Smoking damages the arteries
that provide your heart with food and oxygen and cigerettes contain
harmful chemicals which can increase your risk of having a heart
attack.
Much more Bangladeshi men are
generally heavy smokers compared to the rest of the UK
population.
Giving up smoking is the single most important thing you can do
to improve your heart health. Did you know that after a
year of quitting smoking, you could decrease your risk of
having a heart attack to that of a non-smoker?
More people in the Bangladeshi community smoke than in other South Asian communities, especially Bangladeshi men.
Shisha smoking is harmful too. Recent research
has shown that some shisha smoke contains large quantities of the
chemicals that can lead to heart disease, lung cancer and other
cancers, and addiction. Did you know that one shisha smoking
session may expose the smoker to more smoke over a longer period of
time than occurs when smoking a cigarette?
Chewing tobacco is not a
healthier alternative to smoking; it can increase your risk of
mouth cancer, throat cancer and cancer of the oesophagus. It is
highly addictive and can make your teeth more vulnerable to tooth
decay and can cause tooth loss.
It’s never too late to give up smoking and the risk to your
heart health decreases significantly soon after you stop.
Some tips
- Make a date to give up, and stick to it! Throw away all your
tobacco, lighters and ashtrays.
- Draw up a plan of action. Think about what could help you stop
smoking – such as using a nicotine-replacement product – and have
it ready before the date you plan to quit.
- Keep busy, to help take your mind off cigarettes. Try to change
your routine and avoid the shop where you usually buy
cigarettes.
- distract yourself change environment
- Get support. Let your family and friends know you are quitting.
Some people find that talking to friends and relatives who have
stopped can be helpful.
- Treat yourself. If you can, use the money you are saving by not
smoking, to buy yourself something special.
- Read more about
Smoking, shisha and chewing tobacco - how to stop
The following organisations may also be able to help: