In both of the UEFA EURO 201 host countries smoking remains a major public health problem. In line with the RESPECT your Health – Euroschools 2012 we want to use the opportunity to address this pressing issue!

Tobacco use is the single largest cause of preventable premature death in Europe. Therefore, preventing tobacco use in children and adolescents, reducing tobacco use in adults, and reducing non-smokers' exposure to second-hand smoke are essential public health objectives for communities.

Some key facts to consider:

• Most people start smoking and become addicted to nicotine when they are still children

• Young smokers can show signs of addiction to tobacco after a very short period of time

• Those who start smoking at the youngest ages are more likely to smoke heavily and find it harder to give up

• Children whose parents or siblings smoke are around three times more likely to smoke than other children

Why start smoking?

Three out of four children become aware of cigarettes before they reach the age of five regardless of whether their parents smoke. Experimentation is an important predictor of future use, with many children under the age of 16 trying cigarettes for the first time. So why do people start smoking and continue exposing themselves to this risk?

Home environment: Children who live with parents or siblings who smoke are around 90% more likely to become smokers themselves than children of non-smoking households, and many children start smoking by the age of 15 as a result of exposure to smoking in the home.

Peer pressure: People are undoubtedly guided by the action of their friends or siblings. Studies have revealed that the rate of smoking among young people with three or more friends who smoke is 10 times greater in comparison to the rate of those who do not have friends who smoke.

Promotion and media: Other influences include tobacco advertising, sponsorship, promotion and point of sale displays, all of which foster positive attitudes towards smoking and increases the likelihood of starting to smoke. Fortunately, both host countries have already banned tobacco advertising. Still, smoking in films and TV programmes, especially by celebrities, can also create a positive image of smoking.

Addiction: Children who experiment with cigarettes can quickly become addicted to the nicotine in tobacco. It is a sad fact that they may show signs of addiction within four weeks of starting to smoke and before they commence daily smoking. Many people assume they will be able to stop smoking whenever they choose, but the nicotine in cigarettes, cigars, and spit tobacco is highly addictive.

Why is smoking so dangerous?

There are 4,000 reasons why tobacco smoke is harmful - deadly in fact. That is the shocking number of chemicals found in cigarette smoke - a complex cocktail of chemicals. In addition to better known contents such as nicotine (a highly addictive chemical), tar (a sticky brow compound deposited in the lungs), cigarettes contain some chemicals used in batteries, detergents, and even poisons. 

The Health Impact of Smoking

Besides the immediate “unpleasant” impacts of smoking, such as constant bad breath, yellow fingers, smelly hair and clothes, there is a long list of illnesses caused by the use of tobacco that everybody should be aware of:

• Smokers have reduced aerobic capacity
• Smokers lose their sense of taste
• Smoking has been associated with increased sperm abnormalities and is a cause of impotence
• Smokers have dull complexions and age early
• By the age of 40 smokers have the wrinkles of someone 20 years older
• Smokers under the age of 40 have a five times greater risk of a heart attack than non-smokers
• Smoking causes bleeding gums and loss of teeth
• About one third of all cancer deaths can be attributed to smoking. These include cancer of the lung, mouth, throat, bladder, kidney, stomach, liver and cervix
• Smoking causes almost 90% of deaths from lung cancer
• People who smoke between 1 and 14 cigarettes a day are eight times more likely to die from lung cancer than non-smokers
• Smoking causes around 80% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema
• Smoking causes around 17% of deaths from heart disease

Danger! There are special health risks for children

Early smoking impairs lung growth and causes a premature decline in lung function

Children who smoke are more likely to suffer from shortness of breath and are therefore not as fit 

The earlier children become regular smokers and persist in the habit as adults, the greater the risk of developing lung cancer, heart disease and suffering from a stroke

Child and adolescent smoking causes serious risks to respiratory health

Children who smoke are two to six times more susceptible to coughs and increased phlegm, wheeziness and ear infections than those who do not smoke

Don’t forget that, whatever your age, it’s never too late to stop smoking!

20 minutes after quitting:               

Your heart rate drops

8 hours after quitting:                    

Oxygen levels will return to normal

2 weeks to 3 months after quitting: 

Your lung function begins to improve, your heart attack risk begins to drop

1 to 9 months after quitting:           

Your coughing and shortness of breath decrease.

1 year after quitting:                      

Your added risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s

Last but not least:
Non-smokers have more money to spend on themselves!!
This means that by not smoking or giving up smoking one will have extra money to go towards: CDs and downloads, tickets for the cinema, clothes, a bike, a skateboard, a gym membership, new running or skating shoes…

To learn more about the risks of Tobacco use and how to prevent young people from smoking download the RESPECT your Health Guide.