Smoking doubles your risk of a stroke because it causes the arteries to fur up and makes the blood more likely to clot.

Stopping smoking can cut the risk of a stroke in half - no matter how old you are or how long you've been a smoker.

Stopping smoking can:

• Reduce your risk of developing illness or disability
• Protect the health of those around you by not exposing them to second-hand smoke
• Reduce the chances of your children suffering from asthma
• Improve your fertility levels and your chance of a healthy pregnancy and baby
• Improve your breathing and general fitness
• Save you money - as much as several hundred pounds per month if you smoke heavily
• Stop you smelling of stale tobacco
• Improve the appearance of your skin and teeth
• Make you will feel more confident in social situations - as a non-smoker, you may even find you get approached more often by potential new friends and partners
• Make your home smell fresh
• Reduce the risk of fire in your home