Macclesfield: Vouchers worth hundreds of pounds to quit smoking considered by councillors
By Belinda Ryan - Local Democracy Reporter
30th May 2022 | Local News
A new council proposal to pay people to stop smoking received a mixed reaction from councillors, with one councillor saying tax on cigarettes should be increased instead.
Cheshire East Council is considering offering financial incentives of £400 to pregnant women and £200 for others to stub out the habit.
Dr Andrew Turner told the adults and health committee on Monday this had proved successful in other areas.
"Stopping smoking is pretty much the best thing you can do to improve your health," he said.
"We would use vouchers rather than cash, because we wouldn't want to give people money that could then be spent on cigarettes."
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates for every £1 invested in smoking cessation, £10 is saved in future health care costs.
But some councillors weren't convinced – especially after learning someone who smokes 20 a day spends more than £4,000 a year on cigarettes.
Cllr Andrew Kolker (Dane Valley, Con) said: "If an individual is so determined to ignore the financial benefit of £5,000 pounds a year and is willing to ignore the health benefits to the unborn and very young child, I wonder whether a couple of hundred pounds in their pocket is going to cut the mustard."
With regard to the cost benefits of the scheme to the NHS – Cllr Kolker quoted from an expert's report in the British Medical Journal.
"He said that because smokers have a shorter life, they live on average eight years less than non-smokers, they miss out on about £130,000 of state pension.
"On top of that because most people draw significantly more on the NHS in the last few years of their life…they don't draw that as well, because they died early.
"And so his conclusion was that actually smokers save the country, save the exchequer, a vast amount of money. On top of the fact of course that they kindly donate 70 per cent of the cost of the pack of cigarettes to the exchequer as well."
Cllr Denis Murphy (Congleton East, Lib Dem) agreed with Cllr Kolker.
"I would have it the other way around, I would be inclined to add 30 per cent tax to the cost of a packet of cigarettes and see if that works," he said.
Others believed the scheme should be considered.
Poynton and Pott Shrigley councillor Nicky Wylie (non-grouped), who used to deliver smoking cessation programmes as a health visitor, said she wanted to know what extra support smokers would get.
"From my experience you need to be in the house, working with the individuals and building up the rapport," she said.
Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con), who also has a background in health care, said: "You cannot implement a service for pregnant women without looking at the household holistically and taking on board there may be other children in the house and adults that are smokers."
With regard to the costs to the NHS she said: "I was an ITU nurse and seeing some of the impacts of smoking – seeing amputated limbs, seeing chronic obstructive airways disease going on and on – they might die sooner but not until they've actually suffered many, many years of disabling conditions."
The committee will make a decision at its next meeting in July on whether or not to implement a pilot scheme.
If the scheme does go ahead, funding will come a public health grant and from the Champs Public Health Collaborative.
According to the council, approximately 10.5 per cent of people in the borough and 10.8 per cent of pregnant women smoke tobacco.
The number of people stubbing out the habit is declining so the authority is now considering paying them to quit.
A report due to be considered at Monday's meeting of the adults and health committee states: "There is robust evidence that financial incentives increase smoking quit rates. Evidence shows that people are around 50 per cent more likely to quit with incentives; furthermore, in pregnant women specifically, the likelihood of quitting is doubled."
Smokers pay a high price for their habit – not just in terms of health risks but also financially.
Someone smoking five cigarettes a day pays £1,128 over a year; that cost rises to £2,257 for 10 a day and £4,515 for someone smoking 20 a day.
These figures are based on the average price of a pack of 20 cigarettes at three major supermarkets in May.
Smoking rates in Cheshire East are similar to the national average overall but are highly variable across the borough.
Several wards in the Crewe and Macclesfield area have significantly higher than average rates of young smokers and deaths from respiratory diseases.
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