New Figures from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) show that smoking costs the UK around £50bn every year. This new assessment of smoking’s impact on the UK economy is much larger than previously thought and when compared to the £11.3bn tax take on cigarettes, shows that huge net cost to the country. Less easy to quantify of course is the emotional cost. Every day, hundreds of families up and down the country are grieving for loved ones, with around 76,000 people dying from smoking in the UK every year.
With vaping proven to be the most effective way for smokers to quit, it is imperative that the Government doesn’t restrict their access to this literal lifeline. For every smoker who quits, it could mean a life saved and as these figures show, it also means a significant boost to the economy.