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.