Stop the rot: new campaign highlights how cigarettes ‘rot’ the body from the inside

News from our partners Public Health England (PHE)

PHE has launched a powerful new campaign to highlight how smoking damages the body and causes a slow and steady decline in a process akin to rotting.

• Research reveals that poisons in tobacco smoke break down the body’s key systems, damaging bones, muscles, brain, teeth and eyes
• smokers turning to roll-ups, wrongly convinced they are less harmful
• new anti-smoking campaign shows a roll-up full of rotting tissue to highlight the dangers.

The campaign launches as a new expert review commissioned by PHE highlights the multiple impacts that toxic ingredients in cigarettes can have on your body.  Whilst many smokers know that smoking causes cancer and harms the lungs and heart, the new report highlights how it also damages:

• Bones and muscles – smoking causes progressive harm to the musculoskeletal system, and has a negative impact on bone mineral density. Harms include:
  • 25% increased risk of any fracture and a 40% increase in the risk of hip fractures among men
  • Slower healing after injury
  • Increased risk of back and neck pain, leading to a 79% increase in chronic back pain and a 114% increase in disabling lower back pain
  • Significant cause of rheumatoid arthritis and can reduce the impact of treatment
• Brain – current smokers are 53% more likely to develop cognitive impairment than non-smokers and 59% more likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease
• Teeth – smoking increases the likelihood of tooth loss and decay
• Eyes – smoking damages sight by increasing the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) by 78%-358% and increasing the risk of age-related cataracts.

With New Year’s resolutions approaching and two thirds of smokers saying they want to quit, new adverts are being used to graphically illustrate the degeneration that smoking causes.

The campaign also tackles common misconceptions around hand-rolled tobacco, or roll-ups. Use of roll-ups has increased significantly. In 1990, 18% of male smokers and 2% of female smokers said they smoked mainly hand-rolled cigarettes but by 2013 this had risen to 40% for men and 23% for women. New figures show that half of smokers (49%) who only smoke roll-ups wrongly believe they are less harmful than manufactured cigarettes. In fact, hand-rolled cigarettes are at least as hazardous as any other type of cigarette.

Smoking rates in the West Midlands region have fallen from 20.6% in 2010 to 17.8% (2013 figures) and Public Health England will be continuing work with local authority and NHS partners to help any smoker wishing to make a quit attempt in 2015 with a range of free and proven support tools. 

Dr Lola Abudu, public health consultant for PHE West Midlands, said:

“It is encouraging that we are continuing to see a decrease in people smoking across the West Midlands, but almost 18% of people across the region are still putting themselves at an increased risk of smoking-related health conditions.  Most smokers know the damage cigarettes do to their heart and lungs, however they are much less aware of how harmful smoking is to other parts of the body, including bones, muscles, brain, teeth and eyes.

“There is no safe level of smoking, but we know that stopping smoking can be very challenging, however people are four times more likely to quit with the help of Stop Smoking Services.  That’s why we are encouraging smokers to get support by searching for ‘Smokefree’ online, visiting nhs.uk/smokefree or calling 0800 022 4332 to see the full range of free tools and support available.”

Professor Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer commented:

“Whilst many smokers know the damage cigarettes do to their hearts and lungs, they are much less likely to be aware of how harmful smoking is to the body – essentially ‘rotting’ it from the inside out, and roll-ups are no exception.

“January is a time when many people make New Year’s resolutions to improve their health and try to stop smoking. Millions of people have used Smokefree support and we are hoping that this year, even more will take advantage of the free expertise and resources on offer.”

Professor Kevin Fenton, National Director for Health and Well-being for Public Health England, added:

“Much of the harm caused by smoking doesn’t become obvious until middle age but the invisible damage can start shockingly early – even by the late teens.  The earlier a smoker quits the better, but quitting at any age can help reverse at least some of the damage.  That’s why there is no time better than now to quit. Stop smoking and stop the rot.”

Digital and print billboards will feature a roll-up cigarette full of decaying tissue, whilst an online viral will see a father casually rolling up a cigarette formed of rotting human flesh – all bringing to life the fact that: ‘every cigarette rots you from the inside out’.  This will be joined by the ‘Mutations’ and ‘Toxic Cycle’ adverts used in previous campaigns.

Smokers looking to quit are encouraged to search ‘Smokefree’ online or call 0800 022 4332 for the full range of free tools and support.