Other ways to reduce the risks:

 Look at different brands of cigarettes that contain less tar or


nicotine.
Moving onto nicotine patches or gums where your body is A guide to promoting the health of
less likely to go through withdrawals as well as stopping the
other harmful substances in cigarettes from entering the you and your family……
body.
 Make a list of reasons to quit smoking and tell your family
and friends you are stopping smoking. These actions will
encourage you to stick to your plan as you’ve made an
obligation to other people.

Sources of Help, Support and Advice:

Further support can be found on the NHS website under Keeping

Well in Pregnancy to help find safer alternative for you and you
baby.
Search Youth Services at Quit.org.uk to get the support you need in
your adolescent years or even look up @QUITsaves_lives on
This photo by Unknown Author (2018) is Licensed under pixabay.com
Twitter.
www.cancerresearchuk.org has a handy guide on where to start
with easy-to-read information and videos. Cancer Research UK can
also be found on Instagram under @cr_uk.
www.nicorette.co.uk also provides some tips and tricks on getting Avoiding Smoking Cigarettes:
ready to quit the cigarette. The Unhealthy Habits of Nicotine addiction
Introduction battling the need to have a cigarette alongside this feels
impossible. We ask that if you are going to smoke is to do
Having a family history of substance misuse makes you twice as likely to
this in an outside environment away from the
develop a substance use disorder (VanderBroek et al. 2016), however this
child. Parental smoking around your child from the age of
can be prevented, and we are here to help.
one is significantly associated with individuals developing
 Cigarettes contain substances such as asthma by the age of 10 years (Kusel et al. 2013).
tar, carbon monoxide, nicotine and  Managing a healthy lifestyle whilst pregnant is the best way
toxic chemicals such as benzine arsenic to give your baby the best start in life. Stopping smoking
and formaldehyde. reduces the risk of still birth by up to 50% (Steele et al.
 We don’t want thisThis
inPhoto
under your body
by Gadi is Licenced
surfertoday.com
2020). These are scary statistics and is distressing to read
and you probably don’t either. but nothing is more precious than your child's life.
 Substance misuse is classified as the use of substance such  Educate your child from an early age about the dangers of
as drugs and alcohol that causes harm to the user or people taking drugs and alcohol use. We can do this by promoting a
around them (Grummitt et al. 2022). balanced diet and being a role model to your child by
 Substance use disorder leads to a vast number of poor cutting back on drug and alcohol use.
effects from unintentional injuries, chronic diseases and Adolescents
deteriorate the user’s mental health (Grummitt et al. 2022).
 During the adolescent years, individuals are known to
become more rebellious and have an ardent desire to try
Here we will focus on the adverse effects from smoking and how
new things including smoking.
we can attempt to prevent them. This leaflet is here as your next
 We know going through puberty is not an easy thing where
step on the road to a long, healthy, and happy life.
there are prominent levels of low self-esteem and
Preconception/Babies and children insecurities' which may push you toward smoking to fit in
with others, but we are here to tell you that this is not cool
 It is vital that during this stage of a person’s life that they and there are other ways.
are protected from the effects of cigarette use.  Everyday 2,500 adolescents smoke a cigarette for the first
 The harm inflicted on this age group is usually at the fault of time and over 400 out of them will become daily smokers.
being exposed to the environment of substance misuse. Half of these 400 new teenage smokers will eventually die
from this habit (American Lung Association 2022).
 Raising a child is the most stressful job  These are not fun statistics, but it is important for us to
in the world and we understand that make you aware of what just one cigarette does.

This Photo by Unknown Author is

  Quit.org.uk offers support for young people who wish to Elderly
quit smoking, providing workshops to help meet other
youths going through the same situation as well as follow  It is never too late to stop smoking and reap the benefits of a
ups allowing you to ask questions you may have (Quit 2017). smoke free life. Quitting extends your time of life, improves
your quality of life, saving you money and allows you to
Young Adult / Middle Years continue doing the things you love.
 If you are a long-time smoker, it can be difficult to see a way to
 During this time in life, you are learning to be independent stop however there are other options that may seem easier.
which we know can be stressful and lonely. You may look  We can look at cutting down on the amount of cigarette you
for a sense of comfort which may well be a cigarette, but may smoke a day pushing it a little longer between each one
this will not last long. training your body to go longer without nicotine.
 Smoking at this age you are most likely to be experiencing Smoking over 60 increases risks of cognitive impairment and
the effects of smoking such as dementia (Element Care 2019). We wouldn’t want anyone to go
breathlessness, coughing, poor through this and neither would you, so choose not to for
taste and smell as well as most yourself and stop smoking.
importantly increased risk of
cancer, heart attack, stroke,
and lung disease (National
Institute on Ageing 2019). This photo by Unknown Author (2019) is Licenced
under Public Health England
 Support from family and
friends can help massively in your journey to stopping
smoking or even attending support groups for individuals This Photo by Zelenina is Licenced under

experiencing the same feelings. shutterstock.com

 Search https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking to References:

access the support you need because you are not alone.
 Quitting for 28 days makes you drastically more likely to Element Care (2019) Can quitting smoking after age 60 actually
quit for good and getting the right support ensures you are offer health benefits? Available at: https://elementcare.org/can-
3 times more likely to stay on the road to a smoke free life quitting-smoking-after-age-60-actually-offer-health-benefits-2/
(NHS Unknown Date). (Accessed: 11 May 2023)
Gadi, S, V. (2021) What goes inside a Cigarette. Available at Quit (2017) Youth Services: Supporting smokers to stop smoking:
https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing (Accessed: 11 May 2023) Help giving up smoking. Available at:
http://www.quit.org.uk/youth-services/ (Accessed: 4 May 2023).
Grummitt, L. Barrett, E. Kelly, E. Newton, N. (2022) ‘An Umbrella
Review of the Links Between Adverse Childhood Experiences and Steele, S. Osorio, R, Page, L. (2020) ‘Substance misuse in
Substance Misuse: What, Why, and Where Do We Go from Here?’, pregnancy’, Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Reproductive Medicine,
Substance Abuse and Rehabilitation, 13, pp. 83-100. 30(11), pp. 347-355.

Kusel, J. Timm, B. Lockhart, I. (2013) ‘Select an Action the impact of VanderBroek, L. Acker, J. Palmer, A. De Wit, H. MacKillop, J. (2016)
smoking in the home on the health outcomes of non-smoker ‘Interrelationships among parental family history of substance
occupants in the UK’, Tobacco Induced Diseases, 11(3) pp. 1-17 misuse, delay discounting, and personal substance use’,
American Lung Association (2022) Tobacco Use Among Children Psychopharmacology, 233(1), pp. 39-48.
and Teens. Available at:
https://www.lung.org/quit-smoking/smoking-facts (Accessed: 4 Unknown Author (2018) No Smoking Cigarette Smoke. Available at:
May 2023). https://pixabay.com/vectors (Accessed: 04 May 2023)

NHS Choices (Unknown Date) Better Health: Quit Smoking. Unknown Author (Unknown date) Pregnant lady. Available at
Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/find- https://www.verywellfamily.com/pregnancy (Accessed: 11 May
your-local-stop-smoking-service/ (Accessed: 09 May 2023) 2023)

Public Health England (2019) How smoking harms the body. Zelenina, N. (Unknown date) Photo of Family. Available at:
Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government (accessed: 11 May https://www.shutterstock.com/image-vector (Accessed: 11 May
2023) 2023)

Quitting smoking for older adults (2019) National Institute on

Aging: Quitting Smoking for Older Adults. Available
at: https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/quitting-smoking-older-adults
(Accessed: 09 May 2023).