Pay people of Sandbach hundreds of pounds to stop smoking? Cheshire East's idea sparks mixed reaction from councillors
By Belinda Ryan - Local Democracy Reporter
31st May 2022 | Local News
Cheshire East has proposed to pay Crewe people hundreds of pounds to stop smoking - receiving a mixed reaction from councillors.
The council is considering offering financial incentives of £400 to pregnant women and £200 for others to stub out the habit.
According to Cheshire East, approximately 10.5 per cent of people in the borough and 10.8 per cent of pregnant women smoke tobacco.
Several wards in Crewe and Macclesfield have a significantly higher average rate of young smokers and deaths from respiratory diseases - compared to the rest of the borough.
The number of people stubbing out the habit is also declining - Cheshire East Council are now considering to step in and pay people to quit.
Dr Andrew Turner told the adults and health committee on Monday (May 30), this had proved successful in other areas.
"Stopping smoking is pretty much the best thing you can do to improve your health," he said.
"We would use vouchers rather than cash because we wouldn't want to give people money that could then be spent on cigarettes."
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence estimates for every £1 invested in smoking cessation, £10 is saved in future health care costs.
But some councillors weren't convinced – especially after learning someone who smokes 20 a day spends more than £4,000 a year on cigarettes.
Cllr Andrew Kolker (Dane Valley, Con) said: "If an individual is so determined to ignore the financial benefit of £5,000 pounds a year and is willing to ignore the health benefits to the unborn and very young child, I wonder whether a couple of hundred pounds in their pocket is going to cut the mustard."
With regard to the cost benefits of the scheme to the NHS – Cllr Kolker quoted from an expert's report in the British Medical Journal.
"He said that because smokers have a shorter life, they live on average eight years less than non-smokers, they miss out on about £130,000 of state pension.
"On top of that because most people draw significantly more on the NHS in the last few years of their life, they don't draw that as well, because they died early.
"And so his conclusion was that actually smokers save the country, save the exchequer, a vast amount of money. On top of the fact of course that they kindly donate 70 per cent of the cost of the pack of cigarettes to the exchequer as well."
According to the average price for a pack of 20 cigarettes at the top three UK supermarkets, someone smoking five cigarettes a day pays £1,128 over a year for them.
That cost rises to £2,257 for 10 a day and £4,515 for someone smoking 20 a day.
Cllr Denis Murphy (Congleton East, Lib Dem) agreed with Cllr Kolker on tax.
"I would have it the other way around, I would be inclined to add 30 per cent tax to the cost of a packet of cigarettes and see if that works," he said.
Others believed the scheme should be considered.
Poynton councillor Nicky Wylie (non-grouped) who used to deliver smoking cessation programmes as a health visitor, said she wanted to know what extra support smokers would get.
"From my experience you need to be in the house, working with the individuals and building up the rapport," she said.
If the council does introduce a pilot scheme for paying people to stop smoking, one proposal is that £200 would be paid via three instalments.
£400 would be paid via five instalments to pregnant women - an even bigger incentive from Cheshire East Council.
Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con), who also has a background in health care, said: "You cannot implement a service for pregnant women without looking at the household holistically and taking on board there may be other children in the house and adults that are smokers."
With regard to the costs to the NHS, Cllr Clowes added: "I was an ITU nurse and seeing some of the impacts of smoking – seeing amputated limbs, seeing chronic obstructive airways disease going on and on – they might die sooner but not until they've actually suffered many, many years of disabling conditions."
The committee will make a decision at its next meeting in July on whether or not to implement a pilot scheme.
If the scheme does go ahead, it will be funded from a public health grant - courtesy of the Champs Public Health Collaborative.
According to the council report, a budget of £116,500 is proposed. £21,500 of this would be from the collaborative, with £95,000 from the ring-fenced public health grant.
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