Smoking and Vaping

Smoking

Smoking refers to the act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of tobacco, usually with a cigarette. People smoke for the nicotine found in tobacco, however, there are many dangerous chemicals in cigarettes which have bad effects on your health.

Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable deaths, and 1 in 2 smokers will die from a smoking related disease.

Some of the negative effects smoking has on your health include:

• The smoke stains your fingers, teeth and gums, and causes bad breath.
• Your sense of taste and smell are reduced.
• It becomes a lot harder to breathe as the tobacco damages your lungs and airways.
• Chemicals found in tobacco rapidly increase the risk for developing cancer.
• Blood vessels become weaker, causing a higher heart rate and blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and strokes.
• It decreases fertility for both men and women, making it harder to have children.

Smoking doesn’t just affect you – second-hand smoke is just as dangerous to those around you.

Vaping

Electronic cigarettes and vaporisers were designed to replace cigarettes and help people addicted to smoking. There is no tobacco, no paper and filter, and it doesn’t burn. The vaping devices contain a liquid that can contain nicotine and come in a large variety of ‘flavours’. 

Vaping may be a healthier alternative to smoking, but that does not mean it is completely risk-free. Studies have found harmful substances that can cause irritation and cancer, but at a much lower levels than cigarettes. The British Heart Foundation do not recommend non-smokers to start vaping as it can become a ‘gateway drug’ that can lead to taking more dangerous substances. 

It is never too late to stop smoking, and when you do, the risks to your health drop dramatically. You cough less and feel less shortness of breath, your heart rate and blood pressure drop, and your risk of smoking related diseases are much lower. If you want to know more about the benefits of quitting, check out Help Me Quit’s list HERE.

It also saves you a lot of money. On average, most people who quit smoking save around £250 each month. That’s nearly £3,000 a year going up in smoke.

If you want to quit smoking you can go it alone, but you will have a much higher chance of success if you go to your doctor and check out these organisations:

Ash Wales – Our mission is to achieve a smokefree Wales – defined as just 5% still smoking – by striving for strong tobacco control policy and bold campaigns across Wales.

Help Me Quit – Start your quit journey, with Help Me Quit free NHS support. Contact us today for a smoke free tomorrow.

Smokefree – Join the millions of people who have used Smokefree support to help them stop smoking. We’ve got loads of support to help you quit, so choose what’s right for you.