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Cardiologist
endorses graphic anti-smoking campaign
Dr
David Higginson, Consultant Cardiologist at the Ulster Hospital,
today endorsed the Health Promotion Agency's hard-hitting
anti-smoking campaign, 'Every
cigarette is doing you damage', and highlighted the fact
that it is never too late to stop smoking.
The
television advertising which is running until the end of March
shows in graphic detail the damage caused by smoking and emphasises
that every single cigarette damages health. Dr Higginson emphasised
that cardiologists remain very concerned about the high levels
of smoking which cause almost 3,000 premature deaths each
year in Northern Ireland.
Dr
Higginson said: "Many of the patients we look after have been
smokers before they are admitted to hospital with a heart
attack. Part of our job is to identify the risk factors that
have contributed to the attack and remove them. Smoking remains
one of the major reversible causes as we know that the risk
of having a heart attack falls by 50% two years after stopping
smoking. So it really is never too late to give up.
"The
risk of coronary heart disease is dose dependant so it is
not just the number of cigarettes that are smoked but how
long people have been smoking for. This is why cardiologists
are very concerned about the smoking levels that are already
high among young people, especially among girls as recent
research shows that one in three fifth form girls in Northern
Ireland is smoking every day."
Dr
Higginson concluded: "Many patients decide to stop when they
are faced with the reality that their smoking habit has caused
the damage to their heart or blood vessels. This public information
campaign has been designed to confront, challenge and maybe
even shock smokers into giving up for good. I would urge all
smokers to stop today - there is help available to enable
them do so."
A
freephone helpline number for smokers has been established
as part of the anti-smoking campaign, 0800 858585, and printed
materials have also been produced which are available from
GP surgeries, pharmacies and dentists.
END
Notes to the
editor: Inpatient
care linked to smoking in Northern Ireland costs £22 million
per year and one million working days are lost each year as
a result of smoking related ill health.
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