1. Smoking kills 120,000 people a year in the UK- most die
prematurely, losing about 8 years of life.
2. 98% of lung cancer is caused by smoking.
3. 120,000 British men are impotent because of smoking.
4. Within each cigarette can be found a cocktail of 4000 chemicals.
Some of the headline chemicals are:
Ammonia - found in toilet cleaners
Acetone - found in nail varnish remover
Cadmium - a highly poisonous metal used in batteries
Vinyl chloride - used to make PVC
Napthalene - used in moth balls
Tar - a sticky chemical (what cigarettes mostly deposit in lungs)
Nicotine - believed to be a fast acting and addictive drug
Cyanide - a poisonous gas
Formaldehyde - a preservative used in embalming
Arsenic - poison
The health benefits of stopping smoking start almost immediately:
After...
- 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse return to normal
- 8 hours: Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood are halved, oxygen levels in the blood return to normal
- 24 hours: Carbon monoxide is eliminated from the body and the lungs start to clear out the build up of tar
- 48 hours: There is no nicotine left in the body. Taste and smell are greatly improved
- 72 hours: Breathing becomes easier, bronchial tubes begin to relax, energy levels increase
- 2 - 12 weeks: Circulation improves, making walking and running a lot easier
- 3 - 9 months: Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as the lungs have room for up to 10% more oxygen
- 1 year: Risk of heart attack is halved
- 10 years: Risk of lung cancer is halved
- 10 years: Risk of heart attack is at the same level as non-smokers
Medium to long-term: Risk of developing lung cancer, other cancers, heart attack, stroke and chronic lung disease is reduced - the sooner you stop smoking, the sooner your risk starts going down
Medium to long-term: Stopping smoking at any age increases your life expectancy, provided that you stop before the onset of serious disease. Even if you have developed a disease, you can benefit from stopping as your body will be under less strain and be able to fight it more easily
Medium to long-term: A smoker who has suffered from a heart attack can halve the risk of a second heart attack by stopping smoking
Medium to long-term: Ten years after quitting smoking an ex-smoker's risk of lung cancer is reduced by 30 - 50% compared with that of a continuing smoker
Medium to long-term: Smokers who stop before the age of 35 have a life expectancy not significantly different from that of a non-smoker
Medium to long-term: Smokers who give up smoking between 65 and 74 years of age have a better life expectancy beyond 75 than those who continue to smoke
For life:
- Reduce stress
- Any physical activity is easier
- Don't tire as quickly
- Improve sense of taste and smell
- Improved skin
Smoking: Habit or Addiction? click here to see video | 
