Myths about Men & Smoking

"Most men smoke"
No they don't, the majority of UK men alive today have never smoked and many are ex smokers. 50 years ago 3 out of 4 men smoked, today just over 1 in every 4 men smokes.

"What's all the fuss about? My grandfather smoked 30 a day until he was 84"
He was lucky! Smoking kills one in two of its users and half of those will die before their time, many in middle age and younger. Every year 80,000 UK men die from diseases caused by smoking. This outnumbers women's deaths from smoking almost 2:1

"I'm a young healthy bloke and I only smoke about 15 a day - where's the harm in that?"
Every puff of a cigarette contains over 4,000 chemicals including tar (as in roads), nicotine, carbon monoxide (as in exhaust fumes), ammonia (floor cleaner), arsenic (rat poison), formaldehyde (preserving fluid) and butane ( gas lighter)

Nicotine is the addictive drug in tobacco, It is now known that it is more addictive than cocaine, heroin or alcohol. Tar coats lungs like the roads, inflames the small air sacs, causes mucous which eventually causes bronchitis and emphysemaCarbon monoxide robs the brain, heart and muscles of oxygen. It thickens the blood and this can cause heart attacks, strokes and blood clots. 3 out of 4 heart attacks in younger men are due to smoking

smoking help me relax"
Smoking, in fact does the opposite. Smoking increases the stress level of the body because it raises the blood pressure and heart rate

"My partner is pregnant, I want her to stop but I don't need to"
The unborn baby is at risk if the mother is exposed to the chemicals in second hand smoke from your cigarette. This increases the risk of miscarriage, still birth and low weight babies.

"I'm 52 and I've smoked since I was 12. The damage has been done"
It's never too late to stop smoking. The benefits of stopping are almost immediate at any age. Within 20 minutes after stopping smoking blood pressure and heart rate return to normal, within 8 hours the level of carbon monoxide in your blood is halved and after 24 hours the oxygen levels return to normal. After 2 weeks your chance of a heart attack decreases and circulation improves, energy levels, breathing and concentration improve. At one year the risk of a heart attack is cut by half, and the longer you stay off the lower the risk of lung cancer, heart disease and lung damage.

"I'll never resist having a cigarette if I go out for a drink with my mates"
This is a hard one to crack. Drinking alcohol and being around smokers are both known to weaken the resolve. You must be prepared for risky situations in the first few weeks and may even have to make a few changes until you get your new life style.