DT News - UK - Survey finds Britons quit smoking for health benefits, not cost

Dental Tribune UK

Wed. 16 January 2019

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RUGBY, UK: According to British health experts, around 350,000 people in the UK are expected to quit smoking in 2019, putting smoking rates at their lowest point ever. A new survey by the Oral Health Foundation has found that the majority of those who plan to quit smoking do so because of the associated health and general well-being benefits, such as a reduced risk of cancer in the mouth cavity.

The foundation surveyed almost 500 smokers and found that 66 per cent of those who intend to go smoke-free are doing so in an attempt to improve their overall health. Of the respondents, 28 per cent plan to quit because of the perceived financial benefits, the results of the survey showed. According to the NHS’s Smokefree initiative, most smokers stand to save approximately £250 per month by quitting.

Increased awareness of the links of cigarette smoking to an increased risk of tooth loss, heart disease, pneumonia and cancer has helped to contribute to a steady decline in smoking rates in the UK. According to the Office for National Statistics, 45.6 per cent of British adults smoked cigarettes in 1974. This proportion dropped to 15.1 per cent in 2018 and is expected to drop further this year.

“We are delighted with these new figures,” said Dr Nigel Carter, OBE, Chief Executive of the Oral Health Foundation. “The number of people smoking in the UK continues to decline and we are getting closer to becoming a smoke-free population.”

“Quitting smoking can be extremely difficult so the motivation for doing so must be strong. Wanting to improve our own health is a positive and aspirational choice. Little wonder why it is the driving force behind many of those who plan to stop smoking,” he continued.

“As an oral health charity, we have seen first-hand the damage which smoking can do. It is the leading cause of mouth cancer—a disease which claims the lives of more than 2,300 people a year in the UK,” Carter emphasised. “Smoking also increases the chance of gum disease, as well as tooth loss. The bottom line is we will live longer, healthier lives without tobacco.”

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