JAN 2010 - Stop Smoking Support Service Group or One to One support...every Thursday from 14th Jan @ 1.00pm. No need to book, just drop in to the Maureen Sheehan Centre at 106 Albert Street. This service is FREE & CONFIDENTIAL. For more details contact 028 90310346.

SMOKING...tell it like it is!

It's a fact, smoking kills. They even tell you that on the packet! Yet people still choose to smoke.

As a smoker, you are more likely to have diseases of the mouth, throat, lungs, heart, stomach, kidneys, bladder, pancreas and other body organs.

Smoking hurts your health and the health of those around you - family, friends and colleagues.
The effect of passive smoking on a non-smoker's health is potentially dangerous too.

So what is in a cigarette that makes it dangerous?

There are approximately 4000 chemicals in tobacco smoke. Here are just a few:

• Tar = About 70% of the tar is left in smoker's lungs when they inhale cigarette smoke and this causes many serious lung diseases.
  
• Carbon Monoxide = Up to 15% of a smoker's blood may be carrying carbon monoxide instead of oxygen which means the heart has to work harder.
  
• Acetone = widely used as a solvent, for example in nail polish remover
  
• Ammonia = found in cleaning fluids
  
• Arsenic = a deadly poison used in insecticides
  
• Formaldehyde = used to preserve dead bodies
  
• Cadmium = highly poisonous metal used in batteries
  
• Nicotine = highly addictive drug

Would you consider putting any of these harmful substances in your body if they weren't disguised in a cigarette?
Smoking also hurts your pocket. Did you know you could save £1780 a year (based on 20 cigarettes a day @ £4.88 a packet)? Think of what else you could spend that money on!

Once you start, how do you stop?

Smoking is addictive and once you start it can be hard to stop. But it's not impossible! Most people need some help to stop smoking, but the first step is wanting to stop.

Here are 10 quick steps to help towards quitting:
1.   Make a date to stop
2.   Keep busy
3.   Drink lots of water
4.   Get more active
5.   Think positive
6.   Change your routine
7.   No excuses
8.   Treat yourself
9.   Watch what you eat
10. Take it one day at a time

If you need help and advice on stopping smoking, there are several options open to you:
 
Contact The H.E.A.R.T Project on 90310346 or

North & West Belfast Health & Social Services Trust on 90332299

Call the smoker's helpline freephone on 0800858585

or go to www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/ and click on the Health Encyclopaedia