World No Tobacco Day
Today is World No Tobacco Day, with this year’s theme - “Unmasking the Appeal” - focused on exposing the calculated tactics used by the tobacco industry to make their products attractive and to encourage early uptake of smoking.
Cigarettes are not a naturally formed product, they’re carefully engineered to promote addiction and long-term dependence. Tobacco companies purposefully design cigarettes so that nicotine - a highly addictive substance - reaches the brain in less than 10 seconds after inhalation. This rapid of delivery reinforces the cycle of addiction, making quitting more difficult and relapse more likely.
In addition to nicotine, cigarettes contain hundreds of additives – including flavourings, humectants, and fillers. These additives are designed to extend shelf life, increase profit margins, and mask the harshness of tobacco smoke. Flavours like menthol and sweeteners are commonly used to make smoking more palatable and reduce throat irritation, especially for first-time users
When a cigarette is lit, it triggers combustion, a burning process that transforms these additives and tobacco into over 4,000 chemicals – most of which are toxic, and at least 70 known to carcinogens. This harmful mix of gases and fine particles is inhaled deep into the lungs and then carried via the bloodstream to every organ in the body. It’s the act of burning tobacco - not nicotine itself - that causes nearly all the damage, contributing to cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung conditions.
Despite this, tobacco companies continue to market cigarettes in ways that downplay the dangers of smoking, often targeting vulnerable communities, with individuals from mental groups at most risk of the harms of smoking.
If you work for the trust or care for a SLaM patient and would like support, please email us at smokefreeready@slam.nhs.uk
To find your local, free stop smoking service, visit https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/ready-to-quit-smoking/find-your-local-stop-smoking-service/ or download the NHS Quit Smoking app.
