Smoking is by far the greatest avoidable risk for developing many types of cancer including throat, mouth, oesophagus, lung, stomach, kidney, bladder and cervical (neck of the womb). It’s also linked to some types of leukaemia (cancer of the white blood cells).
Key facts
About nine out of 10 lung cancers are caused by smoking, either directly or through passive smoking.
If you smoke, you’re approximately three times more likely to develop bladder cancer than someone who has never smoked.
Hand-rolled cigarettes have a greater effect than manufactured ones on your risk of developing mouth cancer.