The average age at which smokers develop a social care need for
the first time is 62, compared to 72 for never-smokers,
according to a research report published today by Action on
Smoking and Health (ASH).[1]
The report, Social care costs: Going up in smoke, also found
that the cost of smoking-related social care to local
authorities is £720 million a year and the cost of
smoking-related social care to individuals who pay for their
own care is £160 million a year.
Last year, smoking killed 78,000 people in England alone.[2]
But the costs of smoking don’t stop there - for every person
killed by smoking, at least 30 people live with a serious
smoking-related illness.[3]
670,000 people over 50 have care needs as a result of smoking
and though 55% of these adults receive the support they need,
45% (300,000) have unmet care needs.
Informal carers, friends and family members who help with tasks
at no cost, provide care for 345,000 of the total due to
smoking which would cost an additional £10.6 billion if it were
provided by paid carers.
The report findings are based on multi-wave analysis of the
English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA) by Landman
Economics for ASH. Of respondents over 50, one in four (23.5%)
current smokers need help with at least one of six activities
of daily living (ADLs), compared to never smokers, who were
almost half as likely (12.1%) to need help.
Ciaran Osborne, Director of Policy at ASH said:
“Disease and disability caused by smoking leads people to need
social care a whole decade sooner than if they had never
smoked. Not only is this severely detrimental to their quality
of life, it also puts avoidable strains on England’s creaking
social care system. Local authorities should support smokers in
their communities to make an annual quit attempt as stopping
smoking will help them maintain their quality of life as they
age.”
Smokers who quit by 30 can avoid almost all the long-term
health consequences of smoking,[4] as well as reducing the
likelihood they’ll need social care.
Key recommendations:
