Stop smoking to reduce dementia risk

Published Tuesday, 7th March 2023

To mark No Smoking Day, health chiefs are urging residents of Hartlepool to quit to reduce their risk of developing dementia.

Local and regional health chiefs have joined forces with Fresh, the regional tobacco control programme, to issue the appeal as new research shows that less than one in five smokers in the North-East are aware that smoking increases their dementia risk.

Research has found that smoking can:

  • Increase the risk of vascular problems (heart and blood vessels), including strokes or bleeds in the bran which are risk factors for many types of dementia.
  • Cause inflammation and stress to cells and kill off brain cells and neurons due to the poisonous chemicals in cigarette smoke.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh, said: “Brain health is something we can all relate to. Nobody wants to develop dementia or see their loves ones suffer, so it’s important that people know the link between smoking and dementia.

“Smoking remains one of our biggest causes of death, disease, hospital admissions and health inequalities in the North East, killing 113,000 people in the region since the year 2000.”

Craig Blundred, Hartlepool Borough Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health and it’s never too late. The benefits are almost immediate, as your body responds within minutes.”

The Council’s Community Hub Navigator Team based in Community Hub Central in York Road and Community Hub South in Wynyard Road is able to provide support to people wanting to quit. The team can be contacted by emailing helping@hartlepool.gov.uk or calling (01429) 272905.

The NHS Quit Smoking app can also be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.