Smokers twice as likely to die of stroke as new ad campaign is launche

Research from the the New England Journal of Medicine has found that smokers are twice as likely to suffer a stroke as smoking can cause arteries to narrow increasing the likelihood of blood

clots. The research follows the lanch of a new stop-smoking campaign by Public Health England which highlights the damage done to smokers' bodies. The Smokefree Health Harms campaign

points out that inhaling dangerous chemicals in cigarettes, including arsenic and cyanide, which damages major organs and increases the risk of stroke and dementia.  The chemicals move

through the heart, the lungs and into the bloodstream, finally damaging cells in the brain. England's chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: "We know about the

serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes

entering the blood. "Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people

still underestimate the health harms associated with it. "However, it is not all doom and gloom for smokers looking to quit this New Year. Within five years of stopping smoking, your

risk of stroke can be reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker." Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and well-being for Public Health England, said: "More than eight

million people smoke in England. With half of long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease, highlighting the unseen damaging effect smoking has on the body's major

organs provides a real motivation for people to stop." Joe Korner, director of external affairs at Stroke Association, said: "Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability

in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. The more you smoke, the more your risk increases." Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson, research associate at University

College London (UCL), said: "Accelerated decline in cognitive reasoning and memory is more advanced in smokers, with one of our studies at UCL showing it to be nearly 38% faster in

persistent male smokers compared to non-smokers. "The decline in the brain's cognitive powers is naturally seen with ageing but there are a number of identifiable risk factors,

including smoking and heavy alcohol consumption, which can be associated with an accelerated rate of decline."