Gateshead Council calls for stronger action on smoking

Gateshead Council is urging central government to act on the recommendations set out by Dr Javed Khan OBE, whose recent review found that the poorest parts of England will miss the target date for becoming smokefree by 14 years.

In 2019, the government set an objective for England to be smokefree by 2030, meaning only 5% of the population would smoke by then. Dr Khan's review has found that to achieve this, the rate of decline in smoking must be vastly accelerated through four key recommendations:

1. Investing an additional £125 million per year to fund increased quitting support for smokers
2. Increasing the age of sale by one year, every year until no one can buy tobacco products in England
3. Promoting vaping to help people quit smoking tobacco
4. Improving smoking prevention through the NHS, so that smokers are offered advice and support to quit during every interaction they have with GPs, hospitals, pharmacists, dentists and other NHS services

More detail on these and further recommendations is available in the report summary on the Gov.uk website (opens new window)

Alice Wiseman, Gateshead's Director of Public Health, has signed a joint public letter from the North East Association of Directors of Public Health in support of the recommendations. She said:

"The publication of the Khan Review is very welcome and highlights the fact that if we do nothing different, over half a million more people in England will have died from smoking by 2030. In Gateshead, smoking kills one person roughly every 17 hours. Smoking not only causes 16 types of cancer, heart disease and other illnesses, it also drives poverty and worsens health inequalities. By working with our NHS partners and communities, we are making good progress in reducing smoking rates - but it's simply not enough. We need to do more to protect our children from having their lives cut short by preventable disease."

Last week marked the 15^th anniversary of the smokefree law, which banned smoking in shops, pubs, offices, restaurants and other public places. This was one of the most important pieces of public health legislation to be introduced, as it not only resulted in huge numbers of people quitting but also protected millions more from the dangers of secondhand smoke.

Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council, said:

"The smokefree law has not only proved effective, but it also remains very popular. In 2007, MPs across the political spectrum voted in favour and at the time, it was believed that smoking killed one in two long-term smokers. 15 years on, we now know the real figure to be two in three, and almost nine out of 10 people in the North East continue to support the ban on smoking in public places. Similarly, around three quarters of the public support government intervention or think that the government should do more.

However, there is no guarantee that the recommendations set out in the Khan Review will be acted on and there is a real danger that the smokefree 2030 target will be missed, meaning more lives lost. Together with my colleagues, I am imploring the government to not let that happen."

The tobacco control measures recommended by Dr Javed Khan OBE are supported by:

• Councillor Martin Gannon, Leader of Gateshead Council
• Councillor Bernadette Oliphant, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing
• Councillor Gary Haley, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People
• Councillor Michael McNestry, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care
• Councillor Lynne Caffrey, Chair of the Health and Wellbeing Board
• Sheena Ramsey, Chief Executive
• Alice Wiseman, Director of Public Health