Public Health Dorset calling on smokers to quit, to free up GP appointments
11% of people in the county are smokers, with numbers falling
Smokers are seeing their GPs a third more than non-smokers, according to Public Health Dorset.
Meanwhile, Cancer Research UK found that around 75,000 GP appointments could be freed every month if people stopped smoking.
The charity revealed that smoking remains the biggest cause of cancer and takes up a "considerable" amount of NHS resources, with one person being admitted to hospital every minute in England due to smoking.
Heidi Croucher is Dorset’s tobacco dependency manager:
“Smoking affects every single part of the body, but quite often smokers may come in and see their GP because they're complaining about lung conditions.”
She continued to explain the physical benefits one feels when they’ve quit, she said:
“Within 24 hours of not smoking, your pulse rate and oxygen levels return to normal.
“Within a few months you'll start to feel your breathing is better, your energy levels are higher and very quickly you'll start to see those benefits.”
Smoking rates in Dorset are continuing to drop, just 11% of the population smoke down from 20% when a decade ago.
Simon Clark, director of the smokers' group Forest said:
"Over the past decade smoking rates have fallen significantly because millions of smokers have switched to reduced-risk products such as e-cigarettes.”
Despite, smoking rates in England being at an all-time low, Cancer Research UK are demanding the Government do more to prevent young people starting smoking.
The charity has called on the Government to raise the age of sale of tobacco in the UK.
Backing this initiative, Heidi said:
“To achieve a smoke free generation by 2030, we have got to make changes and by increasing the age of sale of tobacco in our country will have huge steps in achieving a smoke free generation.”