Quitting smoking could lift 418,000 households and 1.1 million people out of poverty, says ASH.

A new ‘Local Poverty Calculator’ published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows local councils how many people in their area are in poverty because of smoking and what an impact services to help people quit smoking can have to reduce rates of poverty.

The national data, first published in June, shows that of the 5 million households in England that include an adult smoker 1.4 million (27%) are below the poverty line. An estimated 418,000 households could be lifted out of poverty if they quit smoking.

These households comprise roughly 1.1 million people including 325,000 children and 156,000 pensioners. On average households that include a smoker spend £2,158 a year on tobacco.

In response Forest accused ASH of "breathtaking hypocrisy".

Simon Clark, director of Forest, said: "Anti-smoking campaigners love it when tobacco taxation goes up but they ignore the impact it has on those who can least afford it.

"Punitive taxation on tobacco, which ASH supports, increases poverty in some households so it's breathtaking hypocrisy to use the poverty card as part of their campaign to force people to quit.

"Their lack of empathy for adults who enjoy a cigarette is staggering. Tobacco is a legal product and smokers have a right to expect a level of taxation that is fair and reasonable and doesn't increase inequality.

"The argument that giving up smoking will lift people out of poverty is also unrealistic because the odds are they will spend the money on other things, which is their choice."

See New figures show each local authority how many people could be lifted out of poverty if they quit smoking (ASH) and Anti-smoking policies help create and sustain poverty, says Forest (Forest Online).

Update: I'll be discussing this on BBC Radio Devon shortly after 8.00am.

Meanwhile the Northumberland Gazette is the first to fall for the propaganda – Quitting smoking would lift 59,000 in North East out of poverty.

Yeah, right. Then they'll tax sugar, introduce minimum pricing of alcohol … and so it goes on.

Update: Interestingly the 'story' seems to have bombed. There are a handful of regional reports but nothing in the national media (not even the Guardian).

Perhaps it was the line 'first published in June' that put them off. Then again, it's worked for ASH before. Recycling old data is one of their favourite pastimes.

Update: Following a gentle nudge the Northumberland Gazette updated its report to include a quote from Forest.