Mental health, smoking and poverty: benefits of supporting smokers to quit

Smoking rates among people with common mental health conditions remain around 50% higher than those in the wider population; this is a significant cause of the 10-20-year reduced life expectancy of people with mental health conditions. However, the effects of smoking go far beyond physical health. Research estimates that smokers with mental health conditions could be spending as much as £2200 a year on tobacco, pushing an estimated 130 000 people with a common mental disorder into poverty. The Government has set a target for England to be smokefree by 2030; however, without a dramatic increase in support, smokers with mental health conditions risk being left behind. Action on Smoking and Health provides the secretariat for the Mental Health & Smoking Partnership. The Partnership aims to reduce the inequality in smoking rates between people with mental health conditions and the wider population. It brings together Royal Colleges, third-sector organisations, trade unions and academia to review progress and highlight areas for further action.