No Smoking Day 2011

The UK's National No Smoking Day 2011 fell on March 9th. The day provides a focus to educate smokers about smoking's health issues, and to help them quit.

The UK holds a National No Smoking Day every year, with the twin intentions of educating smokers and their families about the dangers of smoking and passive smoking, and of helping smokers take the first steps in their battle to quit smoking. National No Smoking Day is organised by the No Smoking Day charity.

The latest statistics show that two thirds of smokers would like to quit smoking, but that they need help and support to achieve their aim. Smokers are addicted to nicotine, so quitting smoking is more difficult than just deciding to stop.

The theme for the 2011 campaign was chosen to be "Is it Time to Quit? We can help"

National television and radio prorgammes, such as This Morning on ITV and the BBC's Radio Five Live, featured the issue on the day, generating publicity for the campaign.
Smoking Health Risks

Most people are aware that smoking causes lung cancer, with smokers 14 times more likely to suffer from the disease than non-smokers.

But as Net Doctor reports, smoking also causes more other cancers and illnesses. The statistics about smoking-related deaths are very grim: smoking kills around 114 thousand people every year in the UK. These deaths include 42,800 people who die from smoking-related cancers, 30,600 who die from cardiovascular disease, and 29,100 who die from emphysema and other chronic lung diseases.

Research shows that smokers have a life expectancy that is seven or eight years shorter than non-smokers.

Cigarettes contain more than four thousand chemical compounds, with at least four hundred of these being toxic substances.

The compounds in cigarettes that are most damaging are tar, which is a carcinogen, that is a substance that causes cancer, nicotine, which is addictive and increases the smoker's cholesterol level, carbon monoxide which has the effect of reducing the oxygen in the body, and gases and particles that cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder.
Passive Smokers

The smoke emitted by a cigarette into the air are more risky that the smoke that is inhaled.

Mothers who smoke while they are pregnant double the chance of their baby being born prematurely and with a low birth weight.

Parents who smoke double the likelihood that their children will suffer from asthma and asthmatic bronchitis. Their children are also more likely to develop allergies.
Quitting Smoking

The help for smokers to quit smoking is centred around the National Health Service, where doctors and other medical professionals are trained to advise and help smokers to quit.

Information leaflets are available at doctors' surgeries, public libraries, and many other public places. A dedicated website, SmokeFree, is maintained.

A free Quit Kit is available from the website, which includes advise and practical tools to help smokers quit. For a limited period it also includes a free week's trial of Nicotine Replacement Therapy patches.