The owner of two Shisha cafes in Manchester has been fined over £1500 and ordered to pay a further £1200 in costs after illegal Shisha pipe smoking was found to be occurring on the premises. Councillors in Manchester have condemned the café owner, especially as he had previously been warned about allowing smoking in his restaurant. It is hoped that the fine will act as a deterrent to other bars and restaurants allowing Shisha smoking to take place illegally.

Two of the largest Health Boards in Wales have enforced a rule which will see smoking anywhere on their NHS hospital premises banned. Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in North Wales and Aneurin Bevan Health Board in southeast Wales brought in the smoking ban on 1^st January 2012. Smoking is now not just banned inside hospital buildings, but throughout NHS property and land within their health board properties.

A new report has suggested that patients should be asked about their smoking and dietary habits every time they visit their GP, even if the visit is for an unrelated matter.

The report, from NHS Future Forum, outlines radical reforms to the way consultations are made, and says that health workers should be asking their patients about their lifestyle habits, including smoking, and consumption of food and alcohol at every contact.

An NHS survey has revealed that over half of smokers in the UK underestimate the risks associated with smoking conventional cigarettes. The survey, published by Smokefree, found that 53% of smokers underestimated the number of smoking related deaths in the UK by at least 70,000. The actual number of smoking related deaths is over 80,000.

If you are thinking of trying electronic cigarettes for the first time, you might want to know some more detailed information about how e cigarettes work, how they are made, and how they can be used as a safer alternative to smoking normal cigarettes.

A new study has publicised that nicotine can considerably improve the attention and memory of suffers from mild cognitive impairment (commonly leading to Alzheimer’s). 

At this time of year, many people find themselves over indulging – be it in food, alcohol consumption or smoking (or all three!) The abundance of Christmas parties and get-togethers throughout the run up to Christmas can entice you to consume in excess. Come the New Year therefore, people are often keen to start afresh with a healthier lifestyle – which can often mean cutting back or attempting to quit smoking.