Poorer households in Scotland spend almost a third of their income on tobacco, reports Daily Record, citing a study by Action on Smoking and Health.
Analysis by the health group shows that the country’s lowest income group will spend a whopping 29.4 percent of their income on tobacco products in 2023—about nine times more than the 3.35 percent estimated to be spent by households in the highest income group.
The research also estimates that households in the lowest income group containing at least two smokers will spend more than £6,000 ($7,129), or 73.5 percent of income, on tobacco in 2023.
“Tobacco is a major cause of inequalities, and the projected figures for 2023 we are releasing today spotlight the increasing need for NHS Quit Your Way services in Scotland to be better resourced and promoted to support people to leave tobacco behind, especially in communities facing the greatest challenges,” ASH Scotland CEO Sheila Duffy was quoted as saying.
In response to its findings, ASH Scotland called for increased smoking cessation support in communities experiencing deprivation.