Re: the proposed beer garden smoking ban:

There is the famous _Yes, Minister_ argument about smokers being a net postitive for the NHS given that they are likely to die younger of smoking related diseases instead of requiring expensive care for more complex diseases later in life.

A study in Finland found that each smoker contributed a net positive of 133,000 euros to their health system by dying younger (on average). Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23233699/

#ukpolitics #smokingban

The net effect of smoking on healthcare and welfare costs. A cohort study - PubMed

Smoking was associated with a moderate decrease in healthcare costs, and a marked decrease in pension costs due to increased mortality.

^PubMed