Health problems from smoking cost £1 million daily
HEALTH problems caused by smoking cost the NHS more than £1 million a day, a Swansea-based study out today says.
A report commissioned by the anti-smoking charity Ash and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says an estimated £386million was spent tackling smoking-related diseases in 2007/08.
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Health problems from smoking cost £1million daily
The bill is more than enough to pay for the UK's swine flu vaccinations.
Smoking accounted for 22 per cent of the cost of adult hospital admissions and more than £43million worth of GP consultations, according to the report's author, Professor Ceri Phillips of Swansea University.
The charities said nearly a quarter of Welsh adults smoke. The habit claims the lives of 6,000 people in Wales every year.
ASH Wales chief Tanya Buchanan said smoking was also depriving the economy of millions through sickness absence.
She said: "These figures demonstrate the huge costs of smoking to the NHS in Wales.
"However, what this report doesn't include is the huge cost to the economy of Wales, for example more than £23million from lost productivity through smoking-related sickness absences and £6 million from smoking-related fires.
"Not to mention the emotional cost of family members seeing their loved ones suffer daily from smoking-related illnesses.
"In Wales we need to move our focus towards a more proactive health service, promoting and protecting people's health throughout their lives."
The Assembly was the first legislature in the UK to vote for a ban on smoking in public places, but it had to wait for legislation to go through Parliament before it could introduce Wales's smoking ban in 2007.
BHF Cymru public affairs manager Delyth Lloyd called on the Assembly Government to introduce a tobacco control strategy.
She said: "The younger a smoker starts, the harder it is for them to quit therefore it is vital that we prevent young people from starting to smoke in the first instance and ensure that the very best support, advice and treatment is available to those who want to quit."
5 Comments
by Lewis, Pontardawe
Monday, October 05 2009, 4:27PM
“I am an ex-smoker, I gave up six years ago, and never intend to start again, but Beth, honestly, "Thanks to the smoking ban, as many of my family and friends are non-smokers, we can have a clean, enjoyable environment to enjoy our evenings out in the pubs and clubs which have NOT been affected by the smoking ban".
The pubs are empty, there are fewer of them every day. Greedy pub owners have got a lot to do with it I grant you, attempting to extract more in rent than the tenant can pay, but smokers stay away in droves.
Of course business has been affected by the ban, and when the ban-the-beer crowd start working, the days of the pub will be over.”
by Matthew, Swansea
Monday, October 05 2009, 12:21PM
“I'm not sure if Beth's comment was directed at me but in case it was, you're mistaken because I don't smoke. If people want to smoke then that is their choice and right. If everyone in the UK stopped smoking that revenue would have to come from somewhere, probably the already overburdened tax payer. Perhaps you'd be happy paying more tax Beth ?”
by Beth Roberts, Llansamlet, Swansea
Monday, October 05 2009, 11:12AM
“What a typically ignorant attitude from a smoker! They put the blame on everything else, apart from the smoking
issue. Personally having lost both my grandfather and father at young ages to throat and lung cancers directly related to heavy smoking, as a society we need to fully support and promote non-smoking to the present and especially the future generation. The issue of car exhaust emissions and such like are actually being dealt with by the enivornmental agencies and government. Thanks to the smoking ban, as many of my family and friends are non-smokers, we can have a clean, enjoyable environment to enjoy our evenings out in the pubs and clubs which have NOT been affected by the smoking ban.”
by Matthew, Swansea
Monday, October 05 2009, 10:08AM
“I'm glad to see other people smoking, they're helping to keep my income tax down.”
by Jeremy Thomas, Tydraw, Swansea.
Monday, October 05 2009, 9:11AM
“"A report commissioned by the anti-smoking charity Ash and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) says an estimated £386million was spent tackling smoking-related diseases in 2007/08."
No bias there then. Ash and their self-righteous meddling have already ruined our pubs, what else do they wish to destroy?
Did they add-up how much Tax is paid by smokers, and how that contributes to the NHS budget ?
How much has our on-going debacles in Afghanistan and Iraq cost us ?
Concentrate on enviromental pollution, such as Car emissions and all the other industrial pollutants pumped daily into our air, rather than blaming it all on Smokers.”