Key Summary
- Research found that 700,000 people who smoke are out of work owing to illness and disability - up from 390,000 in 2013
- The research cannot confirm that smoking causes inactivity or ill-health to the extent of not being able to work
- The research team also urged the government to invest in smoking cessation services
A new study on smoking shows that the number of smokers out of work due to ill health has risen nearly 80 percent in a decade.
A research conducted University College London found that 700,000 people who smoke in England are out of work owing to illness and disability - up from 390,000 in 2013.
Working-age smokers are three times more likely to be out of work due to ill-health, compared with non-smokers.
Dr Sarah Jackson, lead author of the study, said that the researchers saw an overall increase in the number of people out of work because of health problems.
She also said that quitting smoking helps. “The longer you’d been an ex-smoker, the less likely you were to be out of work due to poor health.”
The team analysed Smoking Toolkit Study data from 173,000 adults aged 16 to 64 between 2013 and 2025 and the results were published in The Lancet on Monday (8).
The research cannot confirm that smoking causes inactivity or ill-health to the extent of not being able to work.
The research team also urged the government to invest in smoking cessation services.
According to Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), smoking costs the economy about £27.6 billion a year.
Dr Ian Walker, the executive director of policy at Cancer Research UK, said tobacco remains a leading cause of cancer, and the impact is devastating at the individual level, the NHS, and the economy.
“We know that most people who smoke want to quit, but they need the right support to do so. That’s why we’re urging the UK government to commit to sustainable, long-term funding for stop smoking services, particularly in deprived areas where smoking rates are higher.”
He also wanted the government to pass the Tobacco and Vapes Bill at the earliest.
"This is a historic opportunity to help stub out the harms of smoking, and it’s frustrating that the legislation is stuck in limbo and hasn’t been progressing as quickly as it should be," he added.
