Tobacco (28) Do people understand the harms of using tobacco products? (11) Understanding the economic impact of tobacco

Dear colleagues,

I recently listened to a BBC radio phone in debating the effects of smoking on our NHS. The usual to and fro arguments went on. The outstanding fact that the liberal minded quote is that the tax paid by smokers more than covers the £2.3 billion annual cost to the health service from smoking.

You do not need to be a certified health economist to realise that this figure is only the tip of the iceberg, yet it regularly goes unchallenged. A quick estimate on the back of a fag packet would easily come up with a figure several times larger.

Kind regards

Tom Browne

Consultant Vascular Surgeon

Broomfield Hospital

HIFA profile: Tom Browne is a consultant vascular surgeon at Broomfield Hospital, UK.