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Smoking, the heart and circulation
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* Each year, tobacco smoking accounts for more than 30,000 deaths from cardiovascular disease in the UK.
* Approximately 1 in 4 of all smoking-related deaths in the UK is from cardiovascular disease. The UK has some of the highest heart disease deaths in the world. In order to reduce this toll, the Government has introduced the paper on Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) which will provide the means for achieving the target of cutting CHD and stroke by 40% by 2010.
Source: action on smoking and health – www.ash.org.uk - November 2005 |
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Tobacco economics
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Health costs
Smoking costs the National Health Service (NHS) approximately £1.5 billion a year for treating diseases caused by smoking. This includes the costs of hospital admissions, GP consultations and prescriptions. The government also pays for sickness/invalidity benefits, widows’ pensions and other social security benefits for dependants. An analysis of the cost benefits of achieving the government’s targets to reduce smoking has shown that £524 million could be saved due to the reduction in the number of heart attacks and strokes.
Source: action on smoking and health - www.ash.org.uk - August 2007 |
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Smoking statistics
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* Around 10 million adults smoke cigarettes in Great Britain: this is about a quarter of the population, 25% of men and 23% of women.
* Smoking is highest among 20-24 year olds: 34% of men and 30% of women smoke. In 1974, 51% of men and 41% of women smoked cigarettes - nearly half the adult population. Declines in smoking have been concentrated in older people. Almost as many young people still start smoking today but more established smokers are quitting.
Source: action on smoking and health - www.ash.org.uk - August 2007 |
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Smoking & disease
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* About half of all regular cigarette smokers will eventually be killed by their habit.
* More than 17,000 children under the age of five are admitted to hospital every year because of the effects of passive smoking.
* Smoking causes at least 80% of all deaths from lung cancer, around 80% of all deaths from bronchitis and emphysema and around 17% of all deaths from heart disease.
* Fewer than 10% of lung cancer patients survive five years after diagnosis.
* Giving up smoking can reduce the risk of developing many of these problems. Within 10-15 years of giving up smoking, an ex-smoker's risk of developing lung cancer is only slightly greater than that of a non-smoker.
Source: www.ash.org.uk - Action on Smoking and Health – November 2005 |
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