Fall in number of smokers quitting
There has been a decrease in the number of people who have managed to stop smoking through NHS support despite a rise in financial backing.
The NHS spent an additional 13 million on helping people to stop smoking in 2008/09. This was an increase of 21% on the previous year in terms of resources.
These findings come after an initial period following the smoke ban in which there were record numbers of people using NHS support to stop smoking. The smoke ban came into affect in 2007 for England and Wales, and 2006 for Scotland.
It was found that of patients using the service in 2008/09, 50% completed the programme at four weeks, while 13,746 fewer people were successful at quitting when compared with 2007/08.
Smoking is one factor which can have a dramatic affect on a person’s dental hygiene. It is known to lead to conditions including stained teeth, bad breath and the loss of taste and smell.
Smoking is also known to lead to more serious conditions including gum disease and oral cancer. It is estimated around 1,800 people die from oral cancer each year, a shocking figure when you consider how many cases are brought on by smoking.
Though the number of people using NHS support has fallen it is still believed the service can improve a smoker’s probability of quitting by up to four times.
Gilliam Merron, public health administrator, said: “We provide high quality, cost-effective support and advice that is proven to work in helping people to stop smoking, and will continue to do so, with extra help for those who need it most”.
Join this Discussion
