Tobacco

Smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death, killing around 80,000 people in England in 2023. For every death caused by smoking, approximately 20 smokers are suffering from a smoking related disease. In England it is estimated that in 2022-2023 , around 408,700 NHS hospital admissions were attributable to smoking, accounting for 1 in 6 of all hospital admissions.

The cost of smoking to the National Health Service in England is estimated to be £2.5 billion a year. Smoking causes 7 out of every 10 cases of lung cancer and is associated with 15 other cancers. Smoking also causes cardiovascular disease, by damaging the heart and blood circulation. Smoking also damages the lungs, leading to conditions such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia.

Smoking is uniquely harmful, causing damage not only to smokers themselves but also to the people around them. Smoking is one of the main causes of health inequalities in England, with the harm concentrated in disadvantaged communities and groups.

The cost of smoking to society totals £17.04bn for England each year. Smokers are more likely than non-smokers to become ill while of working age increasing the likelihood of being out of work and reducing the average wages of smokers. Smokers are also more likely to die while they are still of working age creating a further loss to the economy. Together this adds up to £13.2bn. Smokers’ need for health and social care at a younger age than non-smokers also create costs, with smoking costing the NHS an additional £2.4bn and a further £1.2bn in social care costs. This includes the cost of care provided in the home and residential care costs.

In North Tyneside the average smoker spends just under £2,000 a year on tobacco, a total of £45.6 million in North Tyneside annually. Each year in North Tyneside when income and smoking costs are taken into account 7,939 households are driven into poverty. The residents of these households include 10,849 adults below pension age, 1,985 pension age adults and around 5,132 dependent children. Smokers’ employment chances and average earnings are also damaged by smoking.

In North Tyneside 921 people are economically inactive due to smoking and smokers earn 6.8% less than non-smokers. The underemployment of smokers is likely due to higher levels of ill health which make it more difficult for them to maintain full employment to state pension age. When these costs, and the loss to society of people dying while still of working age are taken into account smoking in North Tyneside is estimated to cost £42.01 million in lost productivity. Overall, it is estimated that smoking costs North Tyneside £164 million each year including costs of healthcare, social care, productivity, and fire costs.