Smoking increases cost of social care in Hackney by nearly £5million

Social care for over-50s in Hackney is costing an extra £4.7million a year – because of smoking.

The figures were released today by Action on Smoking and Health, which said smoking is contributing to the UK’s “current social care crisis”.

Hackney Council spent £2.5m on social care for over-50s in 2015/16. Cllr Jonathan McShane, the town hall’s health and social care leader, said: “We have continued to invest in stop smoking and tobacco control services and are always looking at improving the way services are delivered to give people the best support to quit.”