New research has shown that smoking causes nearly twice as many cancers in the poor as the well-off.Each year, the poorest 20% of English people are affected by cancer. However, the top 20% earners have fewer than 6,200 cases.Cancer Research UK, the estimater, stated that the results underline why ministers should levy a tax on tobacco companies to fund the costs of helping addicts quit.Michelle Mitchell, chief executive of Cancer Research UK, stated that it is alarming that smoking causes more cases of cancer in disadvantaged groups.She said that the large difference in cancer incidence between rich people and poor is so severe that it threatens England's goal of becoming smoke-free by 2030.To achieve this goal, the number of smokers would have to drop from 15.5% (the current record low) to 5%. Despite the fact that smoking has declined in the past 20 years, the majority of smokers are from the poorer classes.According to CRUK, people in the most deprived areas are twice as likely to smoke than those who earn the highest income. This is the main reason why there are so many cancers.The iron chain that links smoking and disadvantage is responsible for the stark difference in cancer rates. Deborah Arnott (chief executive of ASH), said that around 25% of people who work in manual or routine jobs smoke. This is in contrast to fewer than 10% of those who work in management or other professions.CRUK analysis found that the poorest 20% of English people are at greatest risk for developing cancer. This is according to the Office of National Statistics' index of multiple deprivation. It estimated that 11,247 21% are directly caused by smoking.The wealthiest 20% are more likely to be diagnosed with cancer, which is estimated at 63 828. But, far fewer than 6,200 of these cases are due to smoking and represent only 10% of all cancer cases that occur in this part of the country.Professor Linda Bauld from Edinburgh university is a public health expert. She said that smoking among the poorest 20% of the population causes more cancer. This could be due to a number of factors, including smoking exposure, smoking access, smoking tobacco industry marketing, housing pressures and income pressures.Arnott supported CRUK's call for tobacco companies, based on polluter pays principle, to be made to contribute to a smoke free fund. Tobacco companies make huge profits on the backs the poor. She said that it is now time to make them pay for the epidemic they have created.
