Nicotine - Smoking statistics

Action on Smoking and Health – January 2005

· Tobacco was introduced to Europe from the New World at the end of the fifteenth century. Smoking spread rapidly and was long regarded as having medicinal value. It was not until the 20th century, however, that smoking became a mass habit and not until the 1950’s that the dangers of smoking were firmly established. · About 12 million adults in the UK smoke cigarettes - 28% of men and 24% of women. In 1974, 51% of men and 41% of women smoked cigarettes - nearly half the adult population of the UK. Now just over one-quarter smoke, but the decline in recent years has been heavily concentrated in older age groups: i.e., almost as many young people are taking up smoking but more established smokers are quitting. · Adult smoking rates vary only slightly between different parts of the country, as defined by the Government Office Regions. For example, in the East of England 25% of people smoke, in the North West, 30%. In Scotland 31% of the population smokes; in Wales the prevalence is 27%. · Smoking is highest among those aged 20-24: 38% of men and 34% women in this age group smoke. Among older age groups prevalence gradually declines with the lowest smoking rate among people aged 60 and over: 15% smoke in this age group. This reflects the fact that many former smokers will have stopped in middle age and around one quarter of smokers die before reaching retirement age. · More than 80% of smokers take up the habit as teenagers. · In the United Kingdom about 450 children start smoking every day. · About one fifth of Britain's 15 year-olds – 18% of boys and 26% of girls - are regular smokers - despite the fact that it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children aged under16. · Men and women in manual socio-economic groups are more likely to smoke than people in non-manual occupations. 20% of men and 17% of women in the professional and managerial groups smoke compared with 34% of men and 30% of women in routine and manual groups. · People do give up - 21% of women and 27% of men are ex-smokers. Surveys show that about 70% of current smokers would like to give up altogether. · Tobacco is the only legally available consumer product which kills people when it is used entirely as intended. · Every year, around 114,000 smokers in the UK die as a result of their habit. · Deaths caused by smoking are five times higher than the 22,833 deaths arising from: road traffic accidents (3,439), other accidents (8,579), poisoning and overdose (881), alcoholic liver disease (5,121), murder and manslaughter (513), suicide (4,066), and HIV infection (234) in the UK during 2002. · About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit. · Smoking causes about thirty per cent of all cancer deaths (including around 84% of lung cancer deaths), 17% of all heart disease deaths and at least 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema. · Polls show that people underestimate the health risks of smoking and the effects of passive smoking. · Tobacco smoke contains over 4,000 chemical compounds, which are present either as gases or as tiny particles. These include: nicotine This is what is addictive. It stimulates the central nervous system, increasing the heartbeat rate and blood pressure. In large quantities nicotine is extremely poisonous. tar Brown and treacly in appearance, tar consists of tiny particles and is formed when tobacco smoke condenses. Tar is deposited in the lungs and respiratory system and gradually absorbed. It is a mixture of many different chemicals, including: formaldehyde, arsenic, cyanide, benzo[a]pyrene, benzene, toluene, acrolein. carbon monoxide This binds to haemoglobin in the bloodstream more easily than oxygen does, thus making the blood carry less oxygen round the body. · The UK government earned £8,093 million in revenue from tobacco duty excluding VAT in the financial year 2003-04. · A law to ban tobacco advertising and sponsorship came into effect in February 2003. During the period September 2001-August 2002 tobacco companies spent £25 million on advertising, excluding sponsorship and indirect advertising. · The Government currently spends around £30m on anti-smoking education campaigns. A further £41m is spent on measures to help people stop smoking. · ASH was established in 1971 by the Royal College of Physicians following the failure of the Government to act on the College's request for effective laws to reduce tobacco use.