NHS Berkshire back plain tobacco packaging

Smoking in Slough and Windsor is costing the NHS in Berkshire millions of pounds a year.

NHS Berkshire has welcomed the launch of the government’s consultation on plain tobacco packaging.

Every year, 200,000 under-16s become regular smokers.

Research shows that they are more likely to be attracted by the designed promotional tobacco packs, than with plain packs.

Slough has 20,400 smokers and each year smoking costs Slough society as a whole approximately £31.8 million.

The estimated cost of lost productivity from smoking breaks in the town is £6.7 million whereas the estimated cost of lost productivity from smoking-related sick days in Slough is £5.8 million.

The total cost to the NHS of smoking in Slough is £6.2 million.

Windsor and Maidenhead has 21,100 smokers and each year smoking costs its society as a whole approximately £32.9 million.

The estimated cost of lost productivity from smoking breaks in the Royal Borough is £6.9 million and the estimated cost of lost productivity from smoking-related sick days is £5 million.

The total cost to the NHS of smoking in Windsor and Maidenhead is £6.5 million.

Pat Riordan, NHS director of public health for Berkshire East, said: "Plain packaging aims to ensure that packaging itself cannot act as an advert to youngsters tempting them into a highly-addictive habit that could seriously damage their health and lead to an early death."

Visit www.plainpacksprotect.co.uk for details.