According to the charity, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), it is estimated that smoking is associated with more than fifty different diseases, many of which are potentially fatal. These conditions include:
- Different types of cancers
- Heart disease and stroke
- Peripheral vascular disease, potentially leading to gangrene in limbs
- Serious lung conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma
Chewing tobacco is also harmful as it is associated with an increased risk of oral cancer (cancer of the lining of the mouth).
Research has shown that passive smoking is equally harmful.
Smoking is increasingly perceived as an anti-social habit and recent legislation make it an offence to smoke in public buildings.
The benefits of smoking cessation are numerous. Some benefits are immediate, eg reduction in nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood, and some take longer, eg the risk of heart attack reduces by half, one year after stopping smoking. The risk of lung cancer decreases to half after ten years.
At Lotus Healthcare, we are able to help you achieve your goal by offering advice on smoking cessation, acupuncture and neuro-linguistic programming. The smoking cessation programme may also include nicotine replacement therapies. Other sources of help include your general practitioner and your local pharmacists. Further information is available from the following websites: