A new study has found that if everyone in England stopped smoking, £10.9bn could be redirected to local economies each year.
Researchers from the universities of Sheffield and Nottingham calculated how much local economies could bring in if tobacco smokers were to quit and spend the money they saved locally.
The research, published in the journal Tobacco Control, says this figure would be higher in lower income areas, meaning geographical economic inequalities could be reduced.
However, it does note that making smoking obsolete would bring financial costs through the loss of tax revenue.
Dr Tessa Langley, from the University of Nottingham, said: ‘Until now, we did not know the potential scale of the economic benefits that local areas might get from investing in tobacco control policies.
‘Our estimates add to the economic argument for investment in support to help people stop smoking.’
