UK smokers quitting over rising costs
1 min read
Female smokers under are the majority in the UK / Credit: Samantha Vega-Torres
A new study conducted by the University College London has revealed that smokers in the UK are quitting because of the rising costs of cigarettes.
Economic reasons are the more popular motivator behind smoking cessation in comparison to health.
The study revealed 25.4% of smokers quit due to financial reasons in 2023.
A separate study conducted by BMC Medicine revealed that upper and middle class women under the age of 45 make up the largest number of smokers in the UK.
ASH Scotland in Edinburgh aims to help smokers quit and provide resources on the benefits of quitting tobacco use.
CEO of ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy said: “ASH Scotland has been aware for some time that the majority of smokers in Scotland are living in our poorest communities and communities facing the greatest life challenges.”
Duffy added: “People kind of expect to die in their 70’s, in their 60’s and not live long healthy lives and we really have an ambition to change that. We think tobacco is a huge health and financial inequity for people.”
Samantha Vega-Torres is a master’s student at Glasgow Caledonian University enrolled in the multimedia journalism program. She received her bachelor’s in communications with a concentration in journalism and media writing from Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts, USA.
