Poorer households spend almost 30% of their income on tobacco, says charity
dailyrecord.co.ukPoorer households with smokers spend almost a third of their income on tobacco, it has been disclosed, prompting calls to increase support to stop smoking in deprived areas, a charity has said.Analysis from Action on Smoking and Health Scotland (Ash Scotland) suggests that the country’s lowest income group will spend 29.4 per cent of their income on tobacco products in 2023 – about nine times more than the 3.35 per cent estimated to be spent by similar households in the highest income group.Research commissioned by the charity to mark No Smoking Day on Wednesday also estimates households in the country’s lowest income group containing two or more people who smoke will spend more than £6,000 on tobacco in 2023, accounting for 73.5 per cent of income.Ash Scotland has highlighted that smokers could save £3,308 within a year of giving up, as well as bringing health benefits, such as decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease and lung cancer after one year and 10 years respectively.Sheila Duffy, chief executive of Ash Scotland, said: “Tobacco is a major cause of inequalities, and the projected figures for 2023 we are releasing today spotlight the increasing need for NHS Quit Your Way services in Scotland to be better resourced and promoted to support people to leave tobacco behind, especially in communities facing the greatest challenges.“Addiction is not a lifestyle choice, it is a public health concern and a social justice issue, and people experiencing poverty are just as likely to want to quit smoking as anyone else.
It is more important than ever that people facing everyday stresses during the cost-of-living crisis are empowered to access expert person-centred support free from the NHS.“This support is vital to ensure
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