On 31 December 2006, the North West Wales NHS Trust became Smoke Free. Smoking will no longer be permitted in Trust Buildings or within its grounds. The North West Wales NHS Trust is committed to promoting health and reducing risk across all of its services. Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death. It kills around six times more people in the UK than road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (3,157), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066) and HIV infection (234) - all put together 22,833 (2002 figures). Secondhand smoking, breathing in other people's tobacco smoke, has been medically proven to cause lung cancer and heart disease in non-smokers as well as many other illnesses and minor conditions. Giving up smoking is not easy, but the benefits of giving up are vast. Click to download a copy of the Trust's Smoke Free Policy. Facts about Smoking Approximately 12 million adults currently smoke in the UK Smoking is highest amongst those aged 20 - 24: 34% of men and 29% of women in this age group smoke More than 80% of smokers take up the habit as teenagers Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit 450 children start smoking every day Half young adults become long-term smokers On average, smokers live over 10 years less than non-smokers.
| To find out how much your smoking habit is costing you, click the icon. |
 | Beneficial Health Changes when you Stop Smoking When you stop smoking, your body will begin to repair the damage done almost immediately, kick-starting a series of beneficial health changes that continue for years:
| After 20 minutes |
Your blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal |
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| After 8 Hours |
Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in the blood reduce by half and oxygen levels return to normal |
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| After 24 Hours |
Carbon monoxide will be eliminated from the body and your lungs will start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris |
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| After 48 Hours |
There is no nicotine left in the body. your ability to taste and smell is greatly improved |
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| After 72 Hours |
Breathing becomes easier. The bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase |
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| After 2-12 Weeks |
Circulation improves |
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| After 3-9 Months |
Coughs, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function is increased by up to 10% |
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| After 1 Year |
The risk of a heart attack falls to about half that of a smoker |
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| After 10 Years |
The risk of lung cancer falls to half that of a smoker |
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| After 15 Years |
The risk of a heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked | Helplines
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All Wales Smoking Cessation Service |
0800 085 2 219 |
| Smokers Helpline for Wales |
0800 169 0 169 |
| NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline |
0800 169 9 169 | NHS Asian Tobacco Helplines
Urdu |
0800 169 0 881 |
Punjabi |
0800 169 0 882 |
Hindi |
0800 169 0 883 |
Gujarati |
0800 169 0 884 |
Bengali |
0800 169 0 885 | Useful Websites
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