Economic cost of smoking in people with mental disorders in the UK

Welcome to this first Tobacco Control podcast, which is on the economic cost of smoking in those with mental ill health.

Treatments for mental health disorders and smoking-related diseases account for substantial expenditure in all healthcare systems. At any time in the UK about one in six adults has a mental health disorder, typically anxiety, depression or schizophrenia, while the prevalence of smoking in this group, at 33% in 2007, is around 50% higher than in the general population.

Since people with mental health disorders are also more likely to smoke heavily, this group accounts for as much as 42% of the total national tobacco consumption.

Despite the significant health and financial impacts of smoking in this population, little research into the economic burden has been carried out. But now a study in TC has estimated the economic costs of the health effects of cigarette smoking among people with mental disorders in the UK.

TC assistant editor Becky Freeman talks to lead author Qi Wu, Qi Wu, Mental Health and Addiction Research Group, University of York, about the findings.

Read the paper: http://goo.gl/h5HbBJ