Can you really afford to continue smoking?

Can you really afford to continue smoking?

The current ‘cost of living crisis’ is affecting everybody. Tax rises, Inflation on food, energy bills and fuel (up 42% on last year) is leading to many homes drastically reassessing how they are spending their money and more importantly, budgeting any way they can, to reduce outgoings from their disposable income.

With Energy bills expecting to soar once again, apprehension is looming for families who are already finding juggling bills problematic, wondering how they will manage this coming winter.

Alongside the numerous other benefits of quitting, health being at the forefront, the financial gain has never been more important to the nation.

Impact of the ‘cost of living crisis’

• Nearly half (46%) of those responsible for paying for energy are finding it ‘very’ or ‘somewhat difficult’ to afford their bill
• The Energy cap could be set to rise even further to a potential £4266 annually for many households.
• Cost of food in the United Kingdom increased 12.6% in July of 2022 over the same month in the previous year, with average annual food spending expected to be at least £500 higher than usual. .

Did you know?

Those who smoke 20 cigarettes a day; with a packet of cigarettes costing an average price of £13.30 will spend £93.10 per week, or £4,841.20 per year.

What could YOU Save?

Please use the following link to calculate your savings from smoking.

http://www.thestopsmokingservice.co.uk/money-calculator/

What could YOU do with your savings?

Within one year, you could buy a family holiday of a life time, including hotel, flights, entertainment and spending money!!

But maybe more importantly right now, if you are currently struggling with your finances and finding yourself in debt, quitting smoking may just be the difference for you to manage your bills comfortably this coming winter and beyond.

 I want to quit! What should I do now?

If you would like free support from specialist smoking cessation advisors please visit the stop smoking service to book or call 0800 013 0553.

Chris Colwill – Senior Public Health Officer