Clinical anaesthesiaEffects of smoking on health and anaesthesia

Smoking has a marked adverse effect on health and places a huge burden on health systems around the world. Both smoking and inhalation of second-hand smoke have been associated with lung cancer, chest infections, coronary disease, strokes, etc. Many carcinogenic, mutagenic, antigenic and cytotoxic substances have been identified in cigarette smoke. In the perioperative period, smoking is associated with increased risk of cardiac and respiratory complications. Stopping smoking can reverse many of the harmful effects and the perioperative period provides a good opportunity to encourage smoking cessation.