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Smoking

Well, it’s a good questions. Every smoker will have their own reasons. Many will tell you it’s just a habit, but most will tell you they’d like to give up.

Tobacco is a legal drug in Britain, but it’s an extremely harmful and addictive substance. Smoking has been directly linked to a number of major illnesses, including lung cancer, other kinds of cancer and heart disease.

The statistics make for startling reading. Many thousands of people die every week, month and year as a result of smoking. All ways of smoking tobacco are harmful – and not just to those doing the smoking. It can also be harmful to those around you who have to inhale your smoke – they become ‘passive smokers.’

Smoking is particularly dangerous during pregnancy.

Click here to find out about the long and the short term affects of smoking.

The easiest way to avoid smoking is not to start!
And the best way to give up smoking is sooner rather than later. If you are already a smoker (for however long) and you’d like to give up, there are lots of support services as well as products that may help.

Many people find it hard to give up smoking and use a counselling or support service or use products such as nicotine replacement patches. You’ll find lots of information about products and support services at the links below.

However you go about giving up, if you succeed, your body will thank you – it starts healing itself from the damage caused by smoking the minute you stop smoking. In time, your body can reverse the damage done by smoking. The sooner you give up, the less damage caused and the less time your body will need to repair itself.

Whilst it is sadly true that thousands of people die every year from smoking, it is also true that many thousands of other people successfully give up.

Want another reason to give up?! A 20 a day smoker smoking for ten years will spent £18,564 over that period. (based on £5.10) a day. That’s a lot of new shoes… years at university… holidays… in fact that would even pay for a deposit on a house!

Links and Contact Details

Name: Stop Smoking Wales
Web: www.stopsmokingwales.com
Email:
Tel: 0800 085 2219 (free) SE Wales contact: 01495 332289
Info: Stop Smoking Wales offers free, friendly support for smokers who are ready to stop.

Name: Quit Because
Web: www.quitbecause.org.uk
Email: quit@quitbecause.org.uk
Tel: 0800 00 22 00
Info: Prevention and cessation service for young people aged 8-18 nationwide

Name: NHS Giving Up Smoking
Smoking Helpline: 0800 169 0 169 (every day, 7am-11pm)
Website: http://www.gosmokefree.co.uk/
Info: Online resource for all the advice, information and support you need to stop and stay stopped. Find your local NHS Stop Smoking Service by texting GIVE UP with your full postcode to 88088, or calling the helpline above.

Name: Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
102 Clifton Street
London EC2A 4HW
Tel: 020 7739 5902 (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm)
E-mail: enquiries@ash.org.uk
Website: www.ash.org.uk
Info: ASH is at the frontline of the anti-tobacco lobby. The site contains lots of information on the history and politics of the tobacco industry, plus more on health and giving up.

Name: QUIT
211 Old Street
London EC1V 9NR
Quitline: 0800 00 22 00 (Daily 9am-9pm)
E-mail: stopsmoking@quit.org.uk
Website: http://www.quit.org.uk/
Aims to reduce unnecessary suffering and death from smoking related diseases and to provide practical help, advice and support to all smokers who want to stop. Their website includes a guide to quitting smoking without putting on weight.

Name: BUPA health information – Stop Smoking
www.bupa.co.uk/health_information/
Info: Factsheet from BUPA on why you should give up smoking and details of the various methods that you can use to help you, including going ‘cold turkey’, using nicotine replacement products, Zyban and alternative therapies.

Name: No Smoking Day
http://www.nosmokingday.org.uk/
Info: All about No Smoking Day, plus sources of help.

Name: Nicorette
http://www.nicorette.co.uk/
Info: Features information about Nicorette products, a chat forum, desktop games and details of the Nicorette Fresh Start Complete Quitter’s Support programme.

Name: NiQuitin CQ
http://www.niquitin.co.uk/
Info: Website produced by SmithKline Beecham, the makers of NiQuitin CQ patches. Contains a range of information about the product, a chat board, a ‘bad day button’ and discusses why and how to use NiQuitin CQ patches to help quit smoking.

Frankandhonest.com is brought to you by ASK Education & Training Ltd. We provide training for young people and organisations working with young people. This site was created in response to countless requests from young people for a place to get answers.