Smoking
Who is most affected and why?
The health impacts of smoking do not affect everyone in society to the same extent. Smoking is the greatest driving force for health inequalities in England, accounting for approximately half of the difference in life expectancy between the highest and lowest socioeconomic groups. Those who live in the most deprived areas are more than twice as likely to smoke, reflected in the fact that approximately one-third of all smoking adults in England were living in the two most deprived deciles in 2021. In Stockton-on-Tees, 7 out of 27 wards are among the top 10% most deprived in the country, and an average male life expectancy gap of 14.2 years exists between the most and least deprived areas.
Those who smoke earn on average 6.8% less than non smokers. They are also more likely to be unemployed, further perpetuating smoking-related inequalities. This highlights the function of stopping smoking as an effective intervention for reducing health inequalities in Stockton-on-Tees.
When looking at specific priority groups, large disparities exist. These priority groups include:
- pregnant women
- people with mental health problems
- people who are socioeconomically deprived
