Smoking: health risks
What smoking doesto your health.
Smoking harms nearly every part of the body. Stopping lowers the risk.
Headto toe.
Smoking is linked to diseases in almost every part of the body, not just the lungs.
People who smoke all their lives die about ten years sooner than non-smokers, on average. The good news is that the risks start to fall as soon as you stop.
The risks
Based on information from the NHS, Cancer Research UK and ASH.
Cancer
Tobacco is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK. Smoking causes at least 16 types, and more than 6 in 10 lung cancer cases.
Heart and circulation
Smoking damages and narrows the arteries, and carbon monoxide reduces the oxygen in your blood. Both raise the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Lungs
Tar collects in the lungs and raises the risk of emphysema and COPD.
Mouth and teeth
Smoking is one of the main causes of mouth cancer. It also stains teeth, causes bad breath, and raises the risk of gum disease and tooth loss.
Skin
Less oxygen and fewer vitamins reach your skin, which speeds up ageing and wrinkles and can trigger psoriasis.
Eyes
Smoking raises the risk of eye disease, including cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.
Brain
Smoking is a risk factor for dementia, as well as for stroke.
Sexual health and fertility
Reduced blood flow can cause erectile dysfunction and affect sperm. In women, smoking is linked to fertility problems and an earlier menopause.
Pregnancy
Smoking restricts the oxygen supply to an unborn baby, and raises the risk of stillbirth, premature birth, low birth weight and sudden infant death.
Diabetes
Smoking is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.
Mental health
Many people smoke to relieve stress, but over time smoking increases anxiety and tension.
Other people
Children who live with a smoker are more likely to develop asthma, chest infections, meningitis and ear infections.
What affects your risk
The risk rises with the number of cigarettes you smoke and the number of years you’ve smoked.
Second-hand smoke matters too: it raises a non-smoker’s risk of lung cancer by 20–30% and of heart disease by 25–35%.
Stopping lowers your risk at any age, and the sooner you stop, the more it falls. Within a year, your risk of a heart attack halves.
Smoking facts
More to read
Stop smoking hypnotherapy
A simpler wayto stop.
One session, tailored to you, by Zoom from your own home, with the personalised recording to keep.
We start with a conversation about your smoking or vaping, then the hypnotherapy, based on what you’ve told me. The aim is for you to feel like a non-smoker, not an ex-smoker who still misses cigarettes.
Sources
- Cancer Research UK: How does smoking cause cancer?, reviewed June 2026
- Cancer Research UK: What’s in a cigarette?, reviewed June 2026
- Cardiff and Vale University Health Board: 10 ways smoking negatively affects your body, October 2023
- NHS: Stop smoking in pregnancy
- NHS: Passive smoking, reviewed June 2026
- Action on Smoking and Health: Smoking facts at a glance, February 2026
- NHS Better Health: Quit smoking
Start with a conversation.
Tell me about your smoking or vaping and what you’d like to change. I reply within 24 hours.