KeepTheDoctorAway - Give Up Smoking

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Feature

Give Up Smoking

Find the resolve to give up smoking in 2007 and you could see the health benefits almost immediately.

According to a survey by the No Smoking Day charity, over 2.8million of the UK’s smokers say they will quit as a result of the smoking ban being introduced in England and Wales in 2007, following the example of Ireland and Scotland.

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If you are struggling to find the motivation to stop smoking, or have tried and failed before, read the startling statistics below - it might just help.

Facts about Smoking

In 2004, 73 per cent of smokers who were asked said they want to give up. (National Statistics).
About 12 million adults in Great Britain smoke cigarettes - 26% of men and 23% of women (ASH.org.uk).
Since the early 1990s the prevalence of smoking has been higher among 20 to 24 year olds than in any other age groups - 36% of men and 29% of women in this age group smoke (National Statistics and ASH.org.uk).
Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit (ASH.org.uk).
One in five people in Britain die from smoking (British Heart Foundation).
Smoking has killed 6.3million Britons the equivalent of the population of London over the past 50 years (Oxford University).
Smoking causes at least 80% of all deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of all deaths from bronchitis and emphysema. Thirty per cent of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking (ASH.org.uk).
Smokers who smoke between 1 and 14 cigarettes a day have eight times the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to non-smokers (ASH.org.uk).
More than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of the effects of passive smoking (ASH.org.uk).
Both men and women smokers, aged 35 to 59 smoked the most. Male smokers in this age group smoked around 17 cigarettes a day, and women around 14 a day (National Statistics).
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of having a heart attack by two or three times (ASH.org.uk).
Within 10-15 years of giving up smoking, an ex-smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is only slightly greater than that of a non-smoker (ASH.org.uk).
About half of all regular smokers will eventually be killed by their habit (Cancer Research UK).

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User Comments:

From ChrisB

almost all of these figures come from an anti-tobacco group who have a vision of a world free from harm caused by tobacco. That said the accuracy of every statement should be questioned because of bias.Their evidence suffers from a conflict of interest similar to asking the mafia to look into benefits of gun crime

From Mandy Vincent

Good for you Margaret, a wise choice, but trying to force people to give up with untruths is not a good choice. i would never encourage anyone to smoke, but I would not think any lesser of them should they wish too. I hate lies and smokers should not have to listen or put up with them either.

From Mandy Vincent

About half of all regular smokers will eventually be killed by their habit (Cancer Research UK).I cannot see anyway what age they would be, when they would be killed by their habit.But everyone dies of something, I have been to two funerals in the last year, both under the age of twenty, not smoking related,So the 17,000 children you talk about, has nothing to do with the harsh chemicals in other products, or strong air freshners at all. Or maybe pets they have in the home.My three children never spent anytime in hospital from my smoking around them when they were younger. What sort of illnesses are you talking about here.Asthma is on the increase and smoking was on the decrease, so something other apart from smoke, is not being mentioned.

From Bill Gibson

I have repeatedly requested hard evidence from ASH to back the claims that they make with regard to Tobacco Smoke, Ventilation and Indoor Air Quality Standards. The response I get is 'We believe or it is our view', this is not good enough in a democratic society but highlights why this organisation will not accept the challenge of an open, televised debate to let the nation decide for thmselves. We now know by their own media admission that they have played a confidence trick on the polititians, the electorate and are proud to boast of such a feat.

From Alastair Elliott

I have to say that this whole ban is a total farce to say the least, even HMG's own poll showed that the vast majority of the public wanted CHOICE as opposed to a total ban, especially when there is suitable Ventilation alternatives available with todays Hi-tech technology available. I would like to know where the statistic came from that 2.8 million smokers want to give up when such a ban comes in, have all the 14 million smokers been polled ?

From Robert Feal-Martinez

Let me say at the outset I am a life long never smoker and would support a total ban on tobacco products. Having said that the statistics that are used by ASH, BHF, and CRUK have been shown to have no scientific validity. They are simply guesses as anyone who has looked at the science will know. As for the stats about childhood referrals of 17,000 is it not rather perverse to ban smoking in public and private hospitality when the evidence from both University College London and The University of Australia shows that bans in hospitality result in more smoking at home, increasing the risk to children. In fact Caroline Flint the Health Minister stated during the Commons debate that, 95% of all deaths from passive smoking occur as a result of exposure in the home; that means just 5% in public places, and of that 5% just 5% in the workplace. It seems therefore bizarre to put children at risk, when adults can make conscious choices.

From P Thompson

I am at a loss to understand why Robert, a non-smoker, chooses to post such comments on this site.

From Margaret Dunstan

I came to this site for advice about giving up smoking and I'm disappointed that people seem to be trying to use the site to promote their smoking cause. I don't enjoy smoking. I know I am hooked on an addictive drug and I want to stop.Whatever these people say, I know smoking is bad for me. I've seen friends die in their 50s from lung cancer and I don't want that to happen to me. There must be loads of places that these people can go to promote their cause, why do they have to use this one?