Smokers urged to quit for heart health and kids

30^th December 2016 – Smokers are being urged to make quitting their New Year's resolution, as figures show that 45 people in England die each day because of heart disease and strokes caused by smoking.

This year's campaign by Public Health England (PHE) coincides with the first year when all cigarettes sold in the UK will be in standard packs with all their attractive branding removed.

But health experts say those wanting to stop smoking should seek help, as most people who quit on January 1^st are smoking again by the end of the month.

Health and families

PHE has identified that the 2 biggest motivators for people to quit smoking are for their health and their families. So, they've released a short film which features creator of the children's TV show 'Get Well Soon', Dr Ranj Singh, and primary school children in Coventry, warning that smoking increases the risk of heart attack and stroke and can also harm other people.

Dr Singh says in a statement: "Most people are well aware of the effects of smoking on the lungs, but are less aware of the awful impact it also has on the heart and arteries.

"We know that many people quit smoking for their family, and this film shows just how passionately children want to protect the health of smokers and want to help them quit."

According to PHE, smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 24% and doubles the risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Chief Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, says in a statement: "Smoking is the biggest cause of premature death in England, accounting for almost 78,000 deaths a year. For every death caused by smoking approximately 20 smokers suffer from a smoking-related illness."

Plain packaging

In 2017, smokers face the compulsory introduction of plain, standardised packaging of cigarettes.

They were introduced in the UK earlier this year, but from May all packs sold will be in drab colours with graphic messages about the health dangers of smoking tobacco.

Figures released in the autumn showed that the number of smokers in England had fallen to its lowest level, with fewer than 1 in 6 adults lighting up.

They showed that in 2015, 16.9% of adults in England smoked.

Resolving to kick the habit

Around a third of the UK's 10 million smokers make at least 1 attempt to quit every year, with the New Year a popular time to try to make a clean break.

However, health experts say they often face an uphill task. Figures released by the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH) show that of those resolving to stub out this time last year, 3 out of 5 had started smoking by the 31^st January, and as few as 13% were still smoke free by the end of the year.