One in twenty hospital admissions due to smoking, new figures show

CigarettesAn estimated 460,000 hospital admissions in 2010/11 among people aged 35 and over were due to smoking, according to new Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC) figures.

This is the equivalent of 1,260 admissions a day, which represents one in 20 of all admissions to hospital in 2010/11.

Maureen Talbot, Senior Cardiac Nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “These depressing statistics show the price that the nation’s health continues to pay for its nicotine addiction.

“Smoking is a leading cause of cardiovascular disease and these numbers reinforce the need to prevent the next generation of would-be smokers being recruited. By introducing plain tobacco packaging and getting rid of glitzy design and branding, we can reduce the appeal of this deadly product to young people.”