Friday, 10 June 2022
Smoking remains the single biggest preventable cause of death and illness in England. It is estimated to kill 1,124 people in Nottinghamshire and approximately 1000 young people take up the habit in the county each year.
Public Health experts at Nottinghamshire County Council are welcoming the recommendation of an independent national review into Tobacco Control Policies which could help England become smokefree by 2030.
Its recommendations include the following four key critical interventions:
Councillor Dr John Doddy, Chairman of Nottinghamshire’s Joint Health & Wellbeing Board, said: “As a local GP, I see at first-hand the devastating impact that tobacco can have on a person’s health and wellbeing. So, I’m delighted that the independent review is suggesting these greater powers to help us make smoking obsolete and protect future generations from serious disease and financial loss.
“We are working with our partners to tackle this issue in Nottinghamshire and have identified tobacco as one of the nine priorities of our new Health and Wellbeing Strategy.”
In Nottinghamshire, recent work to reduce smoking includes:
Councillor Matt Barney, Cabinet Member for Adult and Social Care and Health, said: “As part of the Nottinghamshire plan, we are committed to helping people live healthier lives. Anyone from Nottinghamshire who wants to quit smoking can get free support from our stop smoking service, Your Health Your Way. They provide one to one support that’s tailored to each person’s needs, and it really works. You can make an online referral or just give them a call.”
To contact Your Health Your Way, visit yourhealthnotts.co.uk, call 0115 772 2515 or email yourhealth.notts@nhs.net.
There is widespread public support for measures to end smoking. A 2021 YouGov survey commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), found that more than three quarters (76%) of the public support the Government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition.
ENDS