Public Health, Tobacco Team

Young People and Smoking

Aim

• To increase young people’s awareness of the harmful effects of smoking/tobacco.

•To be more aware of the risks of smoking/tobacco use.•To be aware of the effects of secondhand smoke•To know where to get advice and support.

Objectives

• Most young people smoke

•False

• More girls than boys smoke

•False

•Nicotine is the harmful substance in cigarettes

False

• It is illegal to sell cigarettes to any person under the age of 18

•True

National Tobacco Use

Epidemiology of tobacco use:

19% of adult population in England smoke

Majority of smokers start in their teens

More men than women smoke, but the gap is narrowing (21% Men 19% Women)

those from a lower social economic group are more likely to smoke

smokeless tobacco is mainly used by South Asian community groups

Young People and Smoking

• Every year more than 205,000 children in the UK start smoking.

• Among adult smokers, two-thirds took up smoking before the age of 18 and over 80% before the age of 20

• Almost two-fifths of adults (40%) had started smoking regularly before the age of 16.

What factors influence young people to smoke?

• Parents and siblings smoking.• Ease of obtaining cigarettes.• Friends smoking.• Socio-economic status.• Exposure to tobacco marketing.• Films, television and other media.• Habit, addiction, to cope.• Peer pressure

What’s in a cigarette

Nicotine

Carbon monoxide

Additives and Chemicals

Tar

Some of the 4000 chemicals

Smokeless Tobacco

Another way to use tobacco

Used mainly by the south Asian communities

Chewing/smokeless tobacco is associated with oral cancer, pancreatic cancer, other pathologies

Some more examples of smokeless tobacco products used in South

Asian Communities

Khaini

Qiwan

Shisha smoking

Water Pipes

Delivers nicotine

Addictive

Tobacco leaves, molasses, vegetarian glycerine and flavours are added.

Sessions last longer than cigarette smoking causing increased levels of smoke being inhaled (Equivalent to 100 cigarettes.

Higher levels of cancer causing chemicals and carbon monoxide

Shisha

• Smoking shisha is NOT safer than cigarettes.

• Tobacco-free shisha is not safe – smokers can inhale dangerous levels of carbon monoxide.

• Shisha smoking can damage your health

Risks of smoking/tobacco use

In England in 2011, around 79,100 deaths were estimated to be caused by smoking-related illness. (Among adults aged 35 and over)

Smoking causes about 90% of lung cancers.

Smoking damages your heart and your blood circulation, increasing the risk of conditions such as: coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke

Smoking damages your lungs, causing conditions such as: chronic bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia

Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions, for example: asthma

Smoking and children’s health

• The younger the age of uptake of smoking, the greater the harm is likely to be.

• Child and adolescent smoking causes serious risks to respiratory health both in the short and long term.

What is Secondhand smoke?

Also known as environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)

Secondhand smoke is made up of two types of smoke

mainstream smoke is smoke breathed in and out by smokers

side stream smoke comes from the end of a burning cigarette or cigar.

Exposure to secondhand smoke

• In 2012, two thirds (67%) of pupils reported being exposed to secondhand smoke with 55% experiencing secondhand smoke in other people’s homes and 43% in their own home.

• Over a quarter of pupils (26%) experienced secondhand smoke in their family car while 30% of pupils were exposed in other people’s cars

Secondhand smoke affects us all

Secondhand smoke can linger for two and half hours, even with a window open

you never know where it is, because 85% of it is invisible

95% of deaths associated with secondhand smoke are from exposure in the home

In adults increase risk of :

Lung cancer by 24%

Heart disease by 25%

In children:

Respiratory Disease

Cot death

Middle ear disease

Non- smokers exposure to secondhand smoke

What are the Benefits of quitting tobacco?

Benefits of quitting tobacco

20 minutes blood pressure and pulse return to normal

8 hours blood oxygen levels return to normal

24 hours carbon monoxide leaves your body

48 hours body is nicotine free

72 hours breathing is easier, more energy

2-12 weeks circulation has improved

3-9 months lung efficiency is up by 5-10%

5 years risk of heart attack is halved

10 years chance of getting lung cancer is halved

Help

• FREE confidential help and advice to stop smoking is available from:

• School Nurse

• Local NHS stop smoking services e.g. GP, Pharmacy

• Bradford District Stop Smoking Service

• 01274 437700

NHS Helpline 0800 022 4 332

NHS Pregnancy Helpline 0800 169 9 169

Bradford District Stop Smoking Service 01274 43770