Smokers could free up as many as 75,000 GP appointments if they kicked their habit to the curb, new findings have revealed.
According to Cancer Research UK, if the government imposed a ban on smoking cigarettes, this could dramatically increase the number of available appointments at doctor surgeries, as a considerable amount of GPs’ time is taken up by people with smoke-related health problems.
We all know smoking is bad for our lungs and raises the risk of developing serious conditions, but did you know it is the biggest cause of cancer and death?
In England, someone is admitted to hospital every single minute due to a health condition brought on by smoking. Therefore, at a time when the NHS has never been under more pressure, the government has a huge reason to encourage people to quit.
Chief executive of Cancer Research UK Michelle Mitchell called for the chancellor Jeremy Hunt to do more to restrict cigarette use in the UK in the forthcoming Budget, as this will relieve some pressure on the NHS, and free up resources for other health conditions.
“Jeremy Hunt must grasp this opportunity to be bold with tobacco control and establish a Smokefree Fund to pay for these measures – and if required, make the tobacco industry, not the taxpayer, pay for the harm it causes to our nation’s health, and our health service,” Ms Mitchell stated.
Findings from Cancer Research showed that government action or anti-smoking campaigns are required to reduce smoker numbers, as “smoking rates don’t come down on their own”.
Therefore, it will take action from the government to change people’s smoking habits in the UK, as well as support services to help them abstain from cigarettes.
Last year, the cost of smoking to public finances was as high as £20.6 billion in the UK, with the NHS having to pay for £2.2 billion of this. The social care system was responsible for £1.3 billion of the bill, while £17 billion was the result of lost earnings, unemployment and premature death due to tobacco use.
If the government did take more action against smoking, it would have the support of the majority, as 70 per cent of people in England who took part in a survey said they supported public money being spent on helping to make the country smoke-free.
However, the YouGov poll revealed 83 per cent of those surveyed would prefer this cash to come from the tobacco industry itself.
At the moment, England is about a decade behind its target to be smoke-free by 2030 if nothing is done to alter recent trends.
Therefore, there is a lot of pressure for the government to take action to tighten tobacco control, whether that includes preventing young people from smokingr or providing better support to help smokers to quit.
This would not only help England achieve its target, but it would free up valuable NHS resources that are so high in demand at the moment. Indeed, 21 per cent of people with a potential cancer symptom have not been able to get in touch or make an appointment with their GP in the last six months, putting their health at greater risk.
One of the most effective ways to quit smoking is to buy DIY vapes instead, as you can replace your habit of puffing without the negative effect of tobacco on your health.
