By 1950, 50 per cent of people in industrialised countries smoked. It was an accepted behaviour, glamorised by film stars and the wealthy. Now, smoking is one of the most preventable causes of illness and death in the world.
The UK plans to be ‘smoke-free’ by 2030 but researchers believe this target will be missed as one of the impacts of the pandemic was a growth in new smokers – hospital admissions due to smoking increased by five per cent in 2023.
Twenty-five per cent of mouth and oropharyngeal cancers are caused by smoking. Acetone, tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide are some of the unsafe substances found in cigarettes. There are over 600 ingredients in a cigarette and at least 69 of these are carcinogenic. The intake of these into the mouth promotes the build-up of malignant cells, increasing the risk of cancer developing in the mouth or the back of the throat.
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