Smoking support costs councils in Surrey and Hampshire £47 million every year

Smoking across the South East costs local government £170 million in social care costs every year.

In Surrey and Hampshire, it costs the local councils £47 million to support individuals with smoking-related illnesses.

Action on Smoking and Health say that the country needs sustained investment to help people stop smoking so that the government's ambition of a smoke-free country by 2030 can be possible.

Smoking is the leading cause of premature death in England, killing 74,600 people in 2019 alone.

Smoking is also a leading cause of preventable illness – for every person killed by smoking, at least another 30 are estimated to be living with serious smoking-related disease and disability.

Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said:

“Smoking has a devastating impact on our communities far beyond the tens of thousands of lives it takes every year. It profoundly undermines the quality of many people’s lives, often placing heavy demands on family and friends.

“Securing the Government’s vision of a smoke-free country by 2030 will make all the difference. It will ease pressure on the social care system and build resilience in our communities, enabling people to live longer, healthier lives.

“Local authorities have a key role to play in ending smoking, but they cannot do it without additional funding. ASH backs calls on the government to introduce a ‘polluter pays’ levy on tobacco manufacturers to pay for the support needed to end smoking in this country.”