Smoking causes more than 100,000 deaths a year in the UK, with smoking-related deaths in Bradford higher than the national average.

The habit costs the NHS an estimated £1.5 billion a year, and to tackle the problem locally, health professionals are trying to get more people to quit.

They want to stop people smoking or at least give them as much support as possible to quit to avoid the devastating illnesses tobacco causes such as lung cancer or Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD).

COPD is the name for a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis and emphysema which is predominantly smoking related and affects an estimated three million people in the UK.

In Bradford, figures for 2009/10 show that there were 239 smoking-related deaths per 100,000 people aged 35-plus, compared with 201 in England. A national audit of COPD sufferers showed that, out of those that took part locally, just two per cent of participants had never smoked.

The habit is highly addictive and one that medics are trying to break, to help patients who could be condemned to a later life of chronic illness caused by the addiction.

Researchers are looking into whether e-cigarettes could prevent some smoking-related deaths, but some groups warn that e-cigarettes could make smoking seem more acceptable.

While they have been found to be as effective as nicotine patches in helping smokers quit, they do involve inhaling vaporised liquid nicotine.

To mark World COPD Day last week, health professionals from across the district joined up for a conference at City Hall looking at how to help smokers quit.

The conference heard from Dr Harold Hosker, respiratory consultant at Airedale NHS Foundation Trust, about the importance of helping people stop smoking to reduce the risk of lung cancer and COPD.

Dr Hosker said smoking causes more than 100,000 deaths a year in the UK, with ten million adults smoking. Two-thirds of smokers start before they are 18, and 200,000 start aged 11 to 15.

Dr Hosker wants to inform smokers about just exactly what risks they are taking with their health.

He said: "It is a very big problem. Smoking and smoking-related COPD is much higher than the national average in the whole of Bradford.

“Many patients continue to progress and continue to smoke. Some had taken part in a national COPD audit and only two per cent of Bradford patients had never smoked.

“Up to 60 per cent were former smokers and 40 per cent are still smoking despite having COPD.

“It is a relatively progressive disease over many years. When sufferers get worse, they get housebound and distressed and can’t get up and down stairs.

“They become socially isolated and anxious about having to go to hospital. Most people start smoking at a very early age before they can make an informed decision and it’s incredibly addictive and very difficult to stop.

“Up to 70 per cent of smokers want to stop but few of them actually manage to without support.”

The conference, attended by 100 nurses and advisers working in GP and dental practices, occupational health, pharmacies and children’s centres, was aimed at developing strategies to support smokers to give up their addiction to cigarettes, cigars, pipes and chewing tobacco.

Smoking causes nearly nine out of ten cases of lung cancer and is the main cause of COPD.

Figures from the Royal College of Physicians show the changing habits of smokers. In 1962, 70 per cent of men and 40 per cent of women smoked which changed by 2012 to 21 per cent of male smokers and 19 per cent of women.

In a bid to reduce smoking, TV advertising was banned in 1965, and in 1985, smoking was banned at underground rail stations, in 1986 there was an advertising ban in cinemas, in 2002 all tobacco advertising was banned, and in 2007, smoking was banned in public places, and in 2011, vending machines were banned.

“The main message is that we really need to spend as much time as we can trying to stop people smoking in the first place and give those wanting to stop as much support as we can. The sooner they stop, the less likely they are to get fatally ill with illnesses such as lung cancer,” says Dr Hosker.

“Patients with COPD who are smokers are at a very high risk of lung cancer.”

Dr Hosker said smoking causes around 85 per cent of COPD cases and deaths. In addition, at Airedale Hospital, staff see around 100 cases a year of people dying from lung cancer.

“If someone stops smoking they will notice the benefits within the first few days.

“Although the damage caused to the lungs by years of smoking is permanent, quitting smoking does prevent it from worsening.”

For more about the Bradford District stop smoking service, call (01274) 437700.