UK. Fewer smokers quit in past year (BBC)

[deewal]

Interesting article on BBC
BBC NEWS | Health | Fewer smokers quit in past year

Fewer smokers quit in past year

The number of people managing to stop smoking with NHS help in England has fallen slightly in the past year - despite a huge increase in funding. In 2008/09, the NHS spent an extra £13m on helping people to quit - a 21% hike in resources.
But the number of people who had successfully quit at the four-week mark fell by 4%, official NHS figures show.
It follows record quit-rates two years ago after the introduction of the smoking ban in public places.

It's extraordinary that more money is being spent for worse outcomes

Norman Lamb, Liberal Democrat health spokesman


The ban - introduced in England and Wales in 2007 and in Scotland in 2006 - was seen as one key reason many more people may have tried to quit that year.
But NHS Information Centre figures from April 2008 to March 2009 showed 1% fewer people set a quit date through the NHS Stop Smoking Services than the previous 12 months at 671,259.
Of those who tried to quit, 50% were successful at four weeks, but overall 13,746 fewer smokers had managed to kick the habit compared with 2007/08.
The number of pregnant women who successfully stopped smoking also dropped, falling 12% to 8,641.
Smoking ban
The figures remain high compared with those prior to the smoking ban coming into force.
Compared with 2006/07, the latest data shows 71,000 more people tried to quit over the past year and 17,000 more people were successful.
The NHS now spends £74 million annually on helping people quit, compared with £22m two years ago - not including the cost of any drugs such as nicotine replacement therapy, the NHS Information Centre said.
That is £219 per quitter compared with £160 in 2006/07.
One in five people now use controversial stop smoking drug varenicline (Champix), the figures show.
Trials show it is associated with a higher quit rate than traditional therapies but it is being monitored closely by regulators after reports of adverse effects including suicidal thoughts.
The NHS Information Centre's chief executive Tim Straughan said it was "encouraging" that more people are quitting smoking than before the smoking ban was introduced.
A Department of Health spokeswoman said smokers who quit with NHS support are more than four times more likely to be successful than those who go cold turkey.
She added that increased costs were partly due to inflation.
They have also increased because the NHS was treating more highly dependent "harder to help" smokers, she said.

£74 million annually not including the cost of any drugs such as nicotine replacement therapy

I bought an E-Cig one year ago and hav'nt Smoked a Cigarette since.
No cost to Taxpayer/State/NHS.

 

[Scaralouche]

do they think that nobody has any self determination in the uk? does everyone need the government to wipe their butts, i mean is that what the governments think over there? what if people took it upon themselves to quit their own way, on their terms? that report sounds like theyre astounded. yeesh.

 

[Rusty]

do they think that nobody has any self determination in the uk? does everyone need the government to wipe their butts, i mean is that what the governments think over there? what if people took it upon themselves to quit their own way, on their terms? that report sounds like theyre astounded. yeesh.

That is exactly how our Government think - we are incapable of making our own decisions - so why do they let us decide which numpties to vote for to make all our decisions for us???

I have failed on the Government scheme twice - so my lack of success cost the Tax payer about £400.

Since vaping, I have not had a single turd (....-log) for over 10 weeks. Cost to me about £150. Cost to Tax Payer £0

Forgot to add - Government loss of revenue (tobacco tax only) by my choice to quit smoking about £250!


Rusty

 

[grimmer255]

yep i believe money drives 99 percent of these schemes. US government makes more contradictions than any other. They say oh cigarettes kill so many......so lets tax the heck out of smokers so those taxes can pay for kids health care. Yea that makes a lot of since. Just another way to hide behind children so they can line there pockets with blood money. 450,000 die every year just in the US from smoking cigarettes. And over 3,000,000 die every year in the world from smoking cigarettes. Addiction can not be cured by saying no.....it doesn't work....maybe to some but not the majority. They need to first use methods of using products that can help reduce any threat from the addiction....in this case electronic cigarettes.....then lower your nicotine levels until you reach zero. Once you reach zero then you can manage your addiction a lot easier. Not quit cold turkey with NRT products....it just doesn't work in the real world at least to most.

 

[eric]

Proof that the nanny state philosophy is a farce. Liberty is more important than security, period.

I'll be coming to the UK some time in October. If any of you famous natives want to meet up over some Glenlivet and Vape, PM me. I'll be in Gloucester, UK for the most part.

 

[grimmer255]

Proof that the nanny state philosophy is a farce. Liberty is more important than security, period.

I'll be coming to the UK some time in October. If any of you famous natives want to meet up over some Glenlivet and Vape, PM me. I'll be in Gloucester, UK for the most part.

so lucky i wish i could join you...i want to visit the UK so bad...they are such wonderful people.

 

[Straykat]

I remember reading somewhere that people embrace vices more during times of economic hardship. Without any evidence, I'd still wager this holds true for most of the developed world.