cause cancer.
Some of the harmful ingredients found in cigarettes include:
- Nicotine: This is the highly addictive drug that makes it hard to stop smoking. It affects your brain and makes your body crave it.
- Tar: A sticky, brown substance that coats your lungs, damaging them and making it harder to breathe. It's a major cause of lung cancer.
- Carbon Monoxide: A poisonous gas that reduces the amount of oxygen your blood can carry. This means your heart and other organs don't get the oxygen they need to work properly. It's the same gas found in car exhaust fumes.
- Ammonia: Used in cleaning products.
- Arsenic: A poison used in insecticides.
- Butane: Found in lighter fluid.
- Formaldehyde: Used to preserve dead bodies.
- Lead: A poisonous metal.
- Polonium-210: A radioactive element.
These are just a few examples – the list of harmful chemicals is much, much longer.
Myth Busting: Rollies vs. Cigarettes
You might have heard that 'rollies' (roll-your-own cigarettes) are more 'natural' or less harmful than pre-made cigarettes. This is a myth.
- Just as harmful: Roll-your-own tobacco contains many of the same harmful chemicals and additives as manufactured cigarettes. When burned, they produce tar, carbon monoxide, and all the other poisons.
- Often more harmful: Some studies suggest that people who smoke rollies may inhale more deeply and take longer puffs, potentially taking in more harmful substances per cigarette. Also, many people don't use filters with rollies, meaning more tar and nicotine reach their lungs.
- Additives: Roll-your-own tobacco often contains additives to keep it moist and make the smoke easier to inhale, which can make them even more addictive.
Whether it's a pre-made cigarette or a rollie, smoking any kind of tobacco is harmful to your health.
When should you worry?
GREEN
AMBER
RED
Advice and Guidance
What Does Smoking Do to Your Body?
Smoking damages your body from head to toe, and the effects start quickly, even if you're young and only smoke occasionally.
- Lungs: Smoking destroys your lungs' air sacs, making it hard to breathe and leading to conditions like bronchitis and emphysema. It significantly increases your risk of lung cancer.
- Heart and Circulation: It damages your blood vessels, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, and circulation problems. Carbon monoxide makes your heart work harder.
- Appearance: Smoking can make your skin look grey and wrinkled, stain your teeth and fingers yellow, and make your hair and clothes smell of smoke.
- Fitness: It makes you get out of breath much faster, making it harder to play sports or even just run for the bus.
- Other Cancers: Smoking increases your risk of many other cancers, including those of the mouth, throat, stomach, kidney, and more.
- Lowered Immunity: It weakens your immune system, making you more likely to get sick.
- Mental Health: While some people think smoking helps with stress, the addiction itself can cause stress and anxiety, especially when you can't smoke.
The good news is that your body starts to repair itself very quickly after you stop smoking. The sooner you quit, the more your body can recover.
What Happens When You Quit Smoking? Your Body Starts to Recover!
The moment you smoke your last cigarette, your body begins an amazing process of trying to heal itself. The longer you go without smoking, the more your health improves. Here's a timeline of what happens:
- 20 minutes after quitting smoking: In just 20 minutes, your blood pressure and pulse (heart rate) should start to return to their normal levels.
- 8 hours after quitting smoking: 8 hours in and the harmful carbon monoxide levels in your blood should have now halved. This can also see your oxygen levels recover and start to return to their normal levels.
- 1 day after quitting smoking: You made it to the end of a full day without smoking! All traces of carbon monoxide have usually left the body and your lungs start to clear.
- 48 hours after quitting smoking: Day 2 of no smoking and your taste and sense of smell should be improving.
- 72 hours after quitting smoking: Reach day 3 with no smoking and you should find breathing easier as your bronchial tubes start to relax. As breathing becomes easier you may also find your energy levels are starting to increase.
- 2 to 12 weeks after quitting smoking: From 2 weeks after quitting smoking and over the coming months, you may notice that exercise and other physical activity is easier. This is because, at this stage, your lung function increases and your circulation improves, with blood flowing through to your muscles and heart much better. Your immune system should receive a boost too, so your body can fight off colds and flu better. Finally, you may feel up to putting up that shed, painting the hallway or anything else on your to-do list!
- 3 to 9 months after quitting smoking: The breathing problems and wheezing you might have experienced when you were smoking should now be improving. That’s because around this point your lung function increases by up to 10%. The air sacs in your lungs – known as cilia – should have regrown, healing some of the damage caused by smoking. Smoking related tiredness should now have disappeared.
- 1 year after quitting smoking: You’ve made it to a year without smoking! Take some time to give yourself a well-earned pat on the back. A year in and your risk of heart disease, attacks or a stroke is now half that of a smoker. Hopefully you feel much healthier – and wealthier, given what you’ve saved by not buying cigarettes for 12 months.
The longer you stay smokefree, the more benefits you'll see and the healthier you'll become!
The cost of smoking
Here's the thing about smoking: it costs you a ton of money. Think about it – with a pack of cigarettes costing around £15 right now, if you smoked just 10 a day, you'd be shelling out over £2,800 in a year. If you smoked a pack a day, that's more like £5,600 gone up in smoke annually!
Imagine what you could do with that money instead: epic holidays, the latest tech gadgets, saving up for a car, or even putting it towards your future. And it's not just the cost of the cigarettes themselves; down the line, smoking could mean higher prices for things like insurance.
All that cash that could be yours, funding your life and your dreams, is literally going up in smoke.
What About E-cigarettes (Vaping)?
E-cigarettes, or vapes, heat a liquid (e-liquid) to create a vapour that is inhaled. E-liquids usually contain nicotine, a flavouring, and a base liquid.
Compared to smoking cigarettes, vaping is considered much less harmful because it doesn't involve burning tobacco and producing tar and carbon monoxide. For adult smokers trying to quit, vaping can be a helpful tool.
However, this does not mean vaping is harmless, especially for young people who have never smoked.
- Nicotine is addictive: Most vapes contain nicotine, which is highly addictive and can affect brain development in young people.
- Unknown long-term effects: Vaping is still relatively new, and the long-term effects on health are not yet fully known.
- Harmful chemicals: While fewer than in cigarette smoke, the vapour can still contain some harmful chemicals.
- Gateway to smoking?: There are concerns that young people who vape may be more likely to try smoking cigarettes later.
If you don't smoke, don't vape. If you do vape, and you used it to quit smoking, the aim should be to eventually quit vaping too.
Where to Get Help with Your Smoking or Vaping
It can be really tough to stop smoking or vaping, especially with nicotine addiction. But you don't have to do it alone! There's lots of free, confidential help available.
- NHS Smokefree: The NHS offers lots of support online, by phone, and through local services. They can provide advice, support, and information on stop smoking aids like patches, gum, or even vapes (if appropriate for quitting smoking). You can find your local service through the NHS website or call the National Smokefree Helpline.
- Local Stop Smoking Services: Many areas have local services with trained advisors who can offer face-to-face or phone support. They can help you create a quit plan and provide access to stop smoking products.
- Your GP or Pharmacist: Your doctor or a pharmacist can also give you advice and discuss options for quitting, including prescribing stop smoking medicines.
- School Nurse or College Health Services: If you're at school or college, they may have health staff who can offer support and advice.
- Helplines and Websites: Organisations like Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) also provide information and links to support.
Worried About a Friend or Family Member's Smoking Habits?
Worried About a Friend or Family Member's Smoking Habits?
It can be really hard to see someone you care about harming their health through smoking. You can help by:
- Talking to them: Let them know you're worried and that you care about them. Try to talk to them when you're both calm and have time to chat properly.
- Sharing Information: You could share information like what you've read on this page about the risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting.
- Supporting them if they want to quit: If they decide they want to stop, be there for them. Encourage them, celebrate their successes (even small ones!), and try to be understanding if they find it difficult. Avoid nagging or making them feel guilty.
- Suggesting sources of help: Let them know about the free support services available, like the NHS or local stop smoking services. You could even offer to help them find information or make a call.
- Talking to someone yourself: If you're finding it hard to cope with your worry, it can help to talk to someone you trust, like another family member, a teacher, or a school counsellor. Childline is also there for you if you need to talk confidentially (call 0800 1111).
Remember, you can't force someone to quit, but your support can make a big difference if and when they are ready.
Local Resources in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Dorset
Local Resources in Hampshire, Isle of Wight, and Dorset
Here are some specific places you can find help in your local area:
- Smokefree Hampshire: Provides free support to help people quit smoking. You can usually self-refer online or by phone. Check their website for contact details and information on local clinics or support options.
- Smokefree Isle of Wight: Offers a funded stop smoking programme with expert mentors, free kits (including stop smoking aids), and online resources. Visit their website or call their helpline for details on eligibility and how to sign up.
- Public Health Dorset: LiveWell Dorset offers free advice and support for quitting smoking in Dorset, including access to nicotine replacement therapy, behavioural support, and vape kits as part of their Swap 2 Stop campaign. You can contact LiveWell Dorset to find out more.
Even if you're not ready to quit right now, knowing the facts is the first step. If you are thinking about it, or are worried about someone else, please reach out for help. There are people who want to support you.
Self care and Prevention
Video Showcase
Related Conditions
Further Information
