Smoking Survivors warn of health and financial toll as new study reveals 700,000 people who smoke are out of work due to ill-health
Smoking survivors in the North East have spoken out about the devastating impact of tobacco, revealing how illness caused by smoking not only damages health but also drives people into financial hardship by preventing them from working.
It comes as a new study funded by Cancer Research UK and published in The Lancet Regional Health Europe shows around one in nine (11.3%) of working age adults in England who smoke are not in work due to ill health or disability – around 700,000 people.
Health-related economic inactivity more than doubled between 2013 and 2025, with rates highest among current smokers. The study’s authors conclude that smoking is strongly associated with health-related economic inactivity, with disparities widening over time.
The findings come as Fresh relaunches its Smoking Survivors campaign featuring the stories of real former smokers. People can visit FreshQuit.co.uk for tips, tools to quit and local support.
The study from Sarah Jackson, Sharon Cox, and Jamie Brown from UCL and funded by Cancer Research UK examined trends in health-related economic inactivity among working-age adults in England by smoking status from 2013 to 2025 in the monthly national Smoking Toolkit Study.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, Director of Fresh and Balance, said: “Smoking is the single biggest driver of ill health and it is further driving people into poverty and financial insecurity. But the risks reduce the soon as you quit smoking.
“There are more ways to quit smoking than ever before in the North East – from quitting aids to stop smoking support it can make stopping smoking so much less stressful. It doesn’t matter how many times you have tried before – give it another go.”
John Stephenson, 49, a father and grandfather from Stockton, was at work in February 2023 when he suffered chest pains. He was rushed to hospital and told he was having a massive heart attack. John underwent surgery to have three stents fitted and afterwards the doctors told him it had been touch and go.
John now works for Middlesbrough Council as the Stop Smoking South Tees service manager. He is hoping smokers take the message on board that help is available to prevent others from suffering the way he did.
He said: “After my heart attack I was off work for six weeks to recover and then had to have a phased return. I also had to delay some further training I was doing. It threw my working life upside down for a while.
“But in comparison to some of the people we support to quit, I consider myself one of the luckier ones. We see people with long term conditions like COPD or awaiting surgery and treatment for cancer. Aside from their health worries, you see people then starting to realise the impact of not being able to work, financial insecurity, not being able to take a holiday or wondering how they will pay the bills.
“Our message is always to quit sooner rather than later because there is lots of support available.”
Cathy Hunt, 60, is a mum of four from County Durham and originally from Sunderland. She was diagnosed with lung cancer and had half a lung removed in 2015. She underwent surgery again in 2022 when the cancer returned, and she had to have a kidney removed.
She said: “Don’t wait to quit smoking – and don’t ever think it won’t happen to you.
When my cancer came back for the second time, I was working in a hotel – and if I didn’t work, I didn’t get paid. On top of the health worries, the financial pressures were overwhelming.
“One of the hardest parts of being too ill to work was the isolation. I missed the social contact, and even simple tasks like getting dressed and leaving the house became a struggle. Even now, something as small as a chest infection or cold hits me much harder, especially in winter.
“Tobacco is so addictive, and it makes life incredibly hard. For people diagnosed with smoking-related cancer – recovering from surgery, going through chemo, or living with weakened immune systems – there’s the added worry of whether they can even afford to heat their home in the colder months.”
Sue Mountain, 60, a mum of three from South Shields, underwent laser treatment aged 48 after a biopsy revealed she had laryngeal cancer in 2012. The cancer then returned in 2015 and then again in 2017.
She added: “I was a college lecturer, and when I smoked the coughs and colds during the winter were horrendous. I would turn purple with coughing and couldn’t speak. I had to take far more time off sick because those illnesses would hit me harder.
“People often don’t think of what a smoking-related disease can deprive them of. In my case it was my voice – I had to relearn how to use my voice after the cancer and I still get hoarse after speaking for a short time. Smoking just isn’t worth it.”
Alizée Froguel, prevention policy manager at Cancer Research UK, said:
“Tobacco remains the leading cause of death in the UK, responsible for around 160 cancer cases every day. We know that most people who smoke have tried to quit, but they need the right support to do so. That’s why everyone – no matter where they live – should have access to tools and support to help them stop smoking.
“Giving up smoking for good might take a few attempts or involve trying different methods. To find what works best for you, get free support from your local stop smoking service, pharmacist or GP.”
Fresh launched the Smoking Survivors campaign in June 2023, telling the stories of real former smokers and their families, with a powerful call to people who smoke to put smoking behind them and make a fresh quit.
Since then, over 100,000 people have visited the Fresh Quit website for help, tips and support.
The campaign is being run by Fresh as part of a commitment by all 12 local authorities in the region and the North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board to reduce smoking – one of the region’s leading causes of health inequalities, the biggest cause of cancer and the single largest cause of preventable deaths.