Written question asked by Paul Flynn (Labour) on Monday, 21 March 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 7 April 2005. It was answered by Melanie Johnson (Labour) on Thursday, 7 April 2005 on behalf of the Department of Health.

Dept of Health

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what estimate his Department has made of health expenditure relating to (a) nicotine, (b) alcohol and (c) illegal drug use in each of the last five years.

Answer: Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate his Department has made of health expenditure relating to (a) nicotine, (b) alcohol and (c) illegal drug use in each of the last five years. [223705] Miss Melanie Johnson: Smoking costs the national health service between £1.4 billion and £1.7 billion a year in England, as set out in the White Paper, Choosing Health1. 1 Buck D et al--University of York Centre for Health Economics. Cost effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions: Health Education Authority 1997. The interim analytical report prepared by the strategy unit to support the production of the alcohol harm reduction strategy for England estimated the cost annually to the health service due to alcohol related harm as between £1.4 and £1.7 billion. The Home Office research study 249, "The economic and social costs of class A drug misuse in England and Wales, 2000", estimated that: Young recreational users cost the NHS about £2 million. The total healthcare costs for older regular users were also about £2 million. Problem drug users are estimated to cost the NHS between £283 million and £509 million per year, in addition to the specific addiction treatment they are receiving.

Secondary information