SO CIG OF CRUNCH

Recession has Shameless effect as fag sales rocket

By Sophy Ridge, 16/08/2009

BROKE Brits continue to be dragged down by the credit crunch - turning to booze and fags to beat the recession blues.

Stressed-out adults are putting their health at risk guzzling MORE alcohol and puffing on MORE cigarettes than they did before the crunch hit.

And in a desperate bid to save cash on weekly bills, hard-up families are ditching healthy fruit 'n' veg and gorging on cheap junk food instead.

The worrying surge in unhealthy lifestyles - along the lines of Frank Gallagher in TV hit Shameless - has been recorded by mysupermarket.com, which monitors online sales at Britain's major supermarkets.

The frightening data, taken since the beginning of the recession in 2007, includes:

CIGARETTE sales up 35.7 per cent,
BEER sales up 11 per cent,
READY MEAL sales up 18 per cent,
JUNK FOOD sales up 17 per cent
FRUIT sales down eight per cent, with VEG down seven per cent, and
ORGANIC grub sales down a whopping 23.7 per cent.

David Soskin of mysupermarket.com, said: "It's worrying that people are choosing wealth over health in the recession. The nation is becoming unhealthier because there is a misconception that healthy foods are more expensive than snacks."

The health crunch has a clear North/South divide, with shoppers in the North buying more fags, alcohol and ready meals. This may be because unemployment has struck hardest in Northern cities which rely on manufacturing, leaving residents more stressed, with less disposable income.

Fag sales are up 35.7 per cent, with the biggest jump in Glasgow and Dundee. This is down to cash-strapped smokers buying cartons of 200 cigs as part of their weekly shop rather than a pack of 20 on an evening out.

The rise in the sales of beer (11 per cent) and white wine (nine per cent) is partly because Brits are drinking at home rather than going to the pub in order to try and save the pennies.

Families are also stocking up on ready meals because they have stopped eating out as the credit crunch bites. Shoppers in Wolverhampton are splashing the most cash on unhealthy ready meals, with Blackpool and Sunderland close behind.

These cities have all been hit by high levels of unemployment as the recession sweeps the nation.

David Soskin added: "People seem to be opting for more nights in over spending time in the pub. The popularity of ready meals is soaring as people try to recreate that Friday night atmosphere at home."

Fast food joints are also booming. KFC is creating 9,000 extra jobs and 200 new restaurants, McDonald's announced its "strongest ever" sales in the UK and pizza chain Domino's has seen a 25 per cent jump in profits.

Meanwhile, fruit sales are down by eight per cent while vegetable sales are seven per cent lower than in 2007.

And the organic food market has been devastated - sales are down 23.7 per cent - as hard-up families can no longer afford the pricier options.

Your comments

This article has 4 comments

glasgow well scotland was the first to introduce a blanket smoking ban the first in the uk as a smoker i was appaled that i could not go to a bar or coffee shop to have a cig we where told by the useless jack mcconnell our first minister at the time it was good for our health we now find out that sales in glasgow of cigs is up 35.7percent the highest in the uk go figure the ban of anything will never work people do not like the nanny state telling them what to do these figures prove that

By tina.. Posted January 31 2010 at 2:10 AM.

Millions of couch potatoes will risse because they know that the goverment will support them even if they watch tv allday allnight..And even if you have a job your tax is bigger than your salary,which is not enough for you to bu healthy fruit and veg.
Force those 18years of age and above to get a job as long as they are capable..that's the exact scenario that the gov't needs to do to lessen recession.

By Ceclio Domdom.. Posted August 28 2009 at 7:37 PM.

Been saying for ages now,This governments enough to drive you to drink.

By Smithy.. Posted August 16 2009 at 11:45 AM.

When can we expect more Labour interference into our lives because of this data

It is Browns incompetance which caused it.

By steve tea.. Posted August 16 2009 at 7:37 AM.

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