Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have released their new economic analysis of national data to identify the true cost of smoking to society in England. The report has found that smoking costs society £5 billion more than previously estimated, totalling around £17 billion annually.
Lost productivity loses us £13.2 billion per year
The new assessment considers the loss in productivity caused by smoking. Smokers are more likely to become ill while of working age than non-smokers, not only with more frequent everyday illness like respiratory infections, but also more serious illness like cancer. This results in a higher likelihood of smokers being out of work and a reduction of the average wage for smokers. Due to the significant risk of serious illness associated with smoking, smokers are also more likely to die while they are still of working age than non-smokers. Together, these impacts on productivity add up to £13.2 billion annually.
Of course, the increased risk of illness also bares a heavy burden on the NHS and social care. Smoking-related illness costs the NHS £2.4 billion per year, and the continued care for those who are suffering from smoking-related illness costs a further £1.2 billion in social care.
One finding that really illustrates the burden of smoking, not only on society but also on individuals, is that many smokers care needs are not met by paid care, but informally by family and friends. Meaning that for many people, caring for a friend or family member with smoking-related illness is part of their daily lives. The analysis estimates that if these people were receiving paid for care it would cost a further £14 billion which is not included in the overall £17 billion annual cost to society.
While loss in productivity and health and social care costs are the biggest contributors to the overall cost of smoking, there is another consequence of smoking that plays a role. Smoking-related fires are the leading cause of fire-related deaths in England. The cost of property damage, injuries, and deaths from these fires contributes another £280 million per year.
Smokers spend £12 billion on tobacco every year
The tobacco industry argues that the tax smokers pay on tobacco products compensates the overall cost to society. However, the excise tax for 2020/21 totaled just under £10 billion. This was higher than previous years, but still falls short on the £17 billion estimated cost to society.
A figure that is not represented in the £17 billion economic cost is the amount that smokers actually spend on tobacco products. The average smoker spends approximated £2,000 per year on tobacco. Overall, smokers in England shell out around £12 billion on tobacco products annually!
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, weighed in on these findings:
“Smoking is a drain on society. It’s a cost to individuals in terms of their health and wealth and a cost to us all because it undermines the productivity of our economy and places additional burdens on our NHS and care services.
The Government have delayed the tobacco control plan it promised last year which is now urgently needed with only 8 years left to achieve the goal of England being smokefree by 2030.”
With around 6.1 million smokers in England, we still have a long way to go to achieve the smokefree 2030 goal. However, if we can support smokers in kicking the habit, the benefit to society will be seen in more than just pounds and pence.
At a glance
- Smoking costs society £17.04 billion in England each year
- Smokers are more likely to become ill or die while still of working age than non-smokers, costing society £13.2 billion in loss of productivity
- Smoking-related illness costs the NHS £2.4 billion per year
- Smokers in England spend £12 billion on tobacco products annually
Sources
Action on Smoking and Health 14/01/2022
