Don't let smoking take your breath away!

Published at 29 May, 2019.

Friday 31st May is World No Tobacco Day!

This year, the campaign focuses on the multiple ways that tobacco smoke affects people's lungs worldwide. 

Lung Cancer

Smoking is responsible for 70% of lung cancers in the UK, it's also responsible for over two thirds of lung cancer deaths worldwide. Even light or occasional smoking increases the risk of lung cancer. Lung cancer isn't just a concern for smokers though, if you smoke around people, the secondhand smoke exposure increases their risk of developing lung cancer too!

Stopping smoking is the best think you can do for your health. The sooner you stop, the better.

COPD

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the name given to a group of chronic lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. Symptoms include breathlessness, phlegmy coughs and wheeziness - these symptoms can get worse over time. Your risk of developing COPD is high if you're a smoker and up to 25 per cent of long-term smokers will go on to develop COPD.

Quitting smoking will reduce your risk of developing COPD. If you have already been diagnosed with COPD, quitting is the best thing you can do to help manage and reduce your symptoms. 

For more information, visit the British Lung Foundation website.

Asthma

Asthma is a long-term condition that affects your airways – the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs. It usually causes symptoms such as coughing, wheezing and breathlessness. If you have asthma and you're a smoker, you're putting yourself at risk of having a life-threatening asthma attack. Smoking can also prevent your asthma medication from doing their job properly. If you carry on smoking ad your asthma is difficult to manage, you're at a very high risk of developing serious lung conditions such as COPD.

If your children have asthma, you're putting them at risk too by smoking around them.

Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to manage yours and your families asthma symptoms.

 

The best thing you can do to improve your lung health is to quit smoking.

Yorkshire Smokefree is here to support you. Call us on 0800 612 0011 (free from landlines) or 0300 660 1166 (free from most mobiles). You can request a callback with a member of our team at a time that suits you by entering your details here.

 

The most effective measure to improve lung health is to reduce tobacco use and second-hand smoke exposure.