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Smoking hazards
The prevalence and consequences of smoking
Worldwide there are more than one billion smokers and with the use of tobacco products still increasing. Globally tobacco use kills more than 5 million people every year.1 In the UK smoking is the single most preventable cause of illness and premature death.2
Though most smokers may know about the health issues related to smoking it is often hard for them to see a direct link between smoking and their health: there may be a lag of several years between the start of tobacco use and any influence on their health.1
Health implications of smoking
For every 1000 young adult smokers it has been estimated that one will be murdered, about six will die in road accidents but HALF will die due to a smoking related illness (about 1/4 in middle age the other 1/4 in old age)1
Smokers often believe that the damage done to their health is irreversible and they question the sense in stopping smoking. Reassure them that it is never too late to stop and make them aware of the health benefits associated with smoking cessation.5
Benefits of stopping smoking6
What makes it so hard for your customers to stop?
Nicotine leads to feelings of pleasure by acting as a stimulant in the brain: nicotine triggers the nicotinic acetylcholinergic receptors (nACh). These receptors are located in the central nervous system. When nicotine triggers these receptors, dopamine is released as a consequence. The release of dopamine causes the feelings of pleasure and reward.7,8
Regular dosing of nicotine by continuous smoking causes the brain to adapt to a higher level of dopamine. The brain develops a tolerance to this level of dopamine and requires these levels to function normally.7,8
Because of nicotine´s short half life smokers have to keep smoking throughout the day to maintain nicotine levels.9
When nicotine levels drop this results in lower levels of dopamine in the brain, causing the body to react with withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia and cravings.
Quitting smokers experience a background of steady craving throughout the day as well as breakthrough craving, which can result in relapse if left untreated.2,5,10
Background cravings can be managed by nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as patch, whilst acute craving episodes can be managed by a faster acting NRT to help ensure they do not cause lapses. Half of all craving episodes lead to lapse within 11 minutes.11 And more than two thirds of those smokes who lapse go on to relapse.12
- 1.
- World Health Organization (WHO). Tobacco Free Iniative (TFI). Tobacco facts. [Cited 2011 Jan 26] Available from: www.who.int/tobacco/mpower/tobacco_facts/en/index.html
- 2.
- Smoking Kills A White Paper on Tobacco 1998.
- 3.
- ASH Basic facts: smoking and disease. November 2005.
- 4.
- ASH Factsheet 6: Smoking, the heart and circulation November 2005.
- 5.
- Lader D, et al. Smoking related behaviour and attitudes 2002. London Office of National Statistics.
- 6.
- ASH factsheet 11. July 2007.
- 7.
- Nicotine addiction in Britain: a report of the Tobacco Advisory Group of the Royal College of Physicians. London Royal College of Physicians 2000.
- 8.
- Benowitz NL. Clin Pharmacol Ther 2008; 83: 531-541.
- 9.
- Russell MAH, et al. BMJ 1976; 1:1043-1046.
- 10.
- Foulds J. Int J Clin Pract 2006; 60: 571-576.
- 11.
- Ferguson SG, Shiffman S. J Substance Abuse Treatment 2009; 36: 235-243.
- 12.
- Shiffman S et al. J Consulting Clin Psychol, 1996; 64: No 2: 366-379.