Health risks of smoking

Smoking raises your risk of stroke by at least 50% compared to non-smokers. It increases the chance of a brain aneurysm – a weakened blood vessel that can rupture and cause a dangerous type of stroke known as subarachnoid haemorrhage, leading to severe brain damage or even death.

Smoking deprives your skin of oxygen, which can cause premature ageing and a dull, grey appearance. It can age your skin by 10 – 20 years and increase the risk of wrinkles, especially around your eyes and mouth, giving your skin a hollow cheeked, gaunt complexion.

Critically, smoking raises the risk of cancers in the lips, tongue, throat, voice box, and oesophagus, with over 93% of oral cancers linked to smoking. Smoking can also lead to bad breath, stained teeth, gum disease and reduced taste.

Smoking can be devastating for your lung health, causing coughs, colds, asthma, and fatal diseases like pneumonia, emphysema, and lung cancer. It’s responsible for 84% of lung cancer deaths and 83% of deaths from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Smoking irritates and scars lung tissue, which can lead to worsening, irreversible damage.

Nicotine and carbon monoxide in cigarettes strain the heart, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke. They put a strain on your heart by making it work faster. They also increase your risk of blood clots. Other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lining of your coronary arteries, leading to furring of the arteries. It can double the risk of heart attack and significantly raise the chance of death from coronary heart disease.

Smoking raises the likelihood of stomach cancer and ulcers and contributes to acid reflux by weakening the oesophagus (a muscular tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach). Smokers are also at higher risk of kidney cancer, with the risk doubling for those who smoke 20 or more cigarettes a day.

In men, smoking can damage blood vessels, possibly causing impotence or lowering sperm count, it can also raise the risk of testicular cancer.

For women, smoking can lower fertility and increase the time to conception, it can also increase your risk of cervical cancer as people who smoke are less able to get rid of the HPV infection from the body, which can develop into cancer.

Smoking while you are pregnant can lead to complications such as miscarriage, premature birth and stillbirth, and can also increases the risk of cot death by at least 25%.

Smoking reduces bone density, leading to weaker, brittle bones. Women, especially face a higher risk of osteoporosis (a health condition that weakens bones).

Toxins from smoking enter the bloodstream, thickening blood and narrowing arteries. These changes can heighten blood pressure and your heart, which can lead to the risk of heart attack and stroke.