£2.8m to care for local smokers, says ASH

£2.8m to care for local smokers, says ASH

Smoking cost Rochdale Council £2.8 million last year, claims lobby group Action on Smoking and Health.

The group’s figures show Rochdale spent the money to help people with smoking-related illnesses to live and be supported at home.

The figure could be higher, as figures are only available for support given to those aged 50 and over.

Councils in the North-West are paying more than £91 million in social care costs, while nationally the figure is over £600 million a year.

The figures are the first time research has estimated the cost of smoking to the social care system and reveal that current smokers over 50 are twice as likely to need help than non-smokers.