NHS

The NHS stop smoking service has information about the benefits of quitting smoking, and where to get help locally.

NHS stop smoking

Stop Smoking London (SSL)

Stop Smoking London are here to help you on your stop smoking journey. Stop Smoking London will provide advice about how to stop smoking and to access information on:

• understanding your triggers and how to manage them
• your reasons for wanting to quit
• benefits of stopping
• how to quit guides
• smoking and pregnancy

Visit the StopSmoking London website or call the Smoking Helpline on 0300 123 1044. The helpline is available seven days a week at the following times:

• Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm
• Saturday and Sunday, 11am to 4pm

The addresses of pharmacies where you can speak to a stop smoking advisor are grouped together by postcode.

Smoking health risks

There are many health risks associated with smoking. Smoking increases your risk of serious illness. This includes cigarettes, Shisha and Cannabis.

Did you know smoking causes around seven out of every 10 cases of lung cancer (70%) Smoking causes cancer in many other parts of the body, including the:

• mouth
• throat
• voice box (larynx)
• oesophagus (the tube between your mouth and stomach)
• bladder
• bowel
• cervix
• kidney
• liver
• stomach
• pancreas

Smoking is very harmful to the cardiovascular system (the heart and the blood vessels that carry blood around your body), which has many negative impacts on health and increases your risk of developing conditions such as:

• coronary heart disease 
• heart attack
• stroke
• peripheral vascular disease (damaged blood vessels)
• cerebrovascular disease (damaged arteries that supply blood to your brain)

Smoking also damages your lungs, leading to conditions such as:

• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which incorporates bronchitis and emphysema 
• pneumonia 

Smoking can also worsen or prolong the symptoms of respiratory conditions such as asthma, or respiratory tract infections such as the common cold.

It can also reduce the fertility of both men and women.

Find out more on the NHS website.

Breathing in other people's smoke is known as exposure to second-hand smoke or passive smoking. When you smoke, it's not just your health that's put at risk, but the health of anyone around you.

Facts about second-hand smoke:

1. It moves - most second-hand smoke comes from the tip of a burning cigarette. This makes it incredibly difficult to direct smoke away from those around you. If you smoke in one area of your home the harmful chemicals will spread quickly from room to room. 
2. It lingers – when you smoke indoors, the harmful chemicals can linger for up to 5 hours
3. It’s invisible - more than 80 per cent of second-hand smoke is invisible and has no smell
4. It puts kids at risk - children are especially vulnerable to second-hand smoke as they breathe faster than adults and therefore take in more harmful chemicals in second-hand smoke. This can put children at risk of bronchitis, asthma attacks, meningitis, ear infections and cot death. 
5. It puts pregnant women at risk – pregnant women who are exposed to second-hand smoke, are at an increased risk of complications during the pregnancy and after the birth. Second-hand smoke can reduce your baby's birthweight and increase the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as "cot death".

Find out more on the NHS website.