Smoking, alcohol and drugs

Tips for quitting - Advice for quitting -

People quit for different reasons: some people will be motivated by the financial cost of smoking, while others will want to give up for the sake of children or other family. Whether you're thinking about quitting and want some tips to get...

Keeping your weight down - Advice for quitting -

Just a few small changes in your diet and exercise habits can compensate for the artificial way nicotine increases metabolism. Many smokers are worried they will put on weight if they stop smoking, but in reality only a small number put on m...

Get fit now you've quit - Advice for quitting -

Celebrity personal trainer Kathryn Freeland shares her top tips on how to start exercising after years of smoking. Reap the benefits of quitting by putting your newly improved fitness to the test. If you’ve finally quit the smokin...

Phases of quitting - Advice for quitting -

Giving up smoking is a long process and on average it takes a smoker four or five attempts to quit smoking for good. Typically you go through several phases during this time, each of which plays a decisive role in the long-term success of the q...

Methods for quitting - Before you quit -

There is no 'right' way to stop smoking. You've made the decision to quit and the big day is getting closer. You're determined to stop smoking – but how? For many the choice boils down to going cold turkey, having some professional ...

Medicines to help you quit - Before you quit -

Medicines can double your chances of quitting - although this is still a 20 per cent success rate at 12 months, rather than 10 per cent. There are three types of pharmaceutical products to help you quit: nicotine replacement therap...

Smoking: psychological and social influences - Before you quit -

As more of us become aware of the dangers of smoking, the percentage of smokers in the UK has fallen from around 50 per cent of the population in the 1950s to 25 per cent in 2003. Even with this fall in the number of smokers, it's estimated ...

What happens to your body once you quit smoking? - Thinking about quitting? -

Smoking also costs the NHS up to £5.2bn a year in the UK. There are 9.5 million smokers in the UK, but two-thirds of them want to quit, according to the British Heart Foundation. We talk to experts from the British Heart Foundation an...

The chemical factory - Thinking about quitting? -

A lit cigarette is like a chemical factory, releasing poisonous fumes into your lungs and air. Only the tobacco companies know exactly what goes into each cigarette, and only some of this information is available. This means research is stil...

Nicotine and withdrawal symptoms - Thinking about quitting? -

What is nicotine? A variety of different brain chemicals are altered each time you smoke. Nicotine is the ingredient that causes physical addiction to tobacco. It's a mild stimulant and increases activity in the brain just like ...

This is what you gain - Thinking about quitting? -

You will very quickly notice changes in your physical wellbeing when you quit smoking. Within a day or so of quitting, your body gets rid of all the poisonous carbon monoxide gas found in cigarette smoke. As a result, oxygen levels in your...

Some things you might miss - Thinking about quitting? -

After a while, smoking becomes a habit, where certain situations trigger the urge to smoke. About 70 per cent of the population have tried to stop smoking, only to find that it's more than just a physical addiction to nicotine that makes them...

Vascular disease - Thinking about quitting? -

What is a vascular disease? Vascular disease is mainly caused by hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) due to a thickening of the artery lining from fatty deposits or plaques (atheroma). The arteries are blood vessels that supply b...

Foot and leg ulcers - Smoking and your arteries -

Ulcers are breaks in the layers of the skin that fail to heal. They may be accompanied by inflammation. Sometimes they don't heal and become chronic. Chronic foot and leg ulcers mainly affect the elderly. People with diabetes are at speci...

Laryngitis - Smoking and your arteries -

What is laryngitis? The larynx is the organ of voice. When we speak, two membranes in the larynx - the vocal cords - vibrate to make sound. Laryngitis refers to inflammation or irritation of the tissues of the larynx. It is the bane of per...

Acute bronchitis - Smoking and your airways -

What is acute bronchitis? Acute (ie recent onset) bronchitis is an inflammation of the lower respiratory passages (bronchi). What causes acute bronchitis? The usual cause is an infection due to a virus. The viruses responsible ...

Cancer of the larynx - Smoking and cancer -

What is cancer of the larynx? Cancer of the larynx is caused by changes in the lining of the larynx due to long-standing irritation - usually by cigarette smoke. Today, it is largely a male disease, with men accounting for 80 per cen...

Lung cancer - Smoking and cancer -

What is lung cancer? Lung cancer is one of the largest killers in the Western world. The risk of developing lung cancer is increased 10 to 40 times if you smoke. The cells of all living organisms normally divide and gr...

Cancer of the pancreas - Smoking and cancer -

What is cancer of the pancreatic gland? The pancreas is an oblong-shaped organ located deep in the middle of the upper stomach region. Cancer of the pancreas is the result of malignant cell changes, usually in the head of the gland. Over...

Cancer of the oesophagus - Smoking and cancer -

What is cancer of the oesophagus? Cancer of the oesophagus or gullet develops as a result of cell changes in the lining of the oesophagus. There are two main types of cancer of the oesophagus: squamous carcinoma, which is more common at ...

Pregnancy and smoking - Dangers of smoking -

Pregnancy is about creating a new life, but ultimately it is the mother's decision whether or not to continue smoking. Your pregnancy can be a powerful motivation to give up smoking, because you're making this choice on behalf of your unborn child wh...

Smoking and lung cancer - Dangers of smoking -

Lung cancer is the biggest cancer killer in the UK – claiming over 36,000 lives each year according to the British Lung Foundation – and smoking is the principal risk factor. Quit? Tobacco smoke is the primary ...

Subutex (buprenorphine) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Opioid addictionBuprenorphine hydrochlorideSchering-Plough How does it work? Subutex sublingual tablets contain the active ingredient buprenorphine, which is a type of medicine called an ...

Nalorex (naltrexone) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Opioid dependence Naltrexone hydrochlorideBristol-Myers Squibb How does it work? Naltrexone belongs to a class of medicines known as opioid antagonists. Opioids are similar to morphine in structure and...

Methadone - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Treatment of addiction to opioids, eg heroinMethadone hydrochlorideNon-proprietary How does it work? Methadone is a type of medicine called an opioid. Opioids are painkillers such as c...

BritLofex (lofexidine) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Opiate withdrawal symptoms Lofexidine hydrochlorideBritannia How does it work? BritLofex tablets contain the active ingredient lofexidine hydrochloride, which is a type of medicine used to manage the w...

Heminevrin (clomethiazole) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Insomnia and agitation in elderly people ClomethiazoleIntrapharm How does it work? Heminevrin capsules contain the active ingredient clomethiazole, which is a type of medicine called a non-benzodiazepin...

Campral EC (acamprosate) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Addiction to alcohol AcamprosateMerck Serono How does it work? Campral EC tablets contain the active ingredient acamprosate, which is a medicine used in the treatment of alcohol dependence. In alcoholi...

Antabuse (disulfiram) - Drugs -

Main useActive ingredientManufacturer Alcoholism - deterrent to alcohol DisulfiramAlpharma How does it work? This medicine contains the active ingredient disulfiram, which is a type of medicine called an aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor...

Teenage risk taking - Drugs -

We look at some of the common forms of risk taking: smoking, drinking and trying drugs. Why do teenagers take risks? Tobacco is the most commonly used harmful drug, with increasing numbers of girls smoking. Adolescence is a ti...