| In anyone, of any age, smoking increases the risk of | | | | In each cigarette there are at least 4,000 chemicals |
| heart disease, stroke and cancer. Even passive | | | | and at least 60 of them are known to cause cancer. |
| smoking has these same risks. | | | | Most people will think of lung cancer as being the |
| Passive smoking puts children in a high risk group for | | | | cancer caused by smoking however this is simply the |
| respiratory disease such as bronchitis and asthma and | | | | tip of the iceberg. Smoking is known to cause mouth |
| can damage their development giving them educational | | | | cancer, bladder cancer, kidney, pancreatic, cervical and |
| difficulties as well as the recognised risks associated | | | | esophageal cancer. |
| with inhaling smoke. | | | | On average smokers will live twelve years less than |
| Smoking increases the heart rates and pushes up the | | | | non smokers. Their lives, even so shortened, will be, |
| blood pressure because the nicotine stimulates the | | | | quite often, a misery, with lung disease, heart disease |
| nervous system. It also reduces the amount of oxygen | | | | and other incurable conditions. |
| getting to the brain and thickens the blood, increasing | | | | All these risks are made much worse if you already |
| the risk of clots leading, as already mentioned to | | | | have a long term problem or illness such as raised |
| cardiovascular disease in the form of strokes and | | | | cholesterol, respiratory disease, heart disease or |
| heart attacks. | | | | diabetes. Stopping smoking can, and will, improve many |
| The tar deposited from the smoke into the lungs clogs | | | | of the effects of smoking and obviously the sooner |
| arteries and damages the air sacs causing shortness | | | | you do this the more benefit you will receive. |
| of breath and long-term damage. | | | | |