Eamonn Hassouna

Cigarette smoking is the greatest single cause of illness and premature death in the UK About 106,000 people in the UK die each year due to smoking. If you are a long-term smoker, on average, your life expectancy is about 10 years less than a non-smoker The skin of a 40 year old smoker is as damaged as that of a 60 year old non-smoker.

Lung cancer Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease Heart disease Other cancers: (mouth, nose, larynx, pharynx, pancreas, bladder, etc.) Circulatory problems (i.e. damage to endothelial lining of vessels) Increases aging Infertility

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death and illness in the UK. Smoking causes one in eight of these deaths, and one in five premature deaths before the age of 75 Smokers are more than 5 times as likely as nonsmokers to develop abdominal aortic aneurysms. (Reuters March 2004)

About 13 million adults in the UK smoke cigarettes - 29% of men and 25% of women In the 1970s half of the UK adult population smoked Smoking is highest amongst the 20 to 34 age group Every year about people are killed due to smoking Smoking kills around 6 times more people then road traffic accidents

In Great Britain, the highest rates of smoking are in the age-group, with 30% of people this age recorded as smokers

Smoking prevalence varies widely around the world and is increasing rapidly in many developing countries The majority of the world’s smokers (80%) live in low or middle income countries. Within the EU there is wide variation in smoking prevalence from around 18% in Sweden to 42% in Greece

Reducing exposure to Tobacco smoking Education Reducing availability of tobacco products and regulating supply Help for the individual to stop smoking Reducing tobacco advertising and promotion Regulating tobacco products

The introduction of Smokefree legislation in the UK was complete by July From this date it is illegal to smoke in any public place Price increases have proved to be an effective measure for reducing smoking. On average, a price increase of 10% on a packet of cigarettes reduces consumption by about 4% in developed countries. Tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship is banned in the UK

Health warnings have to cover 30% of the front and 40% of the back of tobacco packaging

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