A cocktail of cyanide and arsenic: New graphic images show the damage to the body caused by smoking

These gruesome images show the effects smoking has on the body.

They show how toxins, including arsenic and cyanide, circulate around the body from the lungs to the heart and then the brain.

They are part of a new stop-smoking campaign launched by Public Health England to highlight the damage done to smokers' bodies.

Scroll down for video

Public Health England has launched a new stop-smoking film. It shows how smoke enters the lungs (pictured) where it causes serious damage

The Smokefree Health Harms campaign points out that inhaling dangerous chemicals in cigarettes damages major organs and increases the risk of stroke and dementia. 

The chemicals move through the heart, the lungs and into the bloodstream, finally damaging cells in the brain.

The campaign film informs viewers: ‘Every time you smoke, blood that's thick and dirty with toxins circulates through your body in seconds increasing your chances of a heart attack or stroke. If you could see the damage, you'd stop.’

 

The film shows a man standing outside smoking. It then illustrates how the smoke he inhales enters his lungs before passing through his blood vessels into his heart and finally his brain.

As the film pans through the body, it shows the organs being rapidly damaged.

England's chief medical officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies, said: ‘We know about the serious effect smoking has on the heart and lungs but smokers need to be aware of how much potential damage is being done to the brain and other vital organs through toxins in cigarettes entering the blood. 

Horror of blood clots from smoking focus of new campaign

The film then shows how the blood moves from the lungs through the blood vessels (pictured) to the heart

‘Smoking is the major cause of premature death, with one in two smokers dying prematurely from smoking-related diseases, and it is extremely worrying that people still underestimate the health harms associated with it.

‘However, it is not all doom and gloom for smokers looking to quit this New Year. Within five years of stopping smoking, your risk of stroke can be reduced to the same as a lifetime non-smoker.’

Professor Kevin Fenton, director of health and well-being for Public Health England, said: ‘More than eight million people smoke in England. 

The film shows how the 'dirty' blood, which is filled with toxins, passes into the heart (pictured) from where it is then pumped to the brain

In the brain, the toxins are transported through small blood vessels until they penetrate all areas, increasing the risk of dementia and strokes

‘With half of long-term smokers dying prematurely from a smoking-related disease, highlighting the unseen damaging effect smoking has on the body's major organs provides a real motivation for people to stop.’

Joe Korner, director of external affairs at Stroke Association, said: ‘Stroke is a major cause of death and adult disability in the UK and you are twice as likely to have a stroke if you smoke. 

'The more you smoke, the more your risk increases.’

The campaign film informs viewers: 'Every time you smoke, blood that's thick and dirty with toxins circulates through your body in seconds increasing your chances of a heart attack or stroke. If you could see the damage, you'd stop.' Image shows toxins passing into the brain

Dr Gareth Hagger-Johnson, research associate at University College London (UCL), said: ‘Accelerated decline in cognitive reasoning and memory is more advanced in smokers, with one of our studies at UCL showing it to be nearly 38 per cent faster in persistent male smokers compared to non-smokers.

‘The decline in the brain's cognitive powers is naturally seen with ageing.

'However, there are a number of identifiable risk factors, including smoking and heavy alcohol consumption, which can be associated with an accelerated rate of decline.’

A killer and a coward: British father who slit his children's throats in France hangs himself in jail ahead of his murder trial

A British man who cut his children's throats with a kitchen knife has hanged himself in prison, French police said today.

Julian Stevenson, 48, killed Mathew, 10, and Carla, five in May, apparently in a fit of rage over a custody battle with his ex-wife.

He left the scene of his crime, near the eastern French city of Lyon, on a pair of roller skates but was later found covered in blood.

Now he's taken his own life: British father Julian Stevenson seen on CCTV with his two children - Mathew, 10, and Carla, 5 - in a bakery hours before he slit their throats with a kitchen knife in the French town of Lyon

Was facing murder trial: Stevenson left the scene of his crime, near the eastern French city of Lyon, on a pair of roller skates but was later found covered in blood

The unemployed father reportedly confessed to the crime and was in custody awaiting trial.

A source for French prosecutors today told French national news agency AFP: 'He hanged himself on Monday in a sports hall reserved for inmates held in solitary confinement'.

 

A spokesperson for Britain's Foreign Office said: 'We are aware of the death of a British national in detention in France on 30 December 2013 and we are providing consular assistance to the family'.

CCTV footage of Stevenson hours before the tragedy shows him buying his children sweets, as his son and daughter clutching pink balloons.

Stevenson had not been allowed to see his children without a chaperone after attacking his French wife, Stephanie, in 2010.

Grieving: Stevenson's ex-wife Stephanie Morlet (left) at the funeral of their two children Mathew, 10, and five-year-old Carla (right) in May

Tearful: Stephanie Morlet and her family took part in an emotional march in memory of the children days after their deaths

The day of the murder was the first time Stevenson had brought the children home to his apartment on the second floor of a four-storey building without a third party being present.

Ahmed Benguedda, a neighbour in the Lyon suburb, said the couple had divorced 'two or three years ago' and Stevenson had drinking problems and was a wife beater.

After the divorce the wife, who worked as an assistant accountant, moved out of the apartment they had jointly bought and was living in the Isere region of eastern France.

Heartbroken: Many of the 300-strong march were in floods of tears as they carried white roses and white balloons in support of the family last May

But the children were 'well-balanced', said Benguedda, whose seven-year-old daughter often played with them.

In May, the children's British grandparents said how devastated they felt for their ex-daughter-in-law.

Michael and Diane Stevenson, Stevenson's parents, said they were 'crushed' by their son's crime.

Mr Stevenson said: 'We are very upset for Stephanie and her family, who don't deserve this at all.

'She has her own apartment near her family and she and the kids stayed there for quite a long while until she got her own place.

'We want a message to go to them. We send them our deepest sympathies. We would send a card, but we know they would just tear it up.

It's already a Happy New Year somewhere! Midnight strikes across the globe as millions hail start of 2014 with dazzling celebrations

The biggest party in the world is underway with bright fireworks bursting into skies across the globe as midnight strikes and nations hail the start of 2014.

Exploding fireworks sprayed from Sydney's iconic opera house and harbor bridge as the world began ushering in a new year. 

More than one million people crammed the Sydney Harbor foreshore on a warm summer night to watch Sydney's renowned annual pyrotechnics show, which appeared to live up to its billing as the city's most extravagant. 

And for the first time in more than a decade fireworks launched from four sails of the Sydney Opera House. 

Scroll down for video

Ringing in 2014! Fireworks explode near Malaysia's landmark, Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

While many were happy to welcome the new year, thousands of Malaysian people marched on the street to protest against price hikes by the Malaysian government

Soaring into the air: The fireworks near Malaysia's iconic Petronas Towers heralded a new start and a new year for many

In Hong Kong the harbour provided the focal point much like Sydney harbour three hours earlier.

A bright spray of fireworks erupted from the water at the same time as rockets burst above the city creating a stunning spectacle of red and white light.

Closer to the edge of the International Dateline, New Zealand bid farewell to 2013 two hours before Sydney with fireworks erupting from Auckland's Sky Tower as cheering revelers danced in the streets of the South Pacific island nation's largest city. 

In Tokyo, five priests at the Zojoji temple used ropes to swing a wooden pole against a large bell, sounding the first of 108 gongs to mark the new year. Simultaneously, '2014' lit up in white lights on the modern Tokyo Tower in the background. 

An anti-Thai government protester waves national flag as dancers perform on stage during a New Year's Eve rally at the Democracy Monument in Bangkok, Thailand

With fireworks erupting from the water and bursting high in the skies, Hong Kong's harbour was showered in sprays of red and white as midnight struck

 The bright lights of the city's skyline merged with the colourful spray of fire across the harbour

Both Japanese and tourists jammed the temple grounds for the traditional ceremony. Suburban resident Juji Muto said he was curious to hear how the bell sounded. At his age, the 75-year-old retiree said he wishes as every year for good health in the new year. 

China planned light shows at part of the Great Wall near Beijing and at the Bund waterfront in Shanghai. The city of Wuhan in central Hubei province called off its fireworks show and banned fireworks downtown to avoid worsening its smoggy air. 

In Beijing, one flower shop manager said he hoped the new year brought more customers. 

'Since the government started its campaign to crack down on luxury spending and promote frugality, our business with government agencies has been in decline,' said Mao Xiangfei. 'In the past, government clients accounted for about 10 percent of our business, but now it's zero.'

In the Philippines, more than 260 people were injured by firecracker blasts and celebratory gunfire ahead of New Year's Eve celebrations, one of Asia's most violent revelries.

 Three hours after midnight struck in Sydney, Hong Kong celebrated the start of 2014 with its very own fireworks display

Thousands release balloons into the sky as the Tokyo is illuminated during the countdown to midnight in Japan's capital

Tokyo tower in Japan in the countdown to midnight, left. And right, as 12am strikes and the crowds celebrate the start of the Year of the Horse

 Midnight strikes in South Korea as thousands celebrating with the 'moon house' burning and fireworks during the 21st Sungsan sunrise festival of New Year in Sungsan, on Jeju island

 South Koreans gaze up at the bright display above their heads as they hail the start of 2014 on Jeju island

More than one million people packed the water and shoreline of Sydney's harbour to watch the annual fireworks spectacular

Sydney celebrates 2014 with spectacular fireworks

Department of Health spokesman Dr Eric Tayag said he expected the number of injuries to rise sharply when Filipinos ignite powerful firecrackers to end a year marked by tragic disasters, including a typhoon on November 8, that left more than 6,100 dead and nearly 1,800 others missing. 

'Many here are welcoming the new year after losing their mothers, fathers, siblings and children so you can imagine how it feels,' said village chief Maria Rosario Bactol of Anibong community in Tacloban, the city worst hit by Typhoon Haiyan. 

'I tell them to face the reality, to move on and stand up but I know it will never be easy.'

The Opera House is lit up by the stunning fountains of fireworks streaming off the harbour bridge. This year's display is the most extravagant ever, organisers have said

The view over Sydney Harbour from Mrs Macquarie's chair as midnight strikes and the crowds hail the New Year

Fireworks launched from the four sails of Sydney's iconic Opera House for the first time in more than a decade

Tourists and locals dance to celebrate the New Year in Queenstown, New Zealand

New Zealand is among the first nations to see in the New Year

Happy New Year! New Zealand celebrates arrival of 2014

 As midnight struck in New Zealand a fireworks display erupted over the city as thousands danced in the streets below

Sportsmen in Allahabad, India light candles to celebrate New Year's Eve at Madan Mohan Malviya Stadium

A Buddhist woman attaches her name card on a lantern ahead of the New Year at Chogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea

Gearing up for the New Year, students in China use light pens to welcome 2014

Dubai, home to world's tallest tower, is known for its glitz, glamor and over-the-top achievements, and this New Year's Eve the city is planning to break another record by creating the largest fireworks show ever.

Organizers plan to light up the city's coastline with a flying falcon made out of fireworks that moves across a massive man-made palm-shaped island alongside a countdown in fireworks.

Organisers say they will also create a burst of light out of fireworks to imitate a sunrise and dazzle spectators with a United Arab Emirates flag that could also break records for being the largest ever made out of fireworks. 

The six-minute extravaganza will include 500,000 fireworks from 400 firing locations, all synchronized by 100 computers from stations across the city, said Barrett Wissman, co-chairman of IMG Artists that is managing the event. Guinness World Record officials will be on hand to measure the scale of the event. 

Wissman said the display will cover 30 miles (48 kilometers) of seafront. 'It is really mind-blowing, the size of this,' he said.

 Actors dressed as the Russian Ded Moroz (Grandfather Frost), right, and his companion Snegurochka (Snow Maiden), left, take part a New Year parade in the Kyrgyzstan's capital Bishkek

Musicians wearing Christmas costumes take part in the New Year parade in Bishkek. New Year, which was the biggest informal holiday of the year in the former Soviet Union, is also very popular in the predominantly Muslim Central Asian nation of Kyrgyzstan

China was planning to count down to the New Year with light shows at two spectacular and historic locations - part of the Great Wall near Beijing and at the Bund waterfront in Shanghai.

In Beijing, one flower shop manager said he hoped the new year brought more customers. 

'Since the government started its campaign to crack down on luxury spending and promote frugality, our business with government agencies has been in decline,' said Mao Xiangfei. 'In the past, government clients accounted for about 10 percent of our business, but now it's zero.' 

But in one polluted Chinese city, the celebrations were slated to be quieter as authorities in Wuhan in central Hubei province called off their annual New Year fireworks show and banned fireworks downtown to avoid making the smoggy air worse.

Shinto priests walk toward the main hall to hold a shinto ritual in preparation for the New Year at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan. It is expected that around three million people will visit the shrine to pray for their health, happiness and property during the first days of 2014

Shinto priests walk under a 'torii' (Japanese gate located at the entrance of a Shinto shrine) after they participated to a shinto ritual in preparation for the New Year at Meiji Shrine in Tokyo, Japan

In Japan, thousands of visitors, some donning kimono, prayed, rang a bell and tossed coins as offerings at shrines, wishing for health, wealth and happiness. Temple bells rang the customary 108 times, for the 108 causes of suffering according to Buddhism, and to welcome in the Year of the Horse.

Japanese are hopeful about the economy for the first time in years after some signs of revival under Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, whose easing lending policies and pump-priming measures have been dubbed 'Abenomics.' 

Among those upbeat about what the new year might bring is Junya Sakata, a 23-year-old Tokyo waiter looking forward to taking sommelier classes next year so he can move up in his career. 

'I hope the economy will keep improving, building up to the 2020 Olympics,' he said, which will be held in Tokyo. 'So many things happened this year, but I was able to grow. Maybe next year I will find a girlfriend.'

The 9.30pm New Year's Eve fireworks at Yarra Park beside the Melbourne Cricket Ground

Thousands of people gathered on Princes Bridge in Melbourne waiting for midnight to strike

In North Korea, a group of tourists, including Americans, planned to watch fireworks in Kim Il Sung Square and watch the Pyongyang Bell strike midnight, said Andrea Lee, CEO of Uritours, a tour group specializing in travel to North Korea. 

'There were a lot of people out on the streets today for an outdoor dance event, and cars filled the streets,' Ms Lee said. 

In Hong Kong, tens of thousands turned out to watch the fireworks display over the southern Chinese city's famed Victoria Harbor. 

In Indonesia, New Year's celebrations are widespread except in the city of Banda Aceh where Islamic clerics prohibit Muslims from celebrating New Year's Eve. 

In the capital, Jakarta, Governor Joko Widodo will lead a festival featuring concerts, parades, a marching band and fireworks. 

While organizers in cities like Chicago and New York were just starting to block off streets in preparation for the evening's events, festivities were well under way in other parts of the globe.

As midnight struck in Sydney, Australia, a massive fireworks display lit up the night sky around the city's famed Harbor Bridge and Opera House. New Year's organizers in Dubai were attempting to break the Guinness World Record for largest fireworks display.

Meanwhile in London Ian Guy and Alice Summerill from Bristol arrive early to get a prime spot to watch the Southbank fireworks show illuminate the capital as midnight strikes in the UK

Dozens of Portaloos are moved into position close to Parliament as hundreds of thousands of people are expected to flock to London today

Barriers have been erected around the fountains in Trafalgar Square to try and stop revellers jumping in the water amid the excitement as the clock strikes 12am

In London, edible banana confetti and strawberry mist will rain from the sky as a fireworks display along the River Thames lights up Big Ben and other landmarks.

Vladimir Putin has added a twist to the stolid ritual of Russian presidential New Year's Eve address by doing two versions this year. 

Russian leaders traditionally make short, prerecorded messages to be broadcast as the year begins in each of the country's nine time zones. 

The address broadcast in Russia's Far East was typical, showing Putin at the Kremlin and calling for Russians to work together, according to Russian news websites.

But an hour later, Putin came out with a different speech mentioning this week's suicide bombings in Volgograd that killed 34 people and vowing to destroy terrorists, reports said. 

Putin made that recording Tuesday while visiting the city of Khabarovsk. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said there wasn't time to get it to the Far East, according to Ekho Moskvy radio.

Beyonce causes outrage by using harrowing audio recording from 1986 Challenger shuttle disaster in new XO music video

There are a lot of space men who are angry with Beyonce.

Her new video for XO features audio taken just after the Challenger broke apart in 1986. 'Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation. Obviously a major malfunction,' a NASA public affairs official said as wreckage fell toward earth on live TV.

But on Monday the 32-year-old defended her use of the clip in a statement to ABC News: 'The song XO was recorded with the sincerest intention to help heal those who have lost loved ones.'

Not making friends: In Beyonce's XO video an audio clip taken after the Challenger exploded in 1986 is used, which has angered NASA members and families of the astronauts that perished

The Halo singer added the reference should 'remind us that unexpected things happen,' so people should 'love and appreciate every minute that you have with those who mean the most to you.'

She also said, 'My heart goes out to the families of those lost in the Challenger disaster.'

Her statement ended with: 'The songwriters included the audio in tribute to the unselfish work of the Challenger crew with hope that they will never be forgotten.'

Her response: On Monday the singer apologized in a statement to ABC News after being called 'insensitive'

The Challenger exploded 73 seconds after taking off from the Kennedy Space Center Jan. 28, 1986. All seven crew members aboard were killed.

ABC News reported 'former and current NASA astronauts, employees and Challenger family members argue that using it in a pop song mocks the crew's sacrifice and opens fresh wounds.'

June Scobee Rodgers, the widow of Challenger Space Shuttle Commander Dick Scobee and a founder of the Challenger Center for Space Science Education, told ABC News she was not happy.

'We were disappointed to learn that an audio clip from the day we lost our heroic Challenger crew was used in the song XO,' she said.

At the top of her game: The Texan looked lovely on December 21 at her album release party in NYC

'The moment included in this song is an emotionally difficult one for the Challenger families, colleagues and friends,' she added.

'We have always chosen to focus not on how our loved ones were lost, but rather on how they lived and how their legacy lives on today.'

Keith Cowing, a former NASA employee who now runs the NASAWatch.com website, said, 'This choice of historic and solemn audio is inappropriate in the extreme.'

He is asking that the Texan remove the clip and apologize to families of the Challenger crew.

The song XO - written and produced by Ryean Tedder and Terius Nash, also known as The Dream - is about loving while you can.

The video features the Sasha Fierce entertainer running through an amusement park with two friends.

They laugh as they ride roller coasters together and meet strangers.

The lyrics include: 'Your love is bright as ever/ Even in the shadows/ Baby kiss me/ Before they turn the lights out/ Your heart is glowing/ And I'm crashing into you.'

The wife of Jay-Z also sings, 'We don't have forever/ Baby daylight's wasting.'

Oddly, Beyonce has worked with NASA in the past: She recorded a wake-up announcement for the orbiting crew of the STS-135 shuttle flight

Always partying: On Friday Beyonce's husband Jay-Z (far right) had his arm around The Game, who was one of the writers on XO

Do YOU have text claw or iPosture? Expert reveals the 21st century ailments caused by smartphones and tablets

They are the key to our social lives, our route planners and music players.

But smartphones and tablets can also cause a host of health problems, from poor posture to mental distress, experts are warning. 

And they add that phubbing – the act of or snubbing a person in favour of a phone - could be detrimental to more than just friendships.

Smartphone users check their phones an average of 150 times every day, a study by Nokia revealed

A recent study conducted by Nokia found that some of us check our smartphones up to 150 times during a waking day of 16 hours.

But this can lead to an array of health problems from text claw to iPosture.

Phil Reed, professor of psychology at Swansea University and an expert on internet addiction, explained that phone addicts are responsible for the problem.

He said: ‘Phubbers often have impulse-control problems.

‘They may be distracted easily, or seek what they think is the more immediate reward of a quick phone call or an e-mail or a Facebook poke.’

Professor Reed says there are a number of recognisable traits of phone addicts.

He said: ‘They might have disrupted sleep, they are tempted to lie about using their phone in the presence of their friends and family - sneaking off to check it in social situations, they would be anxious when not connected - which would have a negative impact on their mood. 

‘Smartphone addiction might also lead to increased social isolation and depression.’

He added that the health problems associated with the overuse of smartphones and tablets are numerous.

Phone addiction's a growing problem with addicts showing signs of distraction, social isolation and depression

Here, he reveals how smartphone addiction could be harmful to health:

NOMOPHOBIA

No-mobile-phone-phobia, or nomophobia, is a term which first appeared in a study by the UK Post Office. 

According to this study, nearly 53 per cent of mobile phone users in Britain tend to be anxious when they ‘lose their mobile phone, run out of battery or credit, or have no network coverage’. 

People are so dependent on their phones that a fifth check their emails in bed and nearly half take their mobile to the beach while on holiday. 

Nomophobia affects women far more than men - women are 17 per cent more likely to have the phobia. 

Symptoms include being unable to turn off your phone, obsessively checking your phone, constantly topping up the battery and taking your phone to the bathroom. 

Worst affected are 18 to 24-year-olds - 77 per cent are unable to stay away from their phone for more than a few minutes.

Some 53 per cent of mobile users admit to becoming anxious if they lose their phone or it runs out of battery

SLEEP TEXTING 

Some people are so fond of their smartphones that they actually send text messages while sleeping. 

Generally, sleep texting occurs in the first two hours after a person falls asleep and they are unaware they are doing it. 

While sleep texting can lead to some embarrassing conversations, it poses a greater threat to sufferers since it interrupts deep REM (rapid eye movement) sleep. 

Sufferers often wake up exhausted as they are not getting the deep sleep which is critical to higher brain function.

Dr Josh Werber, of EOS Sleep, says the problem can be addressed by banishing phones from the bedroom and by switching them off an hour before going to sleep. 

PHANTOM VIBRATION SYNDROME:

PROFESSOR REED'S TIPS FOR A DIGITAL DETOX:

Avoid checking Facebook or emails in bed before falling asleep - bright light from the phone can inhibit the production of melatonin, a sleep-inducing hormone.

Leave your phone charger at home so you are compelled to use your phone sparingly.

Read a book while commuting to work.

Make use of a digital camera to take pictures on a trip so you can enjoy the moment and post them later.

Engage in fun activities that don’t involve your mobile phone - doing physical activities or spending face-to-face time with family and friends.

Start a diary - you can highlight the occasions where you use your phone and for what purpose, then gauge whether you actually achieved the outcome you had intended from your phone use.

This is the belief that your phone is vibrating or ringing when it’s not. 

People are so used to their phones vibrating that their brains makes it feel like it is happening when they ‘want’, not when it actually does. 

Phantom vibrations are a result of anticipatory anxiety and they affect as many as seven in ten mobile phone users. 

Some 68 per cent of people are affected by the syndrome – 87 per cent of sufferers feel the vibrations weekly, and 13 per cent daily. 

CYBERSICKNESS 

This is the modern day version of motion sickness that is a side effect of the three dimensional features of iPhones and iPads. 

Cybersickness is caused by a disagreement between a person’s eyes and the movement perceived by their balance system. 

It occurs when the brain is tricked into believing they are moving while they actually remain still. 

When things are out of sync, it can trigger nausea, eye strain and dizziness. 

The problem is thought to be getting worse as frame rates and display resolutions increase and it is particularly associated with the Apple iOS 7. 

Symptoms can be reduced by changing the phone's settings or by looking at the horizon for a few moments.

TEXT CLAW 

Too much Candy Crush or typing on a phone can create feelings of soreness and cramping in the fingers, wrist and forearm. 

Text claw is a consequence of repetitive fine motor activity. Most people work on their phones with their thumbs and in a position that’s not natural for the thumb and wrist joints. 

This can lead to tendinitis which is inflammation of the tendons. 

At least 43 per cent of smartphone users have experienced thumb pain as a result of overusing the devices

Recently, O2 found out in a survey that 43 per cent of smartphone users have experienced thumb pain in the last five years. 

This led to O2’s introduction of 65 gram ‘Thumbells’ to ensure that smartphone users exercise their thumbs. 

Some 26 million Britons suffer thumb pain from too much gadget use. 

Half of smartphone users say their thumbs get tired when they use their phone and 41 per cent say they have to rest their thumb while using their mobile. 

Symptoms can be reduced by using a light touch on keypads, not gripping your phone too hard and maintaining a good posture as neck muscles are connected to thumb muscles.

Using a smartphone or tablet for long periods of time can cause problems with posture and back and neck pain

iPOSTURE

This refers to the slumping and hunching over computers and hand-held devices. 

The human head weighs approximately 10lbs so when it tilts forward for a longer period of time, it exerts extra pressure on the spine, causing pain in the neck, head and shoulders. 

According to a survey by UK healthcare provider, Simplyhealth, 84 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds claim to have suffered from neck and backaches in the past year. 

A typical 18 to 24-year-old spends 8.83 hours a day in front of a screen and 66 per cent say they slouch while sitting at their computer.

SCREEN SIGHTEDNESS

Some people now use their phones so much during the day that they continue to send text messages even when they are asleep

Rates of short sightedness among young people have soared because of smartphones, a leading laser eye surgeon claimed. 

David Allamby, founder of Focus Clinics, says there has been a 35 per cent increase in the number of people with advancing myopia (short sightedness) since the launch of smartphones in 1997. 

He has warned the problem could increase by 50 per cent in the next ten years. 

Mr Allamby thinks the problem is so widespread that he has dubbed it ‘screen sightedness’. 

He says that half of Britons own smartphones and that they spend an average of two hours a day using them. 

This, along with time spent using computers and watching television, is putting children and young people at risk of permanently damaging their sight. 

According to Mr Allamby, excessive screen watching at close proximity keeps the genes that control myopia activated well beyond the age that short-sight would historically have stabilised - about 21. 

Myopia used to stop developing in people’s early 20s but now it is now seen progressing throughout the 20s, 30s, and even 40s.

DRY EYE SYNDROME

When people are concentrating on looking at a screen their blinking rate is reduced by a third. 

This leads to a higher rate of tear evaporation which is one of the leading causes of dry eye syndrome. This can, eventually, lead to permanent eye damage.