Information about smoking

Smoking is very harmful. It hurts almost every part of your body, including your lungs, heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and even your skin and bones.

When you smoke, you breathe in thousands of chemicals. These chemicals go into your lungs and then into your blood, travelling through your body. Your lungs try to clean out the sticky tar, but over time they get weaker. People who smoke for a long time often have black lungs.

Tobacco smoke has more than 7,000 chemicals. Over 200 are poisonous, and at least 69 can cause cancer.

Smoking causes many serious diseases including heart disease, stroke and cancer. Even one cigarette a day can harm your health. It also makes mental health problems worse and makes people look older by causing wrinkles.

Smoking can harm others, too. Second-hand smoke that other people breathe in can make babies and children very sick. It can cause chest infections, asthma, ear problems, and even sudden infant death.

The best way to protect yourself and others is to quit smoking.