The cost of smoking to London is £3bn a year, according to new analysis, with numbers of smokers varying across the city.
The finding comes from the charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which puts the figure £800m higher than previously estimated.
It found £308m is spent on healthcare, £150m on social care, and £41m on fires caused by smokers. Lost productivity costs London £2.5bn a year, a figure which takes into account smokers’ increased likelihood of missing work and earning less due to ill health.
Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “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.
“Nationally, government must publish their promised plan for tackling smoking but local councils must also seize the initiative and create plans for their communities that account for the tremendous burden caused by smoking.”
Lara Wildenberg – Hackney Gazette – 2022-02-02.
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