Charitable Objectives

Counting the cost of Drugs, Alcohol and Smoking

As an ethically sound insurer, Ansvar is concerned at the abuse of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. This section highlights the UK’s problems.

The 2006-07 British Crime Survey carried out by the Home Office indicated that 46% of all violent crime (almost 1.2m incidents in total) was perpetrated by people under the influence of alcohol, and 17% by people under the influence of drugs.

Drug Abuse

Recent studies for the NHS have noted that over 10% of 16-59 year olds have used illegal drugs in the last year, with just over 6% classified as regular users. The number of regular Class A users is approximately 1.6% of the 16-59 year old demographic.

Similar studies undertaken in 2006, surveying children aged 11-15, showed that 17% took drugs in the past year, with 4% using drugs regularly. Among pupils who had truanted or been excluded from school, the proportion who took drugs was 11 per cent in 2006.

Furthermore the immediate dangers of drug misuse are stark. The total number of deaths related to drug misuse in England and Wales was 1608 in 2005, an increase from 1495 in 2004. A further 11,260 cases of poisoning due to drug overdose were reported during 2005/06.

According to research conducted by the Home Office, Drug abuse in England and Wales costs society up to £18.8 billion. This includes the costs of crime, the criminal justice system, social security and the NHS.

Alcohol Abuse

Studies conducted for the NHS have shown that in England, 68 per cent of men and 57 per cent of women reported drinking an alcoholic drink at least once a week. More worryingly, over 13% of men and 7% of women reported drinking every day.

Further worrying facts show that UK teenagers are among the heaviest drinkers in Europe. A study by Alcohol Concern noted that by the age of 13 the number of children who drink exceeds the number of children who do not. Approximately 22% of children ages 11-15 regularly consume alcohol.

The combined costs of alcohol-related crime and disorder, health problems, lost productivity and domestic break-up have been estimated as approaching £20 billion a year.

There are an estimated 1.2 million incidents of alcohol-related violence, and 85,000 incidents of drink-driving a year.

Drink accounts for one in 26 NHS "bed-days", and up to 17 million working days are lost annually through alcohol abuse.

In addition to the physical damage caused by alcohol, there were also around 35,000 NHS hospital admissions with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to alcohol.

Health issues related to smoking

£1.7 billion is spent by the National Health Service treating diseases caused by smoking a year according to the Centre of Health Economics at the University of York. Every day about 1,000 people a day are admitted to hospital in England alone suffering from smoking-related diseases such as cancer, heart disease and respiratory problems. Each year, over 30,000 people die prematurely (i.e before the age of 60) from smoking related diseases, with over 112,000 deaths per year in total due to smoking related conditions

The economic factors of smoking are also considerable. Every year 285,000 people are admitted to NHS hospitals to be treated for diseases related to smoking, and the cost is further increased when welfare benefit payments are also taken into consideration. Also, it is estimated that British industry loses at least 50 million working days every year from smoking related sick leave.

Whilst attitudes are changing to smoking (the Office of National Statistics reports that over 90% of those surveyed supported a ban on smoking in restaurants, and 66% supporting a ban in pubs) over 24% of the population still smoke regularly.

This not only affects themselves but others around them. The Royal College of Physicians estimates that more than 17,000 children under five are admitted to hospital every year because of passive smoking.

Children are particularly at risk, and in need of education in relation to the dangers of smoking. 82% of smokers start before the age of 18, and whilst less than 1% of 11 and 12-year old children smoke, by the age of 15 years, 1 in 5 children are regular smokers in England. In 2006, 9% of children aged 11–15 years smoked at least one cigarette each week: 10% of girls and 7% of boys.

The amount of young people smoking at a young age is a worrying statistic when you consider the multiple illnesses it can lead to: chronic bronchitis, lung cancers (80% of lung cancer cases are associated with smoking causing around 46,000 deaths a year in the UK), there are also many other forms of cancer including growths in the mouth, voice box, gullet, bladder, pancreas, kidney and cervix. Smoking causes arterial diseases increasing the chances of heart attacks and strokes.

Ansvar as an ethical Insurer

As an ethical insurer, Ansvar accepts that each individual has a personal responsibility to taking a sensible approach, believing that responsible living presents a better insurance risk and should be rewarded.

As well as the damage to the direct health of the user, alcohol misuse, smoking and drug taking have other hidden risks.

Households containing a smoker are almost 40 per cent more likely to suffer a fire than non-smoking households, and in 2005, 82 deaths and over 1,000 injuries occurred as a result of fires caused by smoking in the home.

17% of road deaths are caused by drivers who were over the legal limit of alcohol and alcohol is a major contributor to accidents in the home.