Smoking costs Wales £1.56bn a year

Nation.Cymru staff

Smoking costs Wales an estimated £1.56 billion every year, with the heaviest burden falling on the country’s most deprived communities, according to a new report from Public Health Wales.

The report estimates that tobacco use costs the Welsh economy around £499 for every person, £622 for every adult and £4,661 for every adult who smokes.

To illustrate the scale of the problem, Public Health Wales said the annual cost of smoking is more than four times the reported £350 million cost of building the Grange University Hospital in Cwmbran.

Around £650 million of the annual total is spent treating smokers and supporting people living with long-term illness and disability linked to smoking. That represents around 5% of Wales’ health and social care budget.

A further £670 million is attributed to lost productivity as smoking-related illness prevents people from working, while environmental impacts such as litter, fires and air pollution account for another £241 million.

The report also highlights stark inequalities across Wales.

Smoking rates in the most deprived communities are estimated at 22.6%, compared with 6.8% in the least deprived areas. As a result, the most deprived fifth of the population accounts for almost a third of all smoking-related costs.

Public Health Wales said the findings reinforce the need for both population-wide tobacco control measures and targeted support for communities where smoking remains most common.

The report points to the Tobacco and Vapes Act, which makes it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, as a key step towards creating a smoke-free generation. The legislation also gives the Welsh and UK governments new powers to regulate tobacco and vaping products.

Chris Emmerson, consultant in public health with Public Health Wales’ Tobacco, Vapes and Nicotine Addiction Programme, said the figures demonstrated the importance of maintaining Wales’ ambition of becoming smoke-free.

He said: “With these figures revealing that 5% of Wales’s entire health and social care budget goes on treating and supporting those harmed by smoking, the need for Wales to remain focused on the ambitious target of a smokefree Wales has never been clearer.

“The Tobacco and Vapes Act will prevent an entire generation from becoming dependent on tobacco and also gives Welsh and UK government new powers to regulate tobacco and vapes. With Help Me Quit, NHS Wales’s national cessation service, we have expert support and tools to support every smoker on their quit journey.”

Dr Jo Davies, head of health economics, advanced analytics and policy modelling at the Welsh Government, said the figures reflected the human as well as financial cost of smoking.

“Behind these figures are Welsh families affected by preventable illness, lost years of healthy life and the ability to fully participate in their communities,” she said.

“The greatest burden falls on the most deprived communities, highlighting widening health inequalities.”

Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales Dr Keith Reid said smoking remained one of the leading causes of preventable illness and early death.

He said: “Smoking is still one of the leading causes of preventable illness and early death in Wales. It causes cancer, heart disease and respiratory illness.

“As smoking rates are highest in the most underserved communities, smoking is widening health inequalities across Wales – hitting the most disadvantaged hardest.”

Anyone wishing to stop smoking can access free support through Help Me Quit, NHS Wales’ national smoking cessation service, which offers tailored advice and access to nicotine replacement therapy.