Did you know the number of smokers aged 11-15yrs in Scotland is the lowest it has been in ten years?
– ASH SCOTLAND
Scotland’s government aim is to make Scotland smoke free by 2034.
Smoking is very addictive which means when you start it can be very difficult to stop.
If you smoke and you think you want to stop here are some ideas:
- Plan when you are going to quit and prepare yourself.
- Get yourself a free quit pack from NHS Inform.
- Save the money you would normally spend on cigarettes and treat yourself!
- Look at alternatives and access support, doing this alone will be hard!
Another thing to remember is smoking is not very attractive. It smells bad, it will stain your teeth and fingers and even put people off being around you! This might even include people not wanting to kiss you.
Smoking has lots of different effects on your body from over 4000 different chemicals in each puff of a cigarette. These include the same chemicals used in nail polish remover, lighter fluid and rat poison. Think about putting those straight into your lungs.
Nicotine is the chemical which makes cigarettes addictive. When you smoke, nicotine goes to your brain and makes you feel happy and satisfied. When this feeling begins to wear off it makes you want to smoke another cigarette.
Smoking during pregnancy can be very harmful to both mother and their unborn baby. It can stop a baby growing and developing properly, or the chemicals talked about above can pass from mother to child. Smoking increases the chance of miscarriage and still birth. If you are pregnant and smoke, try to get support to reduce and stop.
Did you know it is against the law for people to smoke in cars? This is designed to help keep children and young people safe from second-hand smoke which can be just as dangerous as actually smoking. The legal age to buy cigarettes in Scotland is 18 years old. It is also illegal to buy cigarettes to give to someone under 18.
Would you like to speak to a member of The Corner Staff? Please contact us here.
Further useful resources on smoking:
Kids Health – why kids begin smoking, and what tobacco does to you
Smoke Free – an app to help you quit
Smokerface – see how smoking affects your skin (apple devices only)
Fast Forward – Information and Education
NHS – Quit Smoking