Reducing health inequalities

Smoking is generally not a matter of lifestyle choice. The so-called "choice" to smoke is in fact highly dependent upon the social and economic circumstances in which you live.

Smoking rates in the most deprived communities are four times higher than in the richest. Almost half of adults who are permanently sick or disabled, or who are unemployed and seeking work, smoke tobacco. Smoking rates are particularly high amongst people with mental health issues, the prison population and children in care.

In every one of these groups most of those who smoke say that they want to stop.

Supporting people in their desire to stop smoking will play an enormous part in reducing the harm caused by health inequality and improving well-being, particularly for vulnerable groups.

ASH Scotland has produced a view point paper detailing why tackling smoking is so cost effective and identifying the impact of successful tobacco control on health and financial inequalities.

ASH Scotland’s priorities in this area are to:

• highlight the financial costs of smoking and encourage money advice services to see stop smoking support as a key addition to the support they provide.
• To promote newly developed resource packs to money advice settings to help advice staff engage more positivley with clients who are interested in stopping smoking.
• work with credit unions and other savings schemes so that stopping smoking can be the catalyst for diverting money to more positive ends such as a Cashtray savings.

For more information:

• find out about the latest UK and international research on tobacco and Inequalities (updated weekly) available from our Information Service
• read ASH Scotland's Tobacco Unpacked blog using the tag "money" or look at our briefing  on Smoking and Financial Inclusion (June 2016).  This provide a compilation of blogs on information, facts and figures, discussions and examples of opportunites for inclusion of tobacco across a range of different money advice and financial inclusion settings
• read the updated briefing on how smoking affects personal finances
• To order a resource pack to help raise the issue with your clients, request associated A3 posters to display or to order more of the leaflet inserts, contact Zareen Iqbal ziqbal@ashscotland.org.uk 
• ASH Scotland would value your help in intoducing us to organisations in your local area that might benefit from these new resources.
• if you would like to join us in working in these or similar areas of inequalities please contact us via email enquiries@ashscotland.org.uk or by phone on 0131 225 4725.