Smoking kills around 120,000 people in Britain every year. It's very addictive and many people, who start smoking regularly, carry on until the day they die even though they have tried to stop many times. Most smokers take up smoking in their school years.

Although the risks are very serious, many teenagers still smoke. A recent survey found that one in ten school pupils in England between 11 and 15 smoke regularly. The trouble is that the younger you are when you start smoking, the worse the effects on your health.

There are more than 50 different diseases and disorders that are either caused by, or made worse by, smoking. Smoking is responsible for about one third of all cancer deaths and one in six deaths from heart disease.

Smoking reduces the capacity of the lungs and heart to work properly so smokers get out of breath more quickly than non-smokers. This is why hardly any top sports people smoke.

For more information about smoking, what's in a cigarette and how to quit, visit the following sites listed below.

You can also speak confidentially to one of Connexions personal advisers by phoning our free phone number: 0800 435 709