| Research in Britain shows that smoking has been | | | | considerable amount of money but comes with an |
| declining for 50 years, with 21% of adults now lighting | | | | accolade of health benefits. Smoking kills half of all |
| up, a decrease of one per cent from the year before. | | | | lifelong smokers and is responsible for most lung |
| This is a stark contrast to 1974 when 45% of adults | | | | cancers. |
| smoked cigarettes. A record 59% of adults in the | | | | Cigarettes contain more than 4,000 chemicals with |
| United Kingdom have now never taken up the habit. | | | | nicotine being the most addictive, and the reason why |
| The use of other tobacco products has declined even | | | | many smokers find it hard to stop for good. |
| more significantly over recent decades as one per | | | | Smoking can also cause a heart attack; tobacco |
| cent of British men now smoke pipes compared with | | | | contributes to hardening of the heart's arteries, which |
| 12% in 1974, while the number of Britons smoking | | | | can then become blocked and starve the heart of |
| cigars has fallen from 34% to 2% during the same | | | | blood flow, causing an attack. |
| timeframe. | | | | Lung problems are one of the most common issues |
| It also appears that smoking is slightly more common | | | | associated with smoking, from lung cancer, which kills |
| among British males; around 22% of men smoke | | | | thousands of people in the United Kingdom every year, |
| compared to 20% per cent of women. | | | | to other complications like emphysema. |
| It seems the smoking ban in public spaces and the | | | | Smoking also increases the risk of other cancers such |
| workplace, combined with government health | | | | as uterine, liver, kidney, bladder and stomach cancers, |
| campaigns, means that fewer people than ever now | | | | as well as leukaemia, not to mention increasing your |
| smoke in Britain, as they are being encouraged in | | | | risk of having a stroke. |
| various ways to quit. | | | | If you want to kick the habit once and for all then there |
| In pubs, restaurants and all public enclosed places | | | | are plenty of support mechanisms available via the |
| across the country, smokers have been forced | | | | National Health Service (NHS) to help you along the |
| outside if they fancy a puff. The smoking ban came | | | | way. |
| into effect in March 2006 in Scotland, April 2007 in | | | | As well as improving your health and saving you |
| Northern Ireland and Wales and July 2007 in England. | | | | money you may find insurance products are less |
| The smoking ban throughout the United Kingdom | | | | expensive when you are a non-smoker. |
| should hopefully not only improve the health of | | | | Many providers will give you a lower premium as long |
| smokers in the long-term, but also help to protect | | | | as you haven't smoked in the last 12 months. So if |
| non-smokers from second-hand smoke. | | | | you've already given up smoking then it's worth getting |
| On average, smokers in England get through 14 | | | | a new life insurance quote to see how much money |
| cigarettes per day, which totals more than £1,000 | | | | you could save as a result of your new, healthier |
| every year. | | | | lifestyle. |
| Stubbing out the habit for good not only saves you a | | | | |