New figures from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) show that smoking costs the Humber and North Yorkshire area £1.39 billion each year.
It means that the cost of smoking to the region is calculated to be more than five times the amount raised in tobacco taxes.
ASH say that the the money raised from tobacco taxes is "just £225 million – less than one-fifth of the actual cost of smoking to society."
Amanda Bloor, Deputy Chief Executive of NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (ICB), said:
“It is astonishing to see the substantial cost of smoking to our region. At the heart of these figures are the people who are being impacted by the harm caused by tobacco.
“The Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to address this issue. On behalf of our region’s health and care partnership, we are committed to treating tobacco dependency in hospitals and across communities, and protecting future generations from tobacco harm”
The figures have been published in ASH’s Ready Reckoner, which is a tool that shows how much smoking costs society and can be broken down into regions, local authorities, and even parliamentary constituencies.
The Ready Reckoner categorises the costs into four sections: fire costs due to smoking, social care costs, healthcare costs and the impact of smoking upon productivity.
In the Humber and North Yorkshire area, which covers North Yorkshire, York, East Riding of Yorkshire, Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire, the Ready Reckoner indicates the area loses:
- £834 million in lost economic productivity
- £62.7 million to the NHS
- £477 million in social care costs to local authorities
- £11 million in fire-related costs
Most of this consists of lost economic productivity from smokers being unable to work and facing premature mortality.
The proposed Tobacco and Vapes bill would aim to reduce the number of new smokers, enabling support to focus on those seeking help to quit, thereby reducing pressure on the NHS and social care system and moving towards a smokefree future.
Healthcare costs are estimated using data that shows the cost of treating illnesses caused by smoking in hospitals and primary care services, which amounts to around £62.7 million annually across the region. It is important to note that this is only a portion of the total cost since smoking can exacerbate many other illnesses.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH, stated:
“These figures suggest that tobacco should be reconsidered in our country’s future. Tobacco companies generate significant profits from selling products that contribute to addiction and place a burden on public services and the economy.
“A levy on the tobacco industry may expedite progress towards a smokefree future, mitigating the harms from smoking.”
The local NHS has a free Working Voices initiative, which aims to help businesses improve the health and wellbeing offer for their workforce, and includes smoking training and awareness. The initiative can also support in areas such as alcohol use, healthy eating, physical activity and much more.
For more information about Working Voices, or to sign up, visit the Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership website at https://humberandnorthyorkshire.org.uk/working-voices/ or email hnyicb.workingvoices@nhs.net
For assistance with quitting smoking, visit the NHS Better Health website. https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/
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