Smoking Statistics

The Big Picture

• In England over 8 million people smoke.
• Over 80,000 people died from smoking-attributable diseases in 2007.
• 5.4 million people die of tobacco-related illness worldwide each year.
• At least 320 deaths every day are from smoking in the UK.
• People who are poor are more likely to smoke.
• Two thirds of smokers start before they are 18 years old.
• It costs the NHS £2.3-£2.7billion a year to treat diseases caused by smoking.
• An estimated 8 million GP consultations a year can be attributed to smoking.

The Local Picture

• Smoking prevalence in Cambridgeshire is below 20%; however there are notable pockets of deprivation where the number of people smoking is much higher, particularly in the North of the county; up to 25% prevalence.
• 62% of people who smoke say they would like to quit.
• In Cambridgeshire this means approximatley 56,500 smokers would like to stop.

What can you do?

• Offering brief advice to stop smoking is the single most cost-effective and clinically proven action a healthcare professional can take.
• Smokers may take several attempts to quit smoking successfully, so it is important to keep giving advice at every opportunity.
• Smokers are up to four times more likely to quit smoking successfully with support from the NHS Stop Smoking Services, compared to going it alone.
• Refer a patient/friend/colleague to Camquit.
• Become a stop smoking advisor - it's free!

Sources

A Smokefree Future (DH) 2010; WHO www.who.int;  Beyond Smoking Kills (DH) 2008; West et al 2000.