Quit smoking or risk developing mouth cancer says leading Welsh dentist

A leading Welsh dentist has issued a stark warning to smokers on World Oral Health Day.

Tom Bysouth, who is chairman of the British Dental Association’s Welsh General Dental Practice Committee, says smokers face a far higher risk of losing teeth or developing mouth cancer than non-smokers.
He warns that there is a lack of awareness among smokers of the damage they can cause to their oral health and warns that symptoms of mouth cancer can often go unnoticed until it is too late and the condition is untreatable.

“There are very poor survival rates for mouth cancer, despite advances in medical technology,” said Mr Bysouth. “Although medical advances have improved the quality of life for patients, the five-year survival rate remains at only around the 50%.
“Surgery to treat mouth cancer can involve losing part of your tongue or jaw bone which can have big consequences for your quality of life.
“Radiotherapy is also used to treat mouth cancer but that can cause damage to the salivary glands which can lead to a dry mouth, causing problems speaking and eating and a much higher risk of tooth decay.
“What is particular concerning about mouth cancer is that the symptoms can be quiet in the early stages, it can often go unnoticed before it’s too late,” he adds.

In terms of what to look out for he says early signs can include a non-healing ulcer that has been in the mouth for three weeks or more and red or white patches on the tongue or the inside of the cheeks.
A smoker’s risk of developing mouth cancer is “massively increased” if you also drink over the recommended weekly units of alcohol, explains Tom, who says social smokers who drink and smoke at the same time are particularly at risk.
There is hope for those who quit, however with the risk of developing mouth cancer reduced:
“If you stop smoking your ongoing risk of developing gum disease or mouth cancer will reduce,” said Tom. “There are patches that can appear in your mouth that are not yet mouth cancer but that can develop into cancer if they are exposed repeatedly to cigarette smoke. This is one of the many reasons why it is important to see a dentist on a regular basis.”

Gum disease is greatly underestimated by patients, many of who do not realise that it leads to loss of teeth, says Tom. He explains that the disease gradually reduces the amount of bone supporting the teeth to the point where the teeth eventually become so loose that they fall out.

“The biggest thing I see among patients that smoke is gum disease.
“Smoking is one of the big risk areas for gum disease because it stops the body from being able to fight off bugs and bacteria and that causes the gum disease..
“The other worrying aspect of smoking is that it masks the signs of gum disease because the chemicals in cigarettes cause the blood vessels to shrink which means the smoker’s gums won’t bleed,” he goes on to say.

As well as smoking leading to specific conditions, it also makes it far harder for patients to heal and more prone to problems after having standard dental procedures carried out.
Having teeth removed, for example, can in smokers, lead to a much higher risk to what Tom describes as a ‘dry socket’, where the blood clot that would normally form over the hole where the tooth was and help it to heal, becomes lost, leading to the hole in the gum and even the bone being exposed.
“This is known as dry socket and people say it is far more painful than toothache,” explained Tom. “It can be washed out and treated with an antiseptic dressing and sometimes antibiotics, but it is really painful.”

Stopping smoking altogether is the only way for patients to reduce their chances of developing gum disease or mouth cancer or the risk of developing problems following standard procedures. And Tom said it is even possible for the staining caused by nicotine to be almost completely removed from patients’ teeth via a professional tooth cleaning from a dentist or hygienist
If you are smoker who would like to access support to quit, contact Help Me Quit by calling 0800 085 2219.

My Journey to a Smokefree Life – a Mother’s Story

Having smoked since the age of 13, Charlotte Harding, author of Welsh Mummy Blogs is finally smoke-free after her second attempt at quitting. To mark No Smoking Day 2019 we asked her to tell us her story.

Growing up I always thought smoking was cool. The popular kids at school, the heartthrobs in movies and the lead singer of my favourite band, all smoked. I used to think smoking can’t be that bad.

The Habit Begins

I was around 13 years old when I smoked my first cigarette. At first I was a social smoker, I only smoked when I had the money or if was going out with my friends. I used to hide cigarettes from my mum, I’d use body sprays and hand creams to hide the smell of smoke. I don’t think this worked, I am pretty sure she suspected I was a smoker.

At 16 years old I was smoking full time, I was working so could fund my habit. Without the worry of money or my parents finding out, I found my 10 a day habit quickly turned into 20 a day.

By the time I was 23 I was smoking 40+ cigarettes a day! This was becoming expensive and it started to play on my health.

I had never suffered from any respiratory problems growing up but at 24 I was diagnosed with asthma. I truly believe this had something to do with my heavy smoking.

I knew I had to do something about my habit. The problem was, I really enjoyed smoking!!

My First Attempt

At first I attempted to quit on my own. My quit day would always be a Monday (start of the week) I would go cold turkey, drive everyone insane for days with my mood swings from withdrawal and then end up smoking by the Friday.

I tried this method on and off for months, It was clearly not working.

I went to see the GP, he said he was happy to prescribe me nicotine replacement if I contacted Stop Smoking Wales.

Getting Extra Support

Contacting Stop Smoking Wales was simple. I called up the phone number on a card I was given and then gave the telephone staff my details. Stop Smoking Wales offered me group support straight away.

I explained I have a mental illness and some days I am not well and therefore a group appointment would be a little difficult. The telephone staff said that I could go on a waiting list for telephone support or I had the option of one to one appointments. I took them up on the offer of one to one support.

At my first appointment I was a little nervous. I had to breathe into a little machine which recorded the amount of carbon monoxide that was in me. Carbon Monoxide is not a good thing.

My carbon monoxide level was at the maximum the machine could reach! I was informed that I was a heavy smoker and I may need two different methods of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) to help me quit.

After a long chat about the different types of NRT I decided on the nicotine patch and a quick mist mouth spray. This combination sounded perfect, a 25mg 16 hour patch to wear everyday and a quick mist mouth spray that would stop cravings in as little as 30 seconds!

I left my first appointment with an NRT script for my GP. I was feeling confident and ready to tackle my unhealthy habit. It was reassuring to know that I had 12 weeks of support and that I could contact Stop Smoking Wales whenever I needed to.

I am not going to lie, at first it was extremely difficult to give up. I kept thinking this will be my last cigarette but it never was. I went back to my stop smoking appointment two weeks later. I did the weekly carbon monoxide test and although it had come down drastically, it was still showing that I was a smoker.

My smoking support worker said it was to be expected, I was a heavy smoker so it was not going to be easy. The support worker said that I needed to make my quit date and stick to it.

There was no time like the present, I decided to quit the following day. I gave up and lived smoke free for 4 years.

Last year, I had a decline in my mental health and some unavoidable stress. With this, I went back to my old habit. I hated that I was smoking again after so many years smoke free.

I contacted Stop Smoking Wales who were very happy to help me a second time. I used the same methods of NRT and I gave up smoking by my second appointment.

My Smoke-free Life

I am now off NRT and living an awesome smoke free life.

I don’t think I would of been able to do it without the support of Stop Smoking Wales. They have been amazing over the years.

Benefits of me giving up smoking:

• I have more money
• I do not need my asthma pump
• I can run without getting out of breath
• I have more time for my kids or to clean the house!
• I don’t smell like an ashtray
• I don’t dread long public transport journeys
• I can exercise for longer
• My skin looks more youthful
• My teeth are whiter
• My food tastes great
• I have more energy
• I don’t have to go outside in all weathers to smoke

I recommend that everyone should at least try to give up smoking. It’s a great feeling to live without the cravings and you will find you have more money and more time living smoke free.

Please note – I gradually stepped down nicotine strengths of patches and then came off NRT. Do not come off it quickly as you could be tempted to smoke again.

Written by Welsh Mummy Blogs 

Scamp the sniffer dog uncovers illegal tobacco haul in Powys

Scamp, Wales’ top sniffer dog, has uncovered a stash of hidden illegal tobacco in Powys during a crackdown by Trading Standards officers.

Acting on Intelligence, Powys Trading Standards working with Dyfed Powys Police and BWY Canine uncovered the counterfeit tobacco concealed at premises in Powys.

Earlier this year ASH Wales reported on how  Scamp is so successful at sniffing out illegal tobacco that he has had a £25,000 bounty put on his head by an organised criminal gang.

Illegal tobacco remains a major problem in Wales, making up 15% of all tobacco sales in the country and undermining tobacco control policies aimed at reducing the number of those that smoke. There are fears too that the trade in illegal tobacco could be funding organised crime both here in Wales and throughout the United Kingdom

Cllr James Evans, Cabinet Member for Trading Standards, said: “Combating the supply of counterfeit and illegal tobacco is one of our ongoing priorities of our Trading Standards Service. We are looking to increase the understanding of the impact it has amongst smokers and local communities when shadow activities occur with illicit products.

“Operations of this nature, should also serve as a warning to those involved in the supply and sale of illegal tobacco that we will take the appropriate action with partners that is necessary to combat this problem.”

Clive Jones, the council’s Professional Lead for Trading Standards, Community Safety and Emergency Planning added: “This illegal trade harms legitimate traders in Powys and wider afield. Over the past two years we have seized nearly 60,000 illegal cigarettes and 60kg of illegal tobacco as part of our overarching operation on illicit products, named Operation Date. Investigations are ongoing.

“The supply of illegal tobacco bypasses government tobacco control measures, such as not selling tobacco to children and availability of illegal tobacco is increasing. This makes it more likely that youngsters will start smoking and we find that counterfeit products often contain high levels of heavy metals such as cadmium.

“Our surveillance on illegal activity involving counterfeit products of any variety is increasing and we ask users or any person offered suspected counterfeit goods to be vigilant and to warn us of any suspicious sellers through our contact points. Alternatively ring Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

“This action would not have been possible without the support of Dyfed Powys Police and we wish to thank officers from operational policing team and intelligence units and support agencies such as BWY Canine”

Suzanne Cass, Chief Executive Officer of ASH Wales, said: “We applaud the efforts of all those involved in operations of this nature and hope this sends a message to others that this activity will not be tolerated.

“Illegal tobacco currently makes up 15 per cent of all tobacco sales in Wales – the highest level in the UK – and continues to undermine efforts to tackle smoking prevalence. Criminals sell illegal tobacco at pocket money prices to those who would not otherwise be able to afford it, disregarding all tobacco control measures.

It represents a major threat to the health of the nation greatly increasing the numbers of those at risk of developing smoking related conditions, which currently contribute to 5,388 deaths and 26,489 hospital admissions a year in Wales.

“It is a crime that threatens lives across Wales and resources must be directed towards helping to stamp it out.

The council’s Trading Standards Service can be contacted on Brecon 01874 623420; Llandrindod Wells 01597 826032; Newtown 01686 617524. Alternatively email trading.standards@powys.gov.uk or visit www.powys.gov.uk/tradingstandards

Smoking is forcing families across Wales further into poverty, charity warns

With cigarettes costing £10 a packet and nearly of quarter of Welsh residents living in poverty, ASH Wales is asking, ‘Who Can Afford to Smoke?’.

This week the tobacco control campaign group will call for action to tackle smoking among Wales’ most deprived communities, where up to a quarter of residents smoke.

It has warned that smoking contributes to the deprivation facing many families across Wales and says that quitting the habit would lift hundreds of thousands of people out of poverty.To find ways of tackling the problem experts from across Wales are gathering at the annual Wales Tobacco or Health Network (WTHN) conference in Cardiff on Wednesday (February 20), which this year is entitled ‘Who Can Afford To Smoke?’.

Currently 24% of people in Wales live in income poverty. Yet despite facing huge financial challenges they are the most likely to smoke, with 28% of those living in Wales’ most deprived areas smoking compared to 13% in the most affluent parts of the country. The lowest rate of smoking is in Monmouthshire at 13% compared to the highest in Neath Port Talbot at 25%.


And the situation shows no sign of changing with the gap in smoking prevalence between Wales’ most deprived and least deprived areas having barely fallen in the past decade.
Meanwhile 43% of unemployed people in Wales smoke – a figure that has risen in the past decade despite increased tobacco control legislation.

Speaking ahead of the event ASH Wales CEO Suzanne Cass said: “Nicotine addiction places a huge financial burden on smokers and it is the most deprived members of our community that are hit the hardest. The high cost of tobacco combined with the power of nicotine addiction means many smokers will prioritise fags over food or fuel or allow their debts to spiral.

“This has a devastating impact on the health and well-being of them and their families, and is a particular concern given the challenges many are facing since the introduction of Universal Credit.

“It is important to emphasise that smoking is an addiction not a lifestyle choice and what is needed is targeted smoking cessation support for those in our most deprived communities who are desperate for help to quit the habit.”

Research carried out by ASH has shown that 28% of those living on the breadline across the UK would be lifted out of poverty if they gave up smoking.
The average smoker in Wales spends more than £160 a month on tobacco with 20-a-day smokers shelling out around £327 a month and £4,000 a year to fund their habit.

ASH Wales calls for smoking in pregnancy to be treated as an addiction not a lifestyle choice

ASH Wales welcomes a report by Cardiff University highlighting how the stigma of smoking in pregnancy can stop women from getting the help they need to quit.

Currently 16% of women in Wales continue to smoke through their pregnancy so, as the report highlights, there is a strong need for smoking cessation services that engage pregnant smokers rather than isolating them.

Indeed, interviews ASH Wales has carried with health professionals working alongside pregnant smokers reinforces the findings that the stigma attached to smoking in pregnancy prevents many women from engaging with smoking cessation services.

However, while it is important to acknowledge the barriers to women seeking help, ASH Wales is concerned that the report portrays smoking as a lifestyle choice and coping strategy for pregnant women rather than an addiction.

The report describes pregnancy as a challenge to women’s ‘independent choices’, including smoking.  Women do not smoke through pregnancy by choice, they do so because they are physically addicted to nicotine – an addiction which can have devastating consequences in pregnancy, ranging from premature birth to miscarriage, stillbirth or sudden infant death.

The idea that pregnant women smoke through choice is contributing to the stigma and sense of shame these women face.  It is crucially important to acknowledge that this is a physical addiction not a choice and must be treated as such by women’s families, loved ones and the health professionals that work with them.

ASH Wales is working with health boards across Wales to find out the best ways of engaging with pregnant smokers and continues to help raise awareness of the impact of nicotine addiction on unborn babies. To find out more click here 

Ground breaking scheme to help employees quit smoking at work praised by ASH Wales

Tobacco control campaign group Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) Wales has praised a manufacturing firm after workers quit smoking thanks to a ground breaking workplace scheme.

It is urging other companies to follow the example of the manufacturing firm Sandvik Osprey which holds smoking cessation sessions run by NHS Wales at its Neath Port Talbot plant.

Sheraine Thomas, who is the Safety, Health, Environment and Quality (SHEQ) Manager at the company, came up with the innovative idea of organising the sessions within the workplace, after becoming concerned about the number of workers who smoke and the effect this was having on their health.

After conducting a survey to find out whether staff would support the idea, she arranged for an NHS Wales smoking cessation advisor to hold group sessions at the company’s site in Neath Port Talbot. Every week the advisor spoke to the group about their progress, measured their carbon monoxide levels using a CO monitor and advised on nicotine replacement therapy to combat cravings.

SHEQ Manager Sheraine, now hopes to see a reduction in the amount of time workers are having to take off due to sickness exacerbated by smoking.

“Stopping smoking strengthens the immune system and I really think it will make a difference to how many people go off work ill,” she said.

“One staff member who took part said he hasn’t had to go the doctors once since he gave up smoking 12 months ago.

“Another employee who quit went on to organise setting up a squash league and asked the SHEQ team to start a weight loss club. It has made a big difference to these people’s lives.”

She said she believes the convenience of staff being able to attend sessions within the workplace and the fact they have been there to support each other’s quit attempts has been a big motivating factor for those taking part.

“The reason why I think it has been so successful is because it is here. The smoking cessation advisor came to the site and ran the sessions every week at the same time. The guys taking part have kept in touch with each other by phone and seen each other on site. One guy told us he’d wanted a fag one day but he and a friend had a chat and they motivated each other to stay on track.”

Mark Grey (pictured above left) who took part in the sessions, successfully quit and now vapes, having previously smoked 20 cigarettes a day – a habit he started at just 14-years-old.

He agrees that having the support of his colleagues helped to spur him along: “It really helped that I was with the boys every week and we kept asking each other how we were getting along and giving each other support.

“I breathed into a CO monitor every week which was really motivating. In the first week my level was 22 and by the second week it was 3. I couldn’t believe it had come down so much in just one week. I do think that more people would give up if they did this in other workplaces.”

He was first motivated to give up for the sake of his children and said that since quitting he no longer craves cigarettes and has taken up going to the gym to relax instead:

“I just thought I’d had a gut full really. I been smoking for 20 years, since I was 14 and I smoked around 20 a day. I’ve got five kids, aged 22 to 4 and I decided to give up for them really.

“I don’t miss smoking and these days I don’t like the smell of cigarettes at all. I don’t have any cravings and I’ve gone back to the gym so that has taken my mind off things. I just feel better in myself generally. I don’t have smoky clothes anymore and less of a cough. I feel brilliant and I’d never go back to smoking.”

Nicholas Cromwell  (pictured above right) works with Mark and gave up after smoking up to 40 cigarettes a day for 22 years from the age of 16.
He too gave up for the sake of his children and says he hasn’t looked back since:

“It was really starting to affect my health. I struggled to play with my kids and would get out of breath even climbing up the stairs. One day my daughter turned to me and said: ‘Daddy when are you going to stop smoking?’.

“I promised her I’d give it a go then on New Year’s Day I had a light bulb moment and thought, ‘that’s it, I’m going to give it a go’.”

He too gave up using a vaporiser and has taken up exercise, training at the gym, cycling with his son and ditching junk food for a healthy diet instead.

Sheraine is now gathering together the next group of quit smoking recruits for sessions due to commence on 27th February 2019.

Suzanne Cass is CEO of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH Wales). She said the success of the scheme at Sandvik Osprey demonstrates the role that employers can play in helping to cut smoking prevalence in Wales as part of their staff wellbeing programmes.

“Smoking costs Welsh businesses around £88.4 million a year and there are numerous benefits to employers of reducing the numbers of workers that smoke – from increased productivity to a greatly reduced levels of sickness absence.

“Only 3.1% of smokers in Wales accessed NHS quit smoking services in 2017/18 which falls far below the Wales Tobacco Control Action Plan target of 5%.

“By making smoking cessation services more easily accessible by providing them in the workplace, these numbers could potentially rocket – especially as our research has shown that 64% of smokers in Wales would like to quit.”