Councils are key to a comprehensive approach to reducing smoking rates.
Analysis by epidemiologist Professor Sir Richard Peto has found that smoking has killed nearly eight million people in the UK in the past 50 years, with an estimated two million more expected to die in the next 20 years unless current smoking rates decline.
In my own council area, Somerset, we still lose about 850 people a year to smoking.
In February, Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, announced an independent review into tobacco control policies needed to achieve the Government’s target of making England smoke free by 2030.
The ‘smokefree’ target will be said to have been reached when the proportion of adults smoking falls to 5 per cent or less.
The review is led by Javed Khan OBE, the former Chief Executive Officer of children’s charity Barnardo’s, who is tasked with providing “independent, evidence-based advice that will inform the Government’s approach to tackling the stark health disparities associated with tobacco use”.
As first was going to press, his report was expected to be published shortly.
We welcome the Government’s ambitious target for England to be ‘smokefree’ by 2030.
Although the UK is a world leader in tobacco control and smoking rates have been falling for decades – in the mid-1970s nearly half of people smoked – the current rate of decline in smoking is insufficient to deliver the ambition. This is particularly so when you consider that death rates are two to three times higher among disadvantaged social groups, and that manual workers are four times more likely to smoke than those in professional or managerial occupations.
Despite a continued decline in smoking prevalence, 13.9 per cent of adults in England still smoke. This equated to more than six million people in 2019.
Proactive work and support for routine and manual workers, pregnant women, those with long-term health and mental health conditions, and those in more deprived areas continue to be a priority for local government.
“The LGA welcomes the Government’s ambitious target”
Across the country, councils commission integrated lifestyle services that can support all smokers.
These include face-to-face support, specialist support for pregnant women, nicotine replacement therapy, support from local pharmacies and, in some places, digital apps including a specialist text helpline for young people.
Quitting smoking is the single most important thing you can do to improve your health. The evidence shows us that the best way to do this is by using a local stop smoking service, where you are four times more likely to succeed.
I very much hope to see this trend continue over the next few years and that we can truly make 2030 ‘smokefree’.
Key LGA asks of the smoking review:
- adequate funding to meet the 2030 ‘smokefree’ ambition
- support a ‘polluter pays’ smokefree 2030 fund
- improved data sharing between agencies
- consideration of a tobacco licensing scheme
- improved coordination between the NHS and local government
- ‘incentivised’ enforcement for illicit tobacco work
- tackling the supply of illegal tobacco with tough enforcement.