16 people a day diagnosed with smoking related cancer in Yorkshire
A new campaign has been launched encouraging people to kick the habit.
Each day, 16 people in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire discover they've got cancer caused by smoking. A new campaign is being launched to make more people aware that lighting up is linked not just to the disease in lungs but 16 different types of it, including of the stomach, kidney and ovaries. The latest figures show that 20% of adults smoke in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire - that's the highest in the country.
Quit16 is a hard-hitting campaign that highlights the 16 cancers associated with smoking and asks people to quit.
Dr Louise Merriman, the GP cancer lead at the Yorkshire and Humber Strategic Clinical Network said:
"Most people are aware that smoking can cause lung cancer, but there is a huge lack of general awareness about the true health harms of smoking. People who smoke are at an increased risk of a range of cancers and you're also more likely to have a stroke, a heart attack, and develop different health conditions including coronary heart disease.
"We want to encourage all smokers out there to find out more about quitting. Your GP can give you lots of advice and information and there are a range of resources available to help you."
Dr Julie Sharp, Cancer Research UK’s head of health and patient information, said:
“Many people are aware of the link between smoking and lung cancer but many are unaware that it’s linked to many other cancers as well, including mouth, bowel and bladder cancer.
“The best thing smokers can do is give up - for their own health as well as their friends’ and family’s. Quitting can be extremely difficult, but it greatly reduces the risk of smoking-related cancers, as well as other illness such as heart and lung disease. For those who are ready to give up, local Stop Smoking Services are the best place to start. The earlier you stop smoking the better but it’s never too late to quit.”
Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director for Health and Wellbeing at Public Health England said:
“Smoking remains the biggest killer in England and in the North deaths related to smoking stand at over 28,000 every year. We need to focus our efforts on our communities who are most at risk and national and local partnerships are key in this work. It is fantastic to see local councils from across the North working together to encourage smokers to quit now, completely and forever.”