Smoking and asthma are a bad match.

Tobacco smoke is a major trigger for asthma. People with asthma and those around them should not smoke.

Smoking or breathing other people’s smoke:

• damages your lungs
• makes asthma harder to manage
• stops asthma medicines working properly
• increases your risk of asthma attacks or flare-ups
• damages children’s lungs and worsens wheezing and asthma

What you can do

Go smoke-free

People with asthma have even more reason to avoid smoking than those without asthma. When you have asthma, your lungs are extra sensitive and are especially vulnerable to the damaging effects of cigarette smoke.

In the short term, smoking and asthma could mean you are more likely to have asthma attacks or flare-ups.

In the long term, you’re at a higher risk of developing smoking-related diseases like emphysema.

Tips for quitting

People with asthma who quit smoking have healthier lungs within just 6 weeks.

There are many different methods to help you quit, including gum, patches, medication, coaching or cold turkey. Some people find that using a combination of these makes the difference.

Whichever strategy you choose, you don’t have to do it alone – there are many ways to get help.

Speak to your doctor, pharmacist or asthma educator. They can give you advice and support to help you quit successfully.

You can also get help from Quit.

Keep kids smoke-free

• Smoking around babies and kids damages their lungs and worsens wheezing and asthma.
• Make sure babies and children have a smoke-free home and car. Remember that tobacco smoke in your hair and clothing is still poisonous.
• Smoking (or breathing in other people’s smoke) during pregnancy can hurt the development of your baby’s lungs and can increase the chance that your child will get asthma.
• If you are planning a pregnancy, you and your partner should stop smoking before the pregnancy to protect your unborn baby.