Scottish smokers burning a hole in their pockets

05/03/08

• Scottish smokers have lost out on over £1.2 billion of savings in the past year
• Those who quit 12 months ago have collectively saved over £93 million
• 250,000 Scottish smokers plan to stop on ‘National No Smoking Day’

Scottish smokers who’ve carried on puffing since ‘National No Smoking Day’ in March last year have seen over £1.2 billion of potential savings go up in smoke1.

More than 1.3 million people2 in Scotland have continued to smoke since the last ‘National No Smoking Day’. This is despite the ban on smoking in public places in Scotland which came into force almost two years ago.

However according to research by Clydesdale Bank, the 100,000 Scots who stubbed out last March3 have saved over £93 million in the past twelve months4 – enough to pay for almost 20 new Scottish cancer care units or to train almost 2,000 specialist cancer care nurses5.

Steve Reid, Clydesdale Bank’s retail director said: “It’s all too easy for long term smokers to forget just how expensive their habit actually is, but those smoking just ten cigarettes a day could easily save almost £10006 during the course of a year. By putting the money they’d normally spend on cigarettes in an ISA or high interest savings account, smokers will soon see those savings adding up, particularly if there is more than one smoker in the household.”

Scots stub it out

Scotland has the second highest percentage of smokers in the UK, with almost one in ten (9.9%) Scots yet to go smoke free.7 However, 250,000 smokers across Scotland are planning to kick the habit on National No Smoking Day8, almost two years since the ban came into force.

Glasgow is the smoking capital of Scotland, where an estimated 34% of residents regularly light up, while East Dunbartonshire has the lowest percentage of smokers at just 18.6%9.

Good reasons to give up

In addition to the financial benefits, there is a long list of good reasons to give up smoking.  Those who commit to kicking their habit on this year’s ‘National No Smoking Day’ (12th March) can look forward to having more energy, as well as looking and feeling younger as they stop the premature ageing effects of smoking in their tracks. They’ll also have lower stress levels, whiter teeth and an improved sense of taste and smell10.

Non smokers lead a richer life

While the health benefits of becoming a non smoker are obvious, many smokers won’t be aware of the additional financial benefits they can look forward to. Smokers who decide to quit will not only dramatically cut their chances of developing smoking related illnesses – they’ll also cut their insurance costs too.

Steve Reid said: “Smokers will soon find it’s not just the money they’d normally spend on a packet of cigarettes they’re saving - there are other savings to be had as well. Non smokers can expect to pay far less for life and health insurance and in some cases could even see a cut in the cost of their home insurance with the reduced risk of fires in the home.”