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Smoking is the largest single cause of death and ill health in UK today. Smokers have increased risk of heart disease, disease of blood vessels, stroke, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary (lung) disease, lung cancer, cervical cancer and cancer of many other sites and many other diseases. The children of smokers are more likely to be born underweight, to suffer cot deaths and to experience upper and lower respiratory tract illness. Other also suffer these health problems as a result of breathing in the smoke produced by smokers.

For these reasons the NHS and the government are making vigorous efforts to discourage people from starting smoking and to help smokers quit. Smoking is very addictive and people find it difficult to give up.

Smoking used to be very common (In the 1930s nearly 80% of males smoked) but since then has been steadily decreasing. The Public Service Agreement (PSA) has set the aim of reducing the prevalence of smoking to 20% by 2011.

• Community Health Profiles: Smoking
  Health Profiles provide a snapshot of health for each local council in England using key health indicators, which enables comparison locally, regionally and over time.
  There are two indicators relating to smoking; "Smoking in pregnancy" and "Adults who smoke".
• Health Improvement Quarterly Reports: Smoking in Pregnancy
  The Quarterly Health Improvement Reports provide a regular, comprehensive and easy to understand overview of the performance of PCTs in improving the health of its population.
  The report contains information on a range of indicators, the most relavant being "Smoking in Pregnancy".
• Information Centre: Statistics & data collections: Health and Lifestyles: Smoking
  Source of smoking related statistics provided by the Information Centre.
• Local Profiles: Smoking
  Health statistics for the West Midlands are available from our Local Profiles pages.These include hospital admission, hospital emergency admissions, deaths and disease prevalence.

• Beyond Smoking Kills: Protecting Children, Reducing Inequalities: Executive Summary
  A new report published by Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) launched 7th October 2008 and endorsed by WMPHO calls on the Government to introduce tough new measures to protect children and reduce inequalities.
• Choosing Health: Making healthy choices easier
  This White Paper sets out the key principles for supporting the public to make healthier and more informed choices in regards to their health. The Government will provide information and practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional wellbeing and access to services so that healthy choices are easier to make.
• Smoking and Pregnancy: An Open Learning Pack for Midwives
  This set of open learning materials has been written to help midwives gain knowledge about smoking and pregnancy and develop the skills required to help women who want to give up smoking. The pack is designed so that the learner can be in control of study, adapting her learning to meet her own needs and working at her own pace. The materials are not intended to replace the need for practical workshops, but rather to compliment this method of learning.
  Items: 20
• Smoking Kills: A White Paper on Tobacco
  Smoking kills. That has been known for years. That is why a lot of adults have given up smoking. But the number of adults who smoke has stopped falling. Worse still the number of children who smoke is going up, with more girls than boys taking up this deadly habit.

• Action on Smoking and Health (ASH)
  ASH is a campaigning public health charity that works to eliminate the harm caused by tobacco.