Most people are aware of the health implications that smoking has but pharmacy teams are ideally placed to offer advice to support patients who want to stop.

Smoking can have an effect on most parts of the body:-

• Increased risk of throat cancer
• Thickened blood - risk of clotting
• Narrowing of arteries
• Coronary heart disease
• Affects fertility in men and women
• Bad breath and stained teeth
• Gum disease
• Affects taste and sense of smell
• Lung cancer
• Dull and grey appearance of skin
• Risk of osteoporosis

Stopping smoking can have immediate health benefits:-

• Within 20 minutes blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal
• Within 8 hours oxygen levels return to normal and nictoine and C0 levels are reduced by half
• Within 72 hours CO and nictoine have been eliminated, and taste and smeel are greatly enhanced.