New figures show smoking costs the South West billions each year, impacting health and economy.
Swindon: A recent report from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) highlights that smoking costs the South West a staggering £4.4 billion annually. This includes lost productivity, social care, NHS expenses, and fire-related costs.
Most of this financial hit comes from smokers being too ill to work or passing away early. It’s a real hurdle for the government’s aim for economic growth.
Each year, smoking claims about 6,590 lives in the South West. Plus, it pushes around 110,000 households into poverty due to smoking-related expenses.
Interestingly, about 254,000 kids live in homes where smoking is common. Howard Reed from Landman Economics believes that getting rid of tobacco sales would benefit the country.
He points out that the costs smoking imposes on public finances and families far exceed any gains from tobacco taxes. ASH’s chief executive, Hazel Cheeseman, insists that these numbers clearly show tobacco has no place in our future.
She’s calling for a levy on the tobacco industry to help speed up the journey to a smoke-free society. Dr. Rob Branston from the University of Bath agrees, saying such a levy could fund efforts to make smoking a thing of the past.
