Quitting cigarettes 'can help offset cost of living rise'

As food and fuel bills continue to go up, Fresh is urging smokers to work out how much they could save by quitting smoking to help offset a rise in the cost of living.
Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh and Balance.Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh and Balance.
Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh and Balance.

Financial experts have warned working families will be more than £1,700 worse off by next April.

And according to the North East regional programme for tobacco control, a 10-a-day smoker spending £9 per pack is using around £1,642 a year (around £135 a month) for cigarettes.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The savings from stopping smoking could ease money worries for the approximately 325,000 people in the region who still smoke.

And officials are also highlighting the health benefits – reducing the risk of getting serious diseases like cancer, heart disease, COPD and stroke.

Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Every cigarette is doing damage to your lungs and your health, but every pack smoked is also draining the amount of money families have to spend on other things – from the luxuries to the essentials.

“It is only when you start to add that money up that you realise we are talking about thousands of pounds. We also know how much stress and anxiety money worries can cause, especially at this point in time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Whether it’s towards Christmas, a trip away, new clothes, presents for the kids or even paying towards life’s necessities like power and food, quitting smoking means you will save that money and ease some of your worries.”

For more information about stopping smoking, go to www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking

Related topics: