Language used not helpful in bid to stop smoking

LANCASHIRE county council will this week unveil a £2m plan to help people give up smoking. It has statutory responsibilities to promote good public health and this project is part of that.

Sixteen per cent of adults in Lancashire smoke, compared to 15pc nationally.

In Lancashire, 23pc of people with manual or ‘routine’ jobs smoke.

Lancashire’s ‘control plan’ aims to bring this down to 12pc by supporting people to give up the habit.

All well and good, but the language from the councillor in charge of this project, Shaun Turner, isn’t particularly helpful.

“It’s crazy that it’s so preventable and dangerous as well,” he was quoted as saying.

I know many smokers who want to quit, and many who have tried but found it very hard.

Passing judgement on their habit isn’t a good way to start working with them.

Regardless of how much money there is to spend, the hardest part is normally taking that first step – and people will want to know those helping them are on their side, not passing

judgement.