Smoking
There is a strong link between smoking and lung cancer, heart disease and strokes. Health professionals recommend that if you are a smoker you should try to quit as soon as possible. It is difficult to quit smoking because nicotine is addictive but help is available
Nicotine replacement therapies (NRT’s) can help you quit smoking by helping you beat the cravings for a cigarette. It works by getting nicotine into your system without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals you get from smoking. NRT’s includes nicotine patches, gum, lozenges and tablets.
Dangers of Passive Smoking
Breathing in other people’s smoke can damage your health and is known as passive smoking or second-hand smoking. The smoke given off by the burning tip of a cigarette is more toxic than the smoke inhaled, through the filter, by the smoker.
Passive smoking can irritate your eyes or give you a sore throat or cough. The long-term affects of passive smoking increases your risk of:
- • lung cancer by at least 20%
- • heart disease by at least 25%
- • asthma by around 40%
- • stroke by around 80%
Passive smoking is more dangerous to children because their lungs are smaller and their bodies are still developing.
Reducing Passive Smoking
- • Make your home smoke free – ask anyone who smokes to do so outside
- • Sit in the non-smoking section of bars and restaurants
- • Do not smoke in confined spaces like the car. If you smoke, do it before setting off on your journey or take a smoke break
- • Having a no smoking policy at work protects everyone’s health
As of April 2007 this year new legislation came into effect in NI which bans smoking in workplaces and enclosed public places including pubs.
Shaun Woodward said “No-one has a right to subject colleagues and workmates to the dangers and hazards of second-hand smoke and passive smoking. No-one has the right to subject members of the public who do not smoke to those same dangers in enclosed public spaces”.