Tobacco and Health

Tobacco is a plant that contains a natural pesticide called nicotine.  Nicotine is the addictive substance in tobacco products.  Nicotine gives you a relaxing feeling, but also keeps people smoking even though it harms their health. 

When people smoke tobacco products, they inhale over 7000 chemicals.  The chemicals cause many different reactions within the body, many of which damage the smoker's health. At least 70 of these chemicals cause different types of cancer. 

Some of the harmful chemicals in tobacco smoke are:

• Carbon monoxide (CO) - a poisonous gas which attaches itself to haemoglobin, an important oxygen carrier in the blood.  Once CO is attached, the haemoglobin, is unable to transport oxygen around the body and so the muscles and organs do not get enough to work efficiently. The heart and lungs must work harder to get enough oxygen to where it is needed, so an increased heart and breathing rate occur putting extra strain on the heart, lungs and blood vessels.  If this occurs for a prolonged period, it can result in heart disease and/or vascular disease.
• Oxidising chemicals - reacting with cholesterol which causes a build-up of fatty material on the artery walls.  This damages the heart and blood vessels causing heart disease, stroke and vascular disease. 
• Metals - arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, lead and nickel all cause cancer
• Tar - a sticky brown substance which contains cancer-causing substances and keeps them in the lungs causing damage.  It stains teeth, fingers and lung tissue

Smoking in Pregnancy 

Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do to protect the health of your unborn child and give it a healthy start in life. 

Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of:

• A premature birth
• A small or underweight baby
• Baby loss during pregnancy
• Stillbirth
• Bleeding
• The placenta becoming unattached 
• Your baby not growing properly
• Your baby developing problems with their heart, arms, legs and face

Free, local support to stop smoking from specially trained staff is available from Quit Your Way Orkney.  Contact us if you would like some more information, ask a question or to refer yourself for support:

Phone: 01856 888084 or use the freephone number 0800 035 6344.

Email: ork.quityourway@nhs.scot

Online: Refer yourself here - choose the 'Click to be contacted' option.

More information on the benefits of stopping smoking in pregnancy can be found on the NHS Inform and NHS UK websites.

Smoke Free Homes and Cars

Second-hand smoke is smoke that you breathe in from other people smoking around you.  When tobacco is burning smoke rises from the lit end and enters the surrounding area which is then breathed in by anyone in the space.  Smoke breathed out by the smoker is also second-hand smoke. 

Exposure to second-hand smoke is harmful and is associated with a range of diseases such as respiratory infections, asthma, meningitis and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).  Children are particularly affected by the harmful effects of second-hand smoke as they have smaller airways and their immune systems are not yet fully developed. 

Second-hand smoke sticks to clothes, hair, carpets, furniture and walls for a long time after smoking has stopped. 

The best way to prevent harm from second-hand smoke is to avoid smoke in your home or car but to Take It Right Outside.

More information about second-hand smoke can be found at NHS Inform.

Illegal and Counterfeit Sales of Cigarettes, Tobacco Products or Nicotine Vapour Products

The sale of illegal and/or counterfeit cigarettes or tobacco is an offence in Scotland.

The sale of tobacco, cigarette papers and nicotine vapour products (NVPs) to anyone under the age of 18 is an offence in Scotland. 

Please report the illegal sale of tobacco, including counterfeit products and underage sales in Orkney, to Orkney Islands Council Trading Standards by calling 01856 873535 or sending an email to trading.standards@orkney.gov.uk