Tobacco kills 650,000 people in Europe every year, 19,000 of whom have never smoked themselves. Now, an extensive new study has proved beyond doubt the link between smoking and high levels of carbon monoxide pollution in non-smokers. CO, the so-called ‘silent killer’ is plentiful in cigarette smoke and has multiple negative effects on health, particularly on the heart and circulatory system. Non-smokers don’t need to be directly in the path of tobacco smoke to pick up these effects; CO stays in the atmosphere, effectively exposing everyone to CO pollution. This demonstrates the success of smoking prevention efforts in the UK. But more needs to be done.

Whether you are a smoker yourself, or know someone that is having difficulties in giving up, Kawaldip Sehmi, the Director of Health and Equality from the stop smoking charity QUIT and Daniel Clayton, Youth Health Specialist from ASH Wales are at hand to answer all your concerns and offer tips on how to quit the addiction. By logging on to our webchat you’ll be able learn more about the findings of this report, and find out what you can do personally to reduce the risks of smoking for yourself and others.

For more information visit www.help-eu.com

H: Host, Lis Speight
K: Kawaldip Sehmi, Director of Health and Equality, QUIT
D: Daniel Clayton, Youth Health Specialist, ASH Wales

H: Hello and welcome to the Healthcare Show, I’m Lis Speight. Now then you don’t need me to tell you that smoking isn’t good for you, so whether you are a smoker yourself, or know someone that is having difficulties in giving up, then today’s show is for you. And I’m pleased to say that I’m joined by Kawaldip Sehmi, from QUIT and also Dan Clayton, a Youth Health Specialist from ASH in Wales, welcome along guys. Now these guys are going to be giving you some top tips on giving up smoking, and of course lots of information about how to stop smoking and to not start smoking in the first place. And of course we are live today so if you’ve got any questions at all for our two guys then do send them into us, all you have to do is to type your name and your question that’s in the box that’s on the screen, press submit and it’ll come through to us here in the studio and we’ll try to get through as many as we can during the course of the show. But I’ve got some statistics for you, to kick off with. Tobacco kills 650,000 people in Europe every year, that’s incredible isn’t it? 19,000 of those have never actually smoked themselves. And a study as proved beyond doubt the link between smoking and high levels of carbon monoxide pollution in non-smokers. So, tell us a little bit about this study then, it sounds quite horrifying – 19,000 people that haven’t even smoked at all?

K: Yes indeed, the study was done in conjunction with the European Union when it ran it’s Help Campaign in 2005, it’s a campaign that’s been running –

H: Right

K: For 3 years. During this campaign there were plenty of roadshows that were carried out in all the major European Capitals, and some regional areas as well including Wales and London etc

H: Right

K: At these events we used something called a Smokaliser or –

H: Smokaliser?

K: Smokaliser – a wonder word – it’s a carbon monoxide tester, it’s –

H: Oh right

K: It’s something that British gas takes on from house to house

H: Right yes

K: When there’s a suspected leak, but it’s a little bit more friendly and user-friendly meter. We asked all the smokers and non-smokers to blow into the meter and a reading was obtained, and the reading would indicate how many levels – what the level of carbon monoxide was in their body

H: In their blood, yes

K: Normally 10 parts per million for up to non-smokers and others but we found that the carbon monoxide levels across England had dropped considerably and what is surprising in the study was that the link between tobacco-controlled policy in a country and the level of underlying carbon monoxide present in non-smokers showed that tobacco control was working, meaning all the policies we have taken on board, banning smoking –

H: Oh that’s encouraging isn’t it?

K: Banning advertising has worked, and the study of – for wonder word again was called a Commit Study which was more like carbon monoxide study across Europe, and it has looked at some other interesting factors that have come through that over time if you continue down this road, then we will all benefit. Smokers and non-smokers

H: That’s fantastic isn’t it? Carbon monoxide then, carbon monoxide – CO gas, what exactly is that and why is it so bad for us Dan?

D: The problem with it is that it’s odourless and flavourless, you can’t actually tell it’s there

H: Right. I mean you tend to think about it more as coming out of exhausts of cars and –

D: Exactly yes

H: And out of your boiler and things like that

D: Exactly that

H: You wouldn’t actually know that cigarettes had anything to do with it

D: Yes faulty heating mechanisms produces it, too much of it in the house and you get it out of car exhausts as we said but smokers and non-smokers are actually getting it through cigarettes. It’s really bad for the body, it can lead over time to serious health defects

H: Right

D: One of the earlier defects it makes you do is less oxygen round your body and makes your heart work faster

H: Oh right

D: So it makes your heart work harder, so you know that’s –

H: Heart attacks and that’s sort of thing

D: Exactly yes, so it can lead to all those sorts of things, so it’s a dangerous –

H: And does it hang around in the atmosphere and – where does it go?

D: Well I mean one of the things if you quit smoking is that it will leave your body within 24 hours. That’s one of the immediate benefits, it will leave the body, but when it’s in the body it’s pretty dangerous for the body so –

H: So if you’ve constantly got high levels if you’re a smoker then it’s not going to be doing –

D: Exactly and this is what the study showed that smokers have much higher levels than non-smokers, so us 3 here are 2 parts per million and smokers can have up to 7 times that amount, if not more

H: But it’s quite frightening that if you’re a non-smoker you can still have high levels in your body. The smoking ban came in not so long ago

D: Yes

H: Has that made much of a difference?

D: Definitely, we know in Wales that bar workers and people like in restaurants have lower levels now since the smoking ban came in, and the evidence from Scotland and Ireland where they’ve had the ban for a couple of years now shows that because there’s less carbon monoxide in the air, there’s less heart attacks, so there’s immediate effect for health benefit for those countries and so what we want to see really is that across the whole of Europe rather than having different areas with different levels

H: And is Britain quite good at this Kawaldip?

K: During the European Help campaign there was another study carried out about tobacco-controlled policies through 27 of the member states and also in Iceland and Norway, and what we found out was we are ranked number one

H: Wow, so Britain’s great, we all knew that didn’t we?

K: It’s a gold medal that hasn’t been sung praise of and I was recently trying to get hold of Boris Johnson and others in the London games and Londoners seem to be doing the best

H: Oh that’s really encouraging isn’t it?

K: London’s smoking position is the best, London seems to have grabbed the Swedish taste for healthy living and we are less likely to take up smoking when you’re younger, we are more likely to give it up when we do have the habit

H: Yes

K: And overall our smoking levels have gone low year by year, and I think the target of the government is now working towards is 18% from the 20 / 25% which we have now

H: 25% of people in Britain smoke and they’re aiming to get that under 20 – well that’s not bad is it, but it’s not perfect is it Dan, I mean we all know smoking’s bad for us, why are people still starting? You’re a youth worker – what’s the problem do you think?

D: I think the problem is that smoking is associated with being cool or going against the grain or something like that

H: It’s a bit rebellious

D: Yes exactly but what we’d like to say to young people who are thinking about smoking is that you’re in the majority if you resist those temptations and it’s just simple thing, they think that they’re not going to get affected until they’re 50 or 60 when they see these old people on TV, straight away they can get things like bad skin, bad breath, bad teeth

H: Yes. And it costs a lot of money as well doesn’t it?

D: Yes if you smoke 20 cigarettes a day for one year, it’s £2000

H: Wow.

D: So I couldn’t afford that

H: No

D: It’s a lot of money to spend on something you don’t get any material benefit out of

H: no

D: Basically burning money

H: And when you give up, everyone who I know whose given up says that they really can smell it on other people, but you don’t notice it at the time when you’re a smoker

D: Exactly, exactly so when you’re hanging around with smokers or if you’re smoking yourself you won’t smell it, but other people will know straight away that you’re a smoker. So yes

H: And it affects your taste buds and your smell as well doesn’t it?

D: Yes that’s one of the things you can’t actually taste what you’re eating

H: Yes

D: And you have more coughs and colds and flu

H: And you don’t necessarily realise that do you?

D: Yes exactly

H: There we go. Good lessons for all of us there. Well let’s move on to some of your questions, and we’ve had one in from Antonious, and he says “why ever did we start smoking in the first place?” Well we’ve sort of just talked about that actually haven’t we? It sounds like he or she has already started smoking. Is it a lot of peer pressure them, would you say?

D: Yes that’s one of the factors, another factor is if you have smoking parents

H: Right

D: You’re four times more likely to smoke yourself

H: Oh that’s interesting

D: So what we say to parents is if you can’t give up, really enforce on the child what you’re doing, you don’t like doing it, it has really serious health benefits – health benefits, health impacts – you know explain to them and maybe try and show them that you’ve tried to give up yourself so you’re really showing them that it’s something you don’t want to do, and you don’t want them to do

H: Yes and don’t smoke in front of your kids as well

D: Exactly

H: Even if you’re –

D: Don’t even smoke in the same room or in a car, an enclosed space. Try and do it outside so they don’t get the carbon monoxide

H: Yes that’s true. It seems obvious all these points, but obviously it’s not working totally or else people wouldn’t be smoking at all would they? Michael Finn has written in, he says “I’ve been trying to kick the habit for years but working in basements and nightclubs all the time isn’t doing me any favours. I’m surrounded by smoke all the time. Can you help me?” What’s the advice on that one?

K: I think, it depends where Michael Finn is. If he’s in the UK he better ring the local councils – there shouldn’t be any smoke in his workplace. If he’s from outside somewhere in Europe I think once again there are strategies involved. If you work closely with your employers and bring it to their notice that it’s your right by European directors and rules to have safe working environment. Also plus insistence on policies, I think sometimes we’re very laissez-faire, I mean London has become really conscious about its rights, I mean two years ago we didn’t mind people smoking, even on buses. Now people do come out and say please do you mind, I’m sitting here, don’t smoke near us or go out somewhere else

D: And the effect of having someone lighting up in a restaurant or a pub next to you now is everyone is looking

H: Yes that’s right and you can really smell it can’t you

D: Even from 12 / 18 months of a ban, so then – this gentleman, if he’s tried really hard to give up he’s got to remember that the first step is trying to give up, doesn’t matter if he’s failed because he’s on that first step on that road

H: He’s made the decision to do it

D: Yes he’s got to use everything available to him, so you know stop smoking counsellors, nicotine patches or the gum or anything like that. That helps you get off smoking, because when he’s in work those patches will be that thing that stops him you know –

H: That’s right. I think it’s a lot easier these days isn’t it, because there is more help out there you can join groups – a bit like Weight Watchers, you can join groups can’t you to help you give up?

D: If you try and give up just by quitting cold turkey, I think only 2% succeed

H: Right

D: So it’s pretty hard, so if you use all the, you know the Quit line that you run and the Nicotine Patches and things like that, or I mean in Wales if you use StopSmokingWales.com you can actually get advice and which one’s good for you, because if you like the feel of smoking you get the Inhalators

H: Right yes. You might think they’re a bit daft but if it makes you live 20 years longer –

D: Exactly, that’s not daft

H: No one’s going to be laughing then are they?

D: Exactly yes

H: And what about getting a friend to quit with you, is that a good idea?

K: I think this is what the Help campaign was all about, it is about people helping each other, and they set up a website help-eu.com, if you go to the website you’ll have all the practical advice that you need

H: There’s a lot of information on there actually, I had a look last night

K: Sorry help-eu.com is a best site at the moment to access to get advice that is evidence-based, it’s not something that we’ve picked up from the – this is advice that has helped smokers and thousands of European smokers and helping smokers is an initiative that every government is now following and quitting with your friends is the best thing because –

H: Yes it’s got to help

K: Basically you’re removing all temptation

D: Yes

K: Because the other alternative is unconsiderable, you have to change your friends!

H: Yes

K: so it’s easier to join them than leave them

H: But do you think the smoking ban has helped in that respect, because a lot of people say don’t they that I’ve been trying to give up smoking but every time I go down to the pub

D: Yes

H: Everyone’s smoking around me, whereas now you’re not doing that, you’ve got to go out to smoke. Do you think that helps Dan?

D: Yes definitely. Since the smoking ban, they had all the NHS helplines and Quit did as well, they had a huge amount of enquiries, the day after and for months after and people saying I want to quit now –

H: This is my moment to –

D: We don’t get a summer in Britain any more, you might get them in Europe, so you’re going to get frostbite if you carry on smoking

H: Exactly, not good for your health either on that front! Take some more of your questions actually, we’ve had one in from India, Uday says if you smoke twice a week is it just as bad as chain smoking? So maybe he’s a social smoker by the sounds of it? Is it just as bad for you?

K: I think there’s no such thing as a social smoker, it’s a myth we try to propagate, and the tobacco industry knows it.

H: yes

K: This is why the tobacco industry has forced us to believe things for over 50 years, they’ve been pushing this and year by year they bring on new reports and new ideas, and it comes up with things like health benefits of quitting smoking and the case of Indian scenario I know very well is they’ve even got chewing tobacco with added vitamin C

H: Oh my goodness!

K: So it is, it is – you shouldn’t take up smoking, even if it’s one cigarette, that could be the most dangerous cigarette because underlying disease that follows has no reason or rhyme, it could start off with one cigarette of two, it doesn’t matter. Os best to quit, and at this early stage when you’re still smoking below –

D: It’s much easier

K: Please do quit now because it will be far worse if you’re smoking 40 or 50 cigarettes a day from 5 years from now

H: Yes so what starts of as social smoking you think oh I’ll just have one at home, I’ll just have one when I’m out and before you know it

D: I mean nicotine is so addictive, I mean you can even get addicted off one or two cigarettes, especially if you’re a young person, so one or two will turn into three or four and then 20

H: Yes

D: And then it will be so hard to give up. The best thing now is for him to stop

H: We’ve had another question in on this sort of subject actually. Emma from London says “I typically have a couple of boozy nights out with workmates and tend to smoke socially. I’m new to the company and want to fit in, what can I do? I’ve tried nibbling on nuts but I’m still not able to stop.” That’s a bit of a girl thing actually, people are always worried about putting on weight aren’t they if they start giving up smoking, they start doing something else with their hands instead. I mean what would you say to that?

K: I think the first thing to remember is that anybody who takes up smoking, they should think very carefully as to why they’re doing it

H: Yes

K: There may be something else going on underlying. I know for smokers we have helped by just asking them to take a set of lessons in some courses, or change their approaches to social skills they have, and that has helped them enormously, but peer pressure, smoking because your friends smoke isn’t the right thing to do

H: It’s not, no

D: It’s not really a reason either

H: No

D: I think if you just come up with a comment like “I know somebody whose died from smoking –

H: Well quite yes

D: – so I’d rather not do it. You don’t mind do you?” and if you ask a leading question where there’s only one answer, they’re never going to say – they’ll be fine, they’ll probably respect that view

H: Yes. The problem is though now that there’s a smoking ban, you kind of get the smoking gang don’t you that goes outside and they’re all sort of talking, and you might feel that you’re missing out, but you don’t want to start smoking just so you can go and be with the “in” crowd do you?

D: Well I mean if she’s addicted she could maybe take some Nicorette gum and she could show to them that she’s trying to quit, or as she said, try a new bar snack

H: Yes exactly

D: Anything rather than get addicted to smoking

H: Chocolate!

D: Yes because as the weather gets colder, we had snow last week in London didn’t we, you don’t want to go out there in the snow and have a cigarette when she’s only a social smoker

H: Yes, much better to stick with the intelligent ones that aren’t smoking inside. Anyway

D: The warmer ones – not more intelligent, just warmer

H: Right Sam has sent a question in – lots of people who are trying to give up actually which is very encouraging, he says “I’ve tried the patches but they didn’t work as I like holding something between my fingers. What can I do?” You were mentioning earlier about that –

D: Yes, the Inhalator, is a good one because you actually do the process of smoking – it’s a little plastic tube, it delivers a Nicotine hit, and you just literally smoke it, but there’s no smoke, so that’s always a good thing for him to try. He should speak to his GP or you know go to the NHS website and phone up and ask some advice because that – you can also get little gadgets where you keep your fingers busy

H: Right, yes

D: Because some people like the rolling of the tobacco, because you get you know, you can get those from your Stop Smoking counsellor or –

H: And then gradually you just wean yourself off it I suppose

D: Exactly, that’s what the courses do is gradually wean – and you do the full course, or you know keep on doing the courses, it’s better to take the patch or the gum than go back to smoking

H: Yes exactly. And they really do work those don’t they?

K: I think the European side of this is quite interesting as well, I run the European Help campaign that’s running across Europe and comments reported, being evaluated at that stage – we found in Cyprus and Malta something amazing, it was these worry beads they have

D: Ah yes

K: It’s a very Mediterranean – and I brought about 100, 200 of these along and I’ve been distributing that, they’re beautiful beads, you can play around, almost keeps you so busy, and at Quit we’ve carried out studies about mobile phone users. You’ll find that if you have a good network of friends, try SMS-ing them or join one of our programs, an SMS program on quit.org.uk, it’s a wonderful program that you can get free SMS texts

H: Right

K: So –

H: Just to give you a bit of encouragement

K: Yes busy, you get free texts as well so –

H: Yes that’s great. So there’s lots of help out there isn’t there? Sorry –

D: I was just going to say it’s horses for courses whatever works for you –

H: Whatever works for you, yes exactly

D: If you go online I think No Smoking Day have their own forums where people give tips what worked for them. Some of them are totally bizarre. It doesn’t matter if they’re not smoking –

H: If it works for you. We’ve had a question in from Jonas actually, bit of a cheeky one. He says have you ever smoked either of you?

K: Yes I have yes. I can admit to that, yes I was a late starter at university and it was quite an “in” thing

H: Exactly, social smoking –

K: Exactly and the myth was that it would help me in my exams – it didn’t

H: No

K: It was the other way round, I quit my smoking and then things improved, I could handle pressure better then, so smoking is –

H: And how did you quit?

K: I used Nicorette gum

H: Right

K: That was the best option for me but as you know you’ve got Inhalators, you’ve got nasal sprays for heavy smokers

H: Yes

K: You’ve got a new drugs coming up like a drug called Champex that has been comes in two tablet forms –

D: Zyban

K: And a drug called Zyban as well, so these are drugs that are non-nicotine based, they are very effective as well, and you could look for those – you have to go to your GP to get prescribed

H: Right

K: And if not, use your local NHS Stop Smoking services. Many of these applications are free for you

H: Yes and they do work don’t they?

K: And they do work

H: So it’s worth it – there’s no shame in it, just go and get help

K: 800,000 smokers quit every year in the UK so it shows they’re working, there must be something great happening

H: And one of those could be you couldn’t it?

K: Yes

H: Dan, have you ever had a puff?

D: I have when I was younger but – I did a lot of sport when I was younger so it was going to get in the way of sport so I stopped that way

H: Right, so you could really tell the difference –

D: Yes if you are into sport I mean, 99% of sportsmen and women don’t smoke because they could never be professionals because it reduces lung capacity, so I still enjoy my sport now I’m getting on

H: So you’re really glad –

D: Yes really glad I didn’t carry on

H: Ok, we’ve got one final question in, or a statement actually from Lucy, she said “I’m so pleased we’ve banned smoking in public spaces as I once got my coat burned by a smoker.” She says “Good luck guys in giving up.” So there we are, it’s so much nicer isn’t it to go out and not come home smelling of smoke

K: Very much

H: Well Dan and Kawaldip thanks so much for coming in and talking to us about it. If you want any more information about giving up smoking you can go to the website which is www.help-eu.com and if you’re thinking of giving up, don’t wait till New Year, do it today. Thanks for watching the Healthcare Show and we’ll see you next time. Bye bye

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