by Health Editor
Research has quantified the economic benefits for the healthcare system in the event of a transition to electronic devices. In Britain, smoking is responsible for around 74,000 deaths a year
Five hundred million pounds (about 580 million euros): so much would be saved by English healthcare if half of the country’s smokers switched from traditional cigarettes to electronic devices and unburned tobacco. This is calculated by a study conducted by Francesco Moscone, an economist at the Ca’ Foscari University of Venice and at the Brunel University of London, published in the scientific journal British Journal of Healthcare Management.
Smoke-free England by 2030
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable disease and premature death worldwide, accounting for more than six million deaths annually. In England, smoking is responsible for around 74,600 deaths a year and it is estimated that between 2019 and 2020 over 506,000 hospitalizations were linked to smoking. The costs caused by smoking, for the English Health Service (NHS), are estimated at 2.5 billion pounds / year. Lung cancer treatment alone costs over £156 million. In 2019 the government of Great Britain announced its intention to make England smoke-free by 2030: smokers will have to stop smoking or switch to a reduced-risk product, such as an e-cigarette or a vaping device that does not requires the burning of tobacco.
Less exposure to chemicals
Cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic bronchitis and emphysema are the five main pathologies caused by cigarette smoke: they impose a considerable burden on the National Health Service, which is already under increasing pressure – explains Moscone -. While the long-term effects of alternative devices to traditional cigarettes are still unknown, we know from previous research that they result in a 90% reduction in exposure to chemicals that are major contributors to health risks. Based on the lower exposure to harmful substances, Moscone estimates that an adult traditional smoker who gives up traditional cigarettes has a 70% reduction in smoking-related diseases.
The spread of lung cancer
In a 50% conversion scenario, with half of smokers switching to lower-risk alternatives, the NHS would save around £518m in an average year – adds the expert -. If the conversion rate were reduced to 10%, the NHS would save £103m as it would significantly reduce the strain on the health system. It would free up vital hospital resources to provide other treatments. The study also investigated geographical differences, comparing data from different English regions: the number of people with lung cancer in the North East and Yorkshire regions was almost double that of the others.
Young and non-smokers
The adoption of the transition to lower risk solutions would not only save millions of pounds, but would represent a crucial opportunity to align with the ambitious “smoke free” plan for 2030 – comments Moscone -. By recognizing the potential of alternative technologies, we can chart a course towards a future with reduced risks, while remaining resolute in our commitment to achieving the goal of eliminating tobacco smoking and the risks it poses to health. The authors underline the need for further studies on the effects of alternative devices to traditional cigarettes, which, while representing an ameliorative alternative for adults who already smoke, should not be promoted to young people and non-smokers.
August 7, 2023 (change August 7, 2023 | 2:58 pm)
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