Smoking kills. About 80,000 people a year, externaland is responsible for one in four of all cancer deaths.
It is also linked to other serious conditions, including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, asthma and dementia, and can affect sexual performance, fertility and pregnancy.
Figures from NHS England show An estimated 408,000 hospitalizations due to smoking in 2022-2023, externalup from 389,000 in 2021-2022.
Cigarettes emit thousands of different chemicals when they burn, including carbon monoxide, lead and ammonia.
Many components of tobacco are toxic and cause up to 70 cancers.
The NHS says vaping is not as harmful as smoking. It has helped thousands of people quit., external.
However, health experts warn that anyone who does not currently smoke should not start vaping because it can cause long-term damage to young people’s lungs, hearts and brains.
In December 2023, the World Health Organization warned. There was mounting “dangerous evidence” about the dangers of vaping., external.