The Stroke Foundation is urging smokers to quit for World No Tobacco Day on May 31, with smokers being twice as likely to have a stroke.
As 14 per cent of Australians continue to smoke daily, Stroke Foundation Health Promotion Advisory committee professor David Thomas said smoking is responsible for more than 20,000 Australian deaths each year.
“The flow-on effects from quitting smoking are immediate, prevention is the best option,” he said.
“Too many families continue to be devastated by stroke and heart disease when it could have been prevented.”
Professor Thomas said smoking can lead to a stroke in a number of ways, including through increasing blood pressure.
“Smoking… contains thousands of toxic chemicals which get absorbed into the blood stream, damaging blood vessels and causing arteries to narrow and harden,” he said.
“Continuing to smoke after a stroke or transient ischaemic attack more than doubles your risk of having another stroke, compared to a stroke survivor who has never smoked.
“You’re also more likely to die from a stroke.”
The Stroke Foundation said a smoker’s blood pressure returns to its normal range within a month after quitting smoking, and after 15 years their risk of stroke is almost the same as a person who has never smoked.
With one stroke occurring every 19 minutes, the Stroke Foundation said Australians should talk to their doctor about quitting or call the national Quitline.
“We encourage anyone who does smoke to make an appointment with their GP and talk to them about the medicines they can take to help quit for good,” Professor Thomas said.
