Halton council draws up plan to help residents quit smoking

PROPOSALS designed to help Halton residents live free from tobacco and smoking have been drawn up.

Halton Borough Council’s executive board will learn of the final version of the Halton Tobacco Control Plan – A Smokefree Future.

A report published ahead of the meeting today said ‘good progress’ has been made in reducing the harm smoking causes with fewer young people starting to smoke and a ‘smaller number’ of adults taking up the habit.

The 16.6% of Halton’s population which smoked last year is a reduction from the figure of around 30% in 2001 and is the lowest level since records began.

But the report said smoking rates in the borough remain higher than those for England as a whole and that is the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Runcorn and Widnes.

Smoking also costs the borough’s economy £37.9m a year, which the report said is ‘considerably more’ than the £17.2m generated annually through tobacco duty.

The habit is also highlighted as the ‘primary reason’ for the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor across the borough and that smoking remains high in social groups such as those with mental health conditions, pregnant women, and people with drug and alcohol addictions.

Objectives highlighted in the plan include stopping the inflow of young people taking up the habit, motivating and assisting every smoker to quit, and protecting families.

Though the number of young people smoking in Halton has halved over the last decade, the report said: “However smoking remains an addiction which is largely taken up in childhood, with the majority of smokers start- ing as teenagers.

“As a result many young people become addicted before they fully understand the health risks associated with smoking.

“The plan therefore sets out actions within school and community settings to reduce the number of young people smoking and support those who start to quit.”

The document also highlights how the Halton Stop Smoking Service will work in partnership to reduce smoking rates among identified high risk groups and said around two thirds of smokers say they want to quit.

Steps to protect Halton residents from second hand smoke, ensuring tobacco retailers in Halton comply with legislation and reducing the availability of illicit and counterfeit tobacco products are also mentioned.

Actions are also proposed to ensure the ‘appropriate’ and safe use of e-cigarettes with the report adding concerns surrounding them include their uptake by young people as a potential gateway to smoking, their possibility to re-normalise smoking, the safety for users, and their effectiveness as quitting aids.

The report said: “Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in Halton and is one of the most significant causes of ill health, particularly due to cancer, coronary heart disease and respiratory disease.

“Illicit tobacco damages legitimate businesses and makes tobacco more accessible to children.

“Tobacco smuggling is serious organised crime and the proceeds made from it are used to fund further criminality, perpetuating the cycle of harm.

“Reducing the availability of illicit and counterfeit tobacco products therefore contributes to a safer Halton.”