Health Impact of Smoking

This assignment delves into the profound negative health effects associated with cigarette smoking. It examines the link between smoking and various diseases, particularly lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Furthermore, it analyzes the detrimental impacts of smoking during pregnancy, highlighting its risks for both mothers and their offspring. The assignment draws upon research articles and statistics to provide a comprehensive understanding of the far-reaching consequences of tobacco use on human health.

Running head: HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Health and Wellbeing
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

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HEALTH AND WELLBEING
Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................2
Smoking prevention: Health priority.........................................................................................2
Smoking: Bad health effects......................................................................................................3
Smoking: Affect across generation............................................................................................4
12-18 years.............................................................................................................................4
18-30 years.............................................................................................................................4
60+ years................................................................................................................................5
Recommendation for health and wellbeing................................................................................5
Conclusion..................................................................................................................................7
References..................................................................................................................................8
Appendix..................................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
Smoking is defined by the healthcare professionals as psychological addiction with
extreme adverse health consequences (Shiffman, et al.,2014). According to the UK, National
Health Statistics (2016), there are nearly 474 reported cases of smoking related hospital
admission. National Health Service also reported that in 2015, there are 79 thousand deaths in
UK that is attributable to smoking. Thus prevalence of smoking is health priority and needs to
curb at earliest. The following report aims to highlight the smoking statistics of UK, health
complications associated with smoking and what the government of UK is doing to reduce
the rate of smoking. At the end, the report sums up with an innovative recommendation that
can be employed to reduce the rate of smoking.
Smoking prevention: Health priority
Smoking prevention is on health priority because according to the Office of National
Statistics, UK (2016) more than 7.6 million of the adult population residing in UK are active
smokers and the estimated amount scores around 15.5% of the total population. This increase
in the smoking tendency has a serious health threat against the population. According to the
Centre of Disease Control (CDC), cigarette smoking negatively impacts almost every organ
of the body. The most common health threat of smoking is lung cancer. According to the
UK’s National Health Statistics, in UK, 80% of the reported lung cancer cases in UK results
out of cigarette smoking. Apart from lung cancer, smoking also increases the tendency of
developing blood cancer, cancer of oesophagus, kidney, liver, stomach, pancreas and oral
carcinoma(Cooper & Marshall 2013). Smoking also has negative health impact among the
passive smokers. According to Dinas, Koutedakis & Flouris, (2013) smoking is suspected to
cause 8 million of death worldwide by the end of 2030.

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Smoking: Bad health effects
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among the smokers (Sundar, Yao &
Rahman, 2013). Regular smoking habits of adults are associated with the development of
obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Chang, 2012). Tobacco smoking induce platelet
aggression and this the lead cause behind the high rate of occurrence of cardiac complications
among the regular smokers (Barua & Ambrose 2013). Moreover, increase in the tendency of
smoking among the female is also associated with the development of breast cancer (Dossus
et al., 2014). Based on the recent evidences, smoking related deaths is going to increase
exponentially if the tendency of smoking is not restricted among the population (Carter et al.,
2015). Passive smoking or second hand smoke also cast serious health problems. The intake
of the passive smoke increases threat of cardiovascular complication (Mozaffarian at al.,
2016). Other common complications include breathing problem like coughing, wheezing,
shortness of breath and formation of extra phlegm (Hudson, 2012). Second hand smoking is
also a leading cause of asthmatic attacks both among the active and passive smokers (Burke
et al., 2012). The pregnant mother who are expose to second hand smoke endanger the health
status of their foetus(Marinho Custovic, Marsden, Smith & Simpson,2012). Children who are
exposed to second hand smoke develop mental health complications and experience
developmental difficulties(Stein et al., 2014). According to the WHO, there is no safe lower
limit of smoking among the pregnant women. However, at least 20% of pregnant women in
European countries continue with their smoking habits even after they conceive (Lanting, van
Wouwe, van den Burg, Segaar & van der Pal-de Bruin,2012). Smoking during any trimester
of pregnancy may lead to abrupt abortion and preterm delivery. It also results in low birth
weight (Varner et al., 2014; Ko et al.. 2014).

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Smoking: Affect across generation
12-18 years
According to the Cancer Research UK, 3% of the children aged between 11 to 15
years in UK smoke one cigarette per week. Almost one fifth of the total population of
children in England have tried smoking at least once and girls are twice as like in comparison
to boys to smoke regularly (Cancer Research UK, 2017).The tendency of childhood smoking
is mostly prevalent among the households with chain smoker parents (Action on Smoking
and Health UK, 2017).Childhood smoking has extreme health consequences both the current
time and in later stages of life. People who initiate smoking early face additional risk of
developing lung cancer, cervical pre-cancerous lesions and bowel cancer (Cancer Research
UK, 2017).
18-30 years
According to the UK National Statistic (2017), adults in England are more likely to
smoke in comparison to that of population who are aged above 65 years. However, the
prevalence of smoking has drooped among the young adults since 2010. But in comparison to
the children, male young adults are more likely to smoke in comparison to that of female. The
main reason cited for this is increase in the level of stress among the young adult population.
This claim is also reflected in the statistics. For example, married adults are more likely to
smoke (10%) in comparison to no married individualNational Health Service UK 2016. High
rate of smoking is also reflected among the routine or manual workers and the group of
population who are devoid of higher level of education (National Health Service UK 2016.
Thus lack of proper employment, financial complexicity is generating stress and this leading
to increase in smoking rate.

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60+ years
The older smokers in UK are less likely to quit smoking in comparison to younger
adults. However, they are most likely to attain success if taken an attempt to quit smoking.
Among the younger adults, cardiovascular disease is the leading thread behind the arising
complications however, in case of older adults one of the major health treat of smoking is
development of lung cancer and chronic obstructive lung disease(Burns, 2000).
Recommendation for health and wellbeing
The only way towards the promotion of health and well-being is prevention is smoking
and fight against the nicotine withdrawal symptom. UK Department of Health has undertaken
5-year Tobacco Control Plan in order to reduce the rate of smoking among the UK
population. The main motion of this plan is, UK government will support all the actions
undertaken for comprehensive tobacco control in UK. This support is based on six different
strands which are stringently characterised by the World Bank (UK NationalHealth Service,
2017). The six strands of the UK smoking prevention plan are
1. Complete imposition of ban over the advertisements that promote the consumption of
the use of tobacco.
2. Increasing the cost price of cigarettes or other tobacco products or making to less
affordable to the mass especially to the students or young adults. According to the
report, Statistics on Smoking England, 2017 published by the National Health Service
UK, the price of tobacco has increased by 90 over 10 years (2006-2016) as a result,
tobacco has become 27% less affordable since 2006
3. Strict regulatory control over the demand and supply of the tobacco products in UK
4. Providing proper assistance to the chain smokers and other consumers of tobacco to
quit smoking

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5. An initiative to reduce the harmful effect of passive smoking via banning the
provision of smoking in public or especially in front of the pregnant women
6. Promotion of effective communication towards the controlling the use of tobacco or
cigarette smoking
(UK National Health Service, 2017)
Apart from the government rules, individual attempts are also been undertaken to
order to quit smoking or to combat the nicotine withdrawal symptom. One of the most
popular attempts is use of E-cigarettes. E-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes are battery
powered devices which are designed with an aim to mimic the action of the standard cigarette
while minimising the toxic effect of nicotine (Etter, Bullen, Flouris, Laugesen &
Eissenberg,2011). According the UK Office of National Statistics (2017), 2.3 million people
in UK currently use E-cigarettes in order to quit smoking. However, E-cigarettes have sudden
side-effects and are unaffordable by the person who falls under the low financial bracket. The
nicotine present in E-cigarette causes stiffening of the arteries along with increase in blood
pressure. Moreover, propylene glycol present in E-cigarette may lead to persistent throat pain
(Hureaux, Drouet & Urban, 2014).
In order to cope up with the loopholes of government framed policies against smoking
prevention and it side-pass the harmful effect of E-cigarette other useful strategies must be
employed. One of these strategies includes circulating smoking prevention adds along with
information of the harmful effects of cigarette in digital media (Lee et al., 2014). Such digital
media campaigns will increase the quit line call volume with direct promotion among the
smokers along with indirect promotion among the smoker proxies. Such digital campaigns
will help in the increase of the knowledge based in smoking and its harmful effects along
with the promotion of best set of practise (Lee et al., 2014). This health promotion strategy

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goes with the concept proposed by Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. Digital media
campaign will generate advocacy for health, while enabling people achieving equity in
health. Such adds will be designed in co-ordinated actions of different sectors of the society
like government, local and voluntary organisation. Digital ads published in social media will
generate supportive environment while strengthening community actions and thereby helping
to reduce smoking health threats (World Health Organisation, 2017).
Conclusion
Thus from the above discussion it can be concluded that smoking is the leading cause
of cancer and cardiovascular disease among the UK population. Government initiatives and
the use of E-cigarettes have helped to reduce the rate smoking in UK however further
initiative are required to be undertaken. Use of digital quit-smoking campaign is assumed to
get positive results as majority of UK population use internet and search smoking related
information online.

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information-and-resources/

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Appendix

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(Source: UK National Statistics 2016)
(Source: Cancer Research UK)