74% of smokers cite cost as a 'highly motivating' factor to quit cigarettes, but only 36% successfully did so in the last year, according to a study of 2,000 adult nicotine users by Philip Morris Limited.
According to the survey, quitting cigarettes could save smoking Brits over £12 billion in just one year. A switch to heated tobacco would save an average of £322.40 over a 12-month period, vaping would save an average of £842.40 and pouches would save an average of £535.60 over a 12-month period.
With an average saving of £566.80 per year, a UK smoker who switches to a smoke-free alternative could save enough to pay for a holiday to Spain, Glastonbury tickets or a PlayStation 5.
Adult smokers in Northern Ireland spend the most on cigarettes, with an average spend of £39.50 a week, and 20% spending between £51-£60. This amounts to around 3,360 cigarettes a year. Smokers in London closely follow in spending, with an average spend of £32.70 a week, and 25% spending between £21-£30. Followed by smokers in the Northwest of England, who spend on average £32.60 a week on cigarettes, and 25% spend between £10-£20.
Christian Woolfenden, Managing Director of Philip Morris Limited in the UK and Ireland, said: “As well as being bad for your health, smoking can also be very bad for your wallet. Quitting is obviously the best option for a smoker’s health as well as their bank balance. But, in a time where consumers are tackling their finances, for those who don't quit, smoke-free products can dramatically reduce the levels of harmful chemicals a smoker is exposed to, and are also a much cheaper option – so could save smokers thousands of pounds in the long run."
Find out how much you could save by quitting or for those who don’t, switching to a smoke-free alternative, by using Unsmoke UK’s savings calculator https://www.unsmokeuk.co.uk/savings-calculator/
