No Smoking Day: When, how, where, and why do people smoke?
12th March 2025
According to the World Health Organisation, 1.3 billion people worldwide still use tobacco products, this is almost one in four adults.
So, in line with National No Smoking Day, we want to find out when, how, why, and where smoking became the problem that it is today and why people still smoke despite the widespread knowledge of its dangers. We’ll end by outlining the ways that One You can help Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster residents quit smoking as soon as today!
When did smoking start?
It’s believed that people started chewing and smoking tobacco 2,000 years ago in North and South America as part of religious ceremonies. This practice spread to Europe and England in the 16th century. In line with industrialisation, methods of mass production made cigarette production easier, and smoking became even more popular in the 19th century. Smoking rates increased when cigarettes were used as incentives during the World Wars. Meanwhile, the first medical reports linking smoking to lung cancer were appearing in Germany at the same time. However, many editors refused to publish these findings because of the media’s ties to tobacco companies. Yet, the harms associated with smoking began to be taken more seriously in the 1950’s and 60’s when it was confirmed that smoking causes a range of serious diseases.
How does smoking affect the body?
Smoking works by travelling down your airways, into your lungs and through your bloodstream to your brain. The nicotine attaches to receptors in the brain to give people a feeling of relaxation. However, these positive feelings come at a cost.
The tar and carbon monoxide in tobacco smoke affects the body in various ways, including making blood vessels narrower, reducing bone density, and damaging the lungs. This can cause a range of diseases like cardiovascular disease, stroke, and lung cancer, so it’s vital to quit smoking as early as possible.
Why do people smoke?
Despite understanding the dangers of smoking, one in four people worldwide continue to smoke. So, what makes smoking so difficult to stop? The main three reasons are:
- Dopamine and adrenaline high
- Nicotine tolerance and withdrawal
- Mental associations
The main reason smoking is addictive is because of the dopamine high that induces feelings of pleasure and relaxation. Meanwhile, the adrenaline rush speeds our heart rate up and raises blood pressure.
As a smoker grows accustomed to nicotine; their body develops a tolerance. They may need nicotine more frequently to feel the same effects and lessen withdrawal symptoms. These withdrawals make a user feel anxious, irritable, and tense, meaning they end up smoking to reduce these feelings.
Smoking is difficult to quit due to the mental associations a user makes between smoking and everyday events and emotions. A smoker may crave tobacco when waiting for a bus, after having a drink, or whenever a stressful situation arises. Slowly but surely smoking becomes a habit that infiltrates everyday life and embeds itself within the user’s daily routine.
Despite its health risks, smoking continues to be a widespread problem since it has become a part of people’s daily lives, even giving certain social groups a sense of belonging.
Where is smoking a problem?
Smoking tends to be a major problem in low and middle-income countries, particularly affecting countries in Asia and Eastern Europe. For example, smoking is a big problem in China where one third of the world’s smokers reside.
Nauru has the highest smoking rate in the world with 48.3% of its population smoking tobacco in 2022. Other countries where smoking is proving a public health crisis include Myanmar, Bulgaria, and Indonesia. Many factors affect smoking rates across the world including government policy, tobacco production, and socio-economic status.
How can we help to reduce these smoking rates?
What can we do to curb smoking’s grip on the world? Luckily, it’s never too late to quit smoking! Some just may need a bit of extra help to get there. If you’re looking to quit smoking naturally, the best thing to do is:
- Identify your reasons: Establish and write down your main reasons for quitting smoking
- Create a plan: Write down a strategy and tell people about it to keep you accountable
- Make lifestyle changes: Avoid triggers and replace smoking with healthier habits like exercise, mindfulness, or a hobby.
If you need extra help, One You offer a variety of free smoking cessation services to residents of Kensington & Chelsea or Westminster.
What we offer:
- 1:1 or group behavioural coaching with a trained professional (either in-person or online)
- Nicotine Replacement Therapy
- Material and online resources to keep you on track
If you are aged 12 or over, a tobacco user, and a resident of Kensington and Chelsea or Westminster, you’ll be eligible for free support. So, why not sign up to our service this National Stop Smoking day and begin your smoke-free life with us!
References: