Why start smoking and how to give up

Why start smoking?

Even though we all know about the health risks connected to smoking, thousands of people decide to start every year - and a large number of adults who carry on smoking say that they started when they were under 16. You may be pressured into starting by some of your friends, you may want to copy older relatives who smoke or you may just be curious about what it's like. Whatever sort of pressure you're put under, it's a lot easier to say no than taking up the habit and trying to give up after years of regular smoking. It also costs a lot of money. If you get through 10 cigarettes a day, it costs about £1000 every year. Think of all the stuff you could buy with that money!

The health risks

People who smoke regularly are more likely to develop certain illnesses when they get older. These include lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema. It can also reduce fertility. Although nicotine is the thing that makes cigarettes addictive, it's the other chemicals that damage your health. There are also other physical effects of smoking that happen no matter how old you are, including:

damaged tastebuds
ageing of the skin
stained teeth
smelly clothes

Although not killers, they're not exactly pleasant.

Smoking myths

A lot of people put off giving up because they've heard of the side effects. In fact most of these don't have any truth read more