How many smokers are there in the UK?
There are estimated to be around 12 million smokers in the UK. This includes 10 million smokers in England, 1.1 million in Scotland, 600,000 in Wales and 330,000 in Northern Ireland.
Why should people quit smoking?
Smoking is the biggest cause of death and illness in the UK. More than 120,000 people in the UK die each year from smoking-related causes.
Smoking is a major contributor to many serious diseases, including heart disease and lung cancer. Tobacco contains poisons such as nicotine, ammonia, acetone, carbon monoxide, cyanide and arsenic. Cigarettes often contain more than 4,000 chemicals.
Giving up smoking increases the chances of living a longer and healthier life. Smokers who quit before the age of 45 have a life expectancy close to that of people who have never smoked. A 1994 report in the British Medical Journal found that every year people continue smoking after the age of 35-40 reduces life expectancy by three months.
After quitting smoking, people are at reduced risk of smoking-related diseases. They also find they have clearer skin, whiter teeth and an improved sense of smell and taste.
What are the side effects of quitting?
Most smokers experience a range of unpleasant withdrawal symptoms when trying to quit. In the short term (within 24 hours), these include depressed mood, difficulty in sleeping, irritability and anger, anxiety, restlessness, decreased heart rate, dizziness and increased appetite.
How many people manage to quit?
Seven out of 10 smokers say they want to quit. In a given year, around half of all smokers make at least one attempt to quit. But only 2-3% succeed in the long term.
What are the main treatments to help people quit?
The main treatment is nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This works by getting nicotine into the body without the tar, carbon monoxide and other poisonous chemicals you get from cigarette smoke. It is available as patches, chewing gum, lozenges and tablets, which are placed under the tongue, as well as an inhaler or nasal spray.
The drug bupropion, marketed by GlaxoSmithKline under the brand name Zyban, works by interfering with the chemicals in the brain that cause addiction. Some patients take it together with NRT. A new drug called varenicline, marketed by Pfizer under the brand name Champix, has received draft approval for use on the NHS. If the pill receives full approval in July, it should be available on the NHS later this year.
Counselling and support are also used to encourage people to stop smoking. These are often used in tandem with either NRT or a drug prescription. The NHS runs stop-smoking groups where people trying to quit can get peer support. Individual counselling is also available. There is a telephone helpline called QUIT, while hypnotherapy is also marketed as a way to stop smoking.
How successful are treatments to help people quit?
Clinical trials have shown that a 12-week course of NRT will help in 5-10% of attempts to quit smoking. There is no evidence that one form of NRT is more effective than another.
Trials have found that a course of Zyban (usually prescribed for eight weeks) helps in about 10% of attempts to quit. A course of Champix (usually prescribed for 12 weeks) helps in just over 14% of attempts to quit, with a further course helping another 5% to stop. NHS stop-smoking groups and individual counselling help in about 5% of attempts to quit, but most of these patients also use either NRT or drugs.