About half of all smokers die from smoking-related diseases. If you are a long-term smoker, on average, your life expectancy is about 10 years less than a non smoker. Put another way, in the UK about 8 in 10 non-smokers live past the age of 70, but only about half of long-term smokers live past 70. The younger you are when you start smoking, the more likely you are to smoke for longer and to die early from smoking.

• 3 out of 4 children are aware of cigarettes before they reach the age of 5yrs regardless of whether the parents smoke or not.
• By the age of 11yrs one-third and by the age of 16yrs two thirds of children have experimented with tobacco products.
• More than 80% of smokers take up the habit as teenagers.
• The younger people start smoking cigarettes; the more likely they are to become strongly addicted to nicotine.
• About 1/5 of Britain's 15 year-olds – 18% of boys and 26% of girls - are regular smokers - despite the fact that it is illegal to sell cigarettes to children aged under 16yrs.
• By the age of 11 one-third of children, and by age 16 two-thirds of children have experimented with smoking.
• In Great Britain about 450 children start smoking every day.
• Tobacco is the only legally available product which, even when used correctly, harms the users.

The Good News!!!

Many adults are not smoking any more as smoking is out of fashion but also because many adults who smoke have health problems related to smoking and spend lots and lots of money on cigarettes.