The Real Cost of Smoking

A stop smoking programme has released new figures that show, for the first time, the true cost of smoking. This has never really been tackled by other reports due to the complexity of figuring out the cost both in terms of an individual’s financial perspective and the cost to the NHS.

According to the program that is based in the North East it costs the region more than £210million every year to deal with smokers.

This report is also based on the lives lost, illness and the cost to the NHS.

According to the report, in Northumberland alone, 18 per cent of adults are estimated to smoke regularly. However, smoking rates in Northumberland are lower than the English average.

This makes approximately 46,500 smokers in total across the county.

Sue Milner, the director of public health for Northumberland, commented on the report saying, “Smoking is the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland. The benefits of giving up smoking are instant. After 20 minutes blood pressure starts to fall, in 24 hours the body is free from carbon monoxide and in 10 years an ex-smoker has lowered their risk of heart disease to the same level as someone who has never smoked before. Quitting smoking remains the single most important thing you can do to improve your health.  There is a variety of help and support available for people who would like to give up smoking and I want to urge as many people as possible to give it a try.”

In Northumberland, there will be approximately 445 deaths every year which are directly linked to smoking. This is the same as 225.3 deaths per 100,000. Patients may come in for various reasons, including COPDs where smokers have difficulty breathing due to constant smoking over the years, they may also have a stroke or other complaints like bad breath or rotting gums. There are a whole host of complaints a smoker may have after a lifetime of smoking. Even just a couple of years of smoking can cause you harm.

The report goes further, looking into the overall cost of smoking linked hospital admissions. In Northumberland this is calculated to be £6.23million every year – a huge cost to the NHS. The report also looked into the cost of GP admissions in the county. Smoking is also estimated to cost Northumberland £2million per year in GP consultations.

This means that the overall cost of smoking related disease in Northumberland to the NHS is £11.55million per year!

There are numerous options for a smoker to quit if they wish so with the latest being the electronic cigarette. The e cig as it is also known uses e liquid which can be bought in many different flavours and strengths. UK e liquid can be bought from shops, but to find the cheapest e liquid going online is your best option.