Poor Scots ‘twice as likely to die early’

Scots living in poverty are twice as likely to die early or live with serious health conditions as people living in wealthy areas, according to a new report.

The scale of Scotland’s health inequalities is revealed in a study by NHS Health Scotland, the health board tasked with looking at the issue.

It reveals early death and illnesses associated with harmful behaviours like the use of drugs, tobacco and alcohol are more common in poorer areas than in richer areas.

The report concludes that 32.9 per cent of early deaths and ill health in Scotland could be avoided if the whole population had the same quality of life as the people who live in the wealthiest areas.

Study lead Dr Diane Stockton said the findings show “life circumstances” for those in poverty need to be improved.

“The stark inequalities highlighted in our report represent thousands of deaths that didn’t need to happen,” she said.

“Illnesses that people didn’t have to endure, and tragedy for thousands of families in Scotland.

“It does not have to be this way.  The fact that people in our wealthiest areas are in better health and that conditions that cause most of the ill health and early death result from things we can change – like illnesses associated with mental wellbeing, diet, drug use and alcohol dependency – shows that it is possible to create a fairer healthier Scotland.”

Smoking campaigners ASH Scotland welcomed calls to create healthier conditions for deprived communities.

Chief executive Sheila Duffy said: “The aim in Scotland is to put smoking out of sight, out of mind and out of fashion for the next generation.

“ASH Scotland supports the call to create healthier environments for people facing inequality. We know that you’re nearly three times more likely to smoke if you live in Scotland’s poorest communities, compared to our most well-off areas.

“Smoking is the largest cause of preventable ill-health in Scotland. We need to help the majority of smokers, who want to quit, to succeed.”

Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland, said: “We all want to see a country where everyone has the opportunity to have a healthy and happy life. Dealing with the structural drivers of poverty and inequality is necessary to enable that, however, reducing alcohol consumption is one of the few public health interventions that can also help.

 “The introduction of minimum unit pricing will help reduce alcohol-related harm, but if we are serious about closing the gap and making the life chances of our children fairer we also need to tackle the widespread availability of alcohol, particularly in our poorest communities.”