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Smoking related deaths are amongst the highest in number and frequency throughout the world, with millions of people dying each year worldwide. This addiction, which affects one out of every four of us throughout the UK, is one of the hardest habits to overcome with some studies indicating that nicotine is on par if not more addictive than illegal narcotics such as heroin or cocaine. There is help however, with several treatment options currently available to aid you in getting back your independence from this highly addictive recreation. On this page you will find a wealth of information relating to smoking, its impact on health along with the ways in which you can combat your addiction.
Is smoking really as bad as people make out?
Smoking is one of the biggest killers in the UK with it being the direct cause of five times as many deaths as those from road traffic accidents and other accidental deaths, overdose and poisoning, liver disease caused by alcoholism, murder, manslaughter, suicide, and HIV combined. In addition to this, smoking is responsible for around 30% of all cancer deaths, of which 84% are lung cancer; 80% of deaths caused by bronchitis and emphysema and 17% of deaths caused by heart disease.
Smoking has also been attributed to the development, worsening or increased risk of some of the following conditions: |
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Obtaining treatment from us couldn’t be easier. Simply complete our online consultation, which will then be reviewed by one of our registered UK doctors who will be able to recommend treatments that would be beneficial to you after your diagnosis has been completed. You will then be able to login directly to your personalised member’s area from where you will be able to place your order. |
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- Impotence and Infertility – Smoking can cause impotence and infertility in both men and women. In men, this can result in the inability to gain an erection, as well as a decrease in their sperm count and sperm abnormalities.
- Diabetes – Smoking is a serious risk factor for diabetes as this has been directly linked to insulin resistance, which often leads to this condition.
- Angina – Smokers are twenty times more likely to develop this condition than that of their non-smoking counterparts.
- High Blood Pressure – This condition, of which smoking is an attributing factor, can lead to an increased risk of angina and other cardiovascular problems, kidney damage and loss of vision.
- Depression – Long-term suffering of this condition is known to be more common amongst dependant smokers, with there being evidence that smoking can be the direct cause of this.
- Optic Neuropathy, Amblyopia and Macular Degeneration – All of these conditions can lead to impaired vision or blindness with smokers running an increased risk of developing these by up to 16 times that of a non smoker.
Here are some other facts that you may not know:
- There are currently around 10 million adult smokers in the UK; this converts to approximately around 25% of men and 23% of women. Out of these, over 70% would like to quit but have thus far been unable to beat their habit.
- Around half of all regular smokers will eventually die as a direct result of their habit, with there currently being around 114,000 cases of smoke related deaths each year in the UK.
- Nicotine, once used as an insecticide, is extremely addictive and after several studies, has been proven to be more difficult to give up than heroin or cocaine.
- Smoking causes at least 84% of all deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of all deaths from bronchitis and emphysema and around 17% of all deaths from heart disease.
- 30% of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking, with fewer than 10% of lung cancer patients surviving more than five years after diagnosis.
What Are the Benefits of Quitting?
It is never too late to give up your habit as there are benefits to be had whether you have been a smoker for a single year or for more than 10 years. These health benefits include a drastic reduction in your risk of developing many conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease and other life threatening illness.
Many of these health benefits will be experienced within a short period of time from when you have given up; however there are also some which will take several years. To see these improvements in health and roughly how long they take to occur please use our chart below:
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| Time since quitting |
Positive changes that happen |
| 20 minutes |
Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. |
| 8 hours |
Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduce by half, oxygen levels return to normal. |
| 24 hours |
Carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body.
Lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris. |
| 48 hours |
There is no nicotine left in the body.
Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved. |
| 72 hours |
Breathing becomes easier.
Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase. |
| 2 - 12 weeks |
Circulation improves. |
| 3 - 9 months |
Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function is increased by up to 10%. |
| 1 year |
Risk of a heart attack falls to about 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 smoked. |
What treatments options are available to help stop smoking?
There are currently three main treatment options to aid people in their goal to stop smoking. These are NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy), Zyban and Champix.
NRT (Nicotine Replacement Therapy)
These treatments work by replacing the nicotine you would usually have in your body from smoking. This nicotine can be administered in various ways which most commonly include patches, chewing gums, inhalers and nasal sprays. With this nicotine in your body the withdraw symptoms and cravings are reduced as the brain receptors which are stimulated from smoking remain so.
Up to 1 in 5 smokers should be able to give up smoking using this form of treatment, however to be successful with NRT, a vast amount of willpower is required as this treatment has no action designed to physically stop you smoking.
Zyban (bupropion)
Originally designed and marketed as an anti-depressant, Zyban was first found to have benefits for smokers who were prescribed this when they began to notice that they were able to quit smoking. Although it is not fully understood how this treatment works we do know that this prescription medication alters brain chemistry which is responsible for this effect.
The success rate of this treatment is approximately 29%, with these patients giving up over a period of 12 weeks.
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