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Ahead of World No Tobacco Day on 31st May, Queensland Health has launched a campaign appealing to the vanity of female smokers. The Future is Not Pretty if you Smoke campaign shows the impact of smoking on your physical appearance – which accelerates the physical signs of aging by 10-20 years.
Tobacco smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, restricting blood flow through the capillaries and depriving your skin of oxygen and nutrients. The chemicals in tobacco smoke damage the fibres in the skin which leads to wrinkles, sagging of the eye-lids, bags under the eyes and premature aging on the face and other parts of the body including breast sagging.
QLD Health says a smoker’s face ages by 14 years for every 10 years of smoking. The appearance of deeply wrinkled skin around the eyes (crow’s feet) and mouth occur by puckering when drawing on a cigarette and squinting in reaction to the cigarette smoke. Smoking reduces the body’s store of vitamin A which provides protection from skin damage and causes the dull yellow-grey complexion clearly evident on the faces of all long-term smokers.
It is commonly known that prolonged smoking causes bad breath, stained teeth and discolouration of fingers and fingernails on the hand used to hold cigarettes. But what isn’t commonly known is that the chemicals in cigarette smoke break-down hair cells leading to hair damage and can also result in the swollen gums that can cause teeth to fall out.
Women also need to be aware that smoking has been linked to the early onset of menopause.
In an effort to appeal to younger women who smoke, QLD Health has signed former Miss Universe Australia Rachael Finch as a campaign ambassador. Rachael agreed to be photographed without make-up and the image photo-shopped to give her the appearance of a young woman who smokes.
“It’s no secret that leading a healthy and active life is something that I live by both for myself and my family. This campaign for Queensland Health is focused on encouraging young women to think twice about smoking, and as a young woman, I am only too happy to be a part of something which encourages positive change,” said Rachael.
“If considering the effects on one’s physical appearance caused by smoking is another motivating factor for young women to give up smoking, then I’m all for encouraging women to think about the overall affects to their entire health and wellbeing.”
For more information visit www.qld.gov.au/quit
