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Tobacco Control: How local authorities can make best use of diminishing resources. Ailsa Rutter, Director, Fresh: Smokefree North East. “…the burning injustice that if you’re born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others.” Prime Minister Theresa May, July 2016.
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Tobacco Control: How local authorities can make best use of diminishing resources Ailsa Rutter, Director, Fresh: Smokefree North East
“…the burning injustice that if you’re born poor you will die on average nine years earlier than others.” Prime Minister Theresa May, July 2016
Current situation • Smoking rates have reduced considerably over the last 20 years, by a third amongst adults and two thirds amongst children. • However, smoking remains the largest cause of preventable and premature death in England killing nearly 80,000 per year. • Preventative tobacco control work is hugely cost effective, but funding is being cut.
Burning Injustice • APPG Inquiry into the state of local and national tobacco control. • Published in January 2017. • Contains recommendations for the government, local authorities and the NHS. http://ash.org.uk/download/burning-injustice/
National leadership and action • New cross-government Tobacco Control Plan that includes ambitious new targets to reduce rates of smoking for all groups • Levy on tobacco companies to support investment nationally and locally
Taken from Better Health for London, the report of the London Health Commission
Local impact • Local activity on smoking contributes to local outcomes: • Children the best start in life • Boosting the income of our poorest social groups • Tackling crime • Reducing social care and NHS costs • Increasing productivity of the local workforce • NICE has estimated that for every £1 invested £2.37 will be saved through treating smoking-related disease and lost productivity.
Burning injustice recommendations • The report contains 7 specific recommendations for local authorities. • These focus on: • Creating budgets informed by Public Health • Developing local tobacco control plans • Developing roles for HWBB to oversee implementation of local plans and facilitating coordination with local NHS organisations. • Reliance on current evidence of the impact and cost-effectiveness of different interventions. • Prioritising provision of specialist services for vulnerable groups when budgets prevent provision of a universal service. • Collaboration across boundaries in forming regional partnerships • Commitment to sharing best practice and exploring joint working and commissioning
Local action: Support to quit • Attempting to quit with the support of a stop smoking service is 4 times more effective than quitting unaided and highly cost effective • Stop smoking services have experienced budget cuts alongside other TC activities • Budgets are under pressure BUT complete removal of services likely to be a false economy in the long-run. • New models such as ‘Stop Smoking +’ offer a more strategic deployment of limited resources • Hugh untapped potential of the NHS primary and secondary care. Explored through STP
Local action: Harm reduction • NICE guidance on tobacco harm reduction: quitting best BUT if you can’t then nicotine alternatives better than smoking • Massive rise in use of e-cigarettes now 2.9 million users in GB – just over half ex-smokers • Locally need to maximise benefits and minimise risks e.g. ‘Ditch or Switch’ message
Local action: Trading Standards • Effective enforcement by trading standards is essential to successful tobacco control work. • One of the most important areas is illicit. • However, trading standards has experienced a 12% decline in staff since 2014. • Joined up models of working shown to be effective and can deliver value
Local action: Youth Prevention • Smoking is an addiction of childhood with two thirds starting smoking before age 18. • This may make youth prevention work seem attractive. • However, an NCSCT evaluation found that the return from school-based youth prevention is minimal compared to adult smoking cessation services.
Regional Partnerships • Working at a regional level is an effective way to deliver tobacco control. • The North East has had a locally commissioned comprehensive regional programme since 2005 – Fresh. • The evidence for regional partnerships is illustrated by the above average decline in smoking prevalence in the NE – 9.1 percentage points compared to 6 across England.
Comprehensive/ efficiencies Change in regional smoking prevalence 2005-2014
Figure 2.3 Projection of smoking prevalence in England to achieve prevalence of less than 5% in all socio-economic groups by 2035
For more information ASH Ash.org.uk 0207 404 0242 enquiries@ash.org.uk @ASH_LDN FRESH Freshne.com 01913337141 info@freshne.com @FreshSmokeFree