Quitting smoking could redirect £11bn a year into local economies, study says

The total dividend in England from tobacco-related products is estimated to be £11.9bn each year, which equates to £1,776 per person who smokes, study finds. Photograph: Jonathan Brady/PA

Almost £11bn a year could be spent in England’s communities from money saved on tobacco products if people quit smoking, according to a study.

Published in the journal Tobacco Control and written by academics at the University of Sheffield, the study looked at how much people spent on cigarettes and other tobacco a year, and analysed how this money could be spent in cities and towns instead.