It's not my intention to produce more statistics of dubious accuracy to prove what we already know - smoking is bad for health. Few organs in the body are unaffected by constituents of cigarette smoke ( narrowing of arteries affecting heart, brain, kidneys, limbs; lung infections, asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and cancer ; bladder, pancreas, cervix,and colon cancer). This DOES cost the NHS - but only a fraction ( roughly a fifth) of the money raised from tobacco duty. Smokers don't live so long (around a half die from smoking-related diseases) as non-smokers so actually save society money. IF most or all smokers stopped - an unlikely scenario - costs to society would rise. A healthier population would live longer, eventually requiring nursing homes, and treatment of other expensive diseases (such as cancer) of old age.
I'm into health promotion , not politics, and my message is positive rather than threatening or scaremongering : no matter when you give up smoking there are health benefits After 15 years most ex-smokers will have similar life expectancy to smokers
For ex- passive smokers the outlook is even better .