The number of smokers successfully quitting in the UK has decreased by nearly a quarter since the same time last year, despite the amount being spent to encourage them rising considerably. The figures are a blow for the government who have already been criticised over the perceived failure of the smoking ban.
The statistics, released by the NHS information service, showed that while 176,000 people quit in 2007, only 133,704 did so in 2008, a drop of 24%. However the amount being spent on NHS quitting services has increased by £7m; this means the NHS is now spending £33 m on these services, or £244 per person, a jump of 65%. While many people were encouraged to give up by the smoking ban, over the past year those numbers have trailed off. Nonetheless, over 4,000 more people managed to quit in 2008 than in the year before the ban was introduced.
Ministers have defended the ban by pointing out that is was primarily introduced to protect the nation from the dangers of second-hand smoke, as well as to encourage people to quit. It has also been suggested that the statistics have been affected by the spike immediately after the introduction of the ban, which is now evening itself out.
Dawn Primarolo, Minister for Health, believes that the cost per smoker is still cost effective, saying “'NHS Stop Smoking Services remain extremely cost-effective, despite increases in the costs reported per quitter. The Department of Health will continue to work hard to attract smokers to quit with NHS support. Smokers who use such support are up to four times more likely to succeed than those who try to quit by willpower alone”.