Smoke Free Birmingham

Government Consultation on the future of Tobacco Control

Tobacco is still the biggest killer in our communities.  It kills more people than road traffic accidents, suicides, alcohol liver disease, poisoning and overdose, other accidental deaths, murder, manslaughter and HIV put together. [1]

It is a key factor behind heart attacks, stroke, respiratory diseases and cancer.  It kills over 87,000 people in England every year with around 2,000 of these deaths occurring in Birmingham.  It is also a disease of the poor.  Some of our most deprived areas of the city have smoking prevalence rates over 40%.

We cannot afford to stop educating people about the dangers of smoking.

The Department of Health are consulting on the future of tobacco control in England.   Closing date for responses to their consultation is September 8th 2008.  You can view the full consultation at

www.dh.gov.uk/en/consultations/liveconsultations/dh_085120

There are four main areas to the consultation where the Government are seeking views:

• protecting children and young people from smoking
• further action to reduce smoking rates and health inequalities caused by smoking
• Helping smokers to quit
• Helping those who cannot quit

There are two major proposals in the consultation to:

• Restrict access to cigarette vending machines by young people – whether by banning vending machines altogether or through mechanisms identifying the age of the user;
• Keep cigarettes out of sight in shops and restrict advertising in supermarkets and on shop counters.

Other suggestions around what more can be done to continue to reduce harm to health caused by smoking include the following possibilities;

• End sale of packs of 10 cigarettes often used by children
• Introduce plain packaging for cigarettes packets (i.e. no logos or branding)
• restrict the advertising of tobacco products – such as cigarette papers

[1] Mortality statistics, ONS 2002;

 

Send an e-card to the Department of Health

The Government is currently holding a consultation on the future of Tobacco Control.

Please show your support by sending an e-postcard to the Department of Health

http://www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/consultation_response/eresponse.html
 

 

First Anniversary of England's Smoke-free Law

On the first anniversary of England’s smokefree law, public support for smokefree environments is still rising¹ and surveys show that most people are in favour of even stronger measures to reduce smoking and to protect children from secondhand smoke.² The law has also resulted in a fall in sales of cigarettes³ and more people than ever are giving up smoking.⁴

Last week, the Office for National Statistics revealed that eighty per cent of Britons agreed with the ban on smoking in public places, with 61% strongly in favour, while a YouGov poll commissioned by ASH found similar levels of support with 63% strongly supporting the measure.

The YouGov survey also revealed that in England:

• 77% of adults support a ban on smoking in cars carrying children under the age of 18
• 85% of adults want retailers who are convicted of selling tobacco illegally to children to be banned from selling tobacco products
• 59% support the banning of tobacco products being displayed in shops
• 65% support the prohibition of sales of tobacco from vending machines.

The Government is currently considering action to restrict or remove the display of tobacco products in shops, as well as requiring retailers to sell them from under the counter, and a possible ban on cigarette vending machines.

The ASH research shows a majority of people are in favour of these policies but for the following measures more than three out of four want more action:

• Easier access to quitting medications, such as nicotine gum and patches (82%);
• Licences for tobacco vendors, which should be removed if they are caught selling to underage smokers; (87%)
• A crackdown on tobacco smuggling (75%).

Deborah Arnott, Director of the health campaigning charity ASH, said: -

“The smokefree legislation has been a fantastic success and is hugely popular.

But what it also shows is a hunger for more action: the smokefree law is not an end in itself but has proven to be a catalyst for further controls on tobacco. There is still a lot more that needs to be done. In particular the Government should focus on measures to shield children from tobacco industry marketing while parents and carers can do much more to protect children from exposure to secondhand smoke in the home and car.

We should celebrate achievements so far but cannot afford to be complacent. With nine million people in England still hooked on tobacco, we must re-galvanize our efforts to substantially reduce current rates of smoking and to protect children from smoking.”

Notes and links:
[1] Smoking related behaviour and attitudes 2007. ONS, 2008. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/smoke0608.pdf

[2] YouGov poll. Key findings of the survey are available at: http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_684.pdf
Total sample size was 3,329 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 20th - 25th February 2008. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18 ). The study was a collaboration between ASH, ASH Scotland and ASH Wales. The sample size for the England data was 1056.

[3] A report by industry analysts AC Nielsen in Jan 2008 recorded a drop in cigarette sales of 3.9% for the 12 months from Jan 2007 to Jan 2008 (compared to 2% decline in 2006).

[4] The research found that the decline in smoking prevalence for the 9 months prior to the smoking ban was 1.6% whereas in the 9 months after July it rose to 5.5%. Researchers estimate that this means at least 400,000 people quit smoking as a result of the ban.
Source: The Smoking Toolkit Study. This is a monthly series of national household surveys with smokers and recent ex-smokers being followed up for six months. Data collection began in October 2006. The study is currently funded by Cancer Research UK, McNeil, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. The fieldwork is undertaken by the British Market Research Bureau (BRMB).
 

 

How to stop your children getting hooked on smoking

Some schools are handing out nicotine patches for kids as part of a new scheme.

New government figures show that some secondary school pupils smoke up to 45 cigarettes a week.

Until now children haven’t been able to use nicotine patches to help them quit. But a new scheme hands out the patches in the hope of preventing teens becoming life-long smokers.

Some parents have reacted angrily to the initiative – recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) – saying it’s up to parents to intervene if their child is smoking.

Amanda Sandford, Research Manager of ASH says: “Previously many young people who were able to buy cigarettes were prevented from using nicotine replacement therapy to help them quit. It just didn’t make sense.”

Now anti-smoking groups are aiming their campaigns at younger audiences.

Jean King, from Cancer Research UK, says: “It is vital we work to reduce this figure. The earlier someone starts to smoke, the more difficult it is for them to quit.”

So, how can you help your child quit smoking? The first thing you need to do is look at why they’re smoking. Here are the main reasons, and what you can do about them.

It’s what everyone does

If all the people around your child smoke, there’s no reason for them to think there’s anything wrong with it. They might have started the habit without even thinking about it because it’s just seen as the norm. But if you share a few harsh facts with them it might just make them change their minds.

Copying parents

You can tell your kids not to smoke till you are blue in the face but if you light up five minutes later they’re not going to take any notice. So, the best way to help them quit is to show them a good example and do it yourself. Amanda Sandford of ASH says: “Children are three times more likely to become smokers if their parents smoke.

Don’t leave your cigarettes lying around – you won’t notice the odd one missing – and don’t let them see you smoking as a form of stress relief.
If you can’t give up, try using nicotine products like gum, just to give you your fix while your child is around.

Put restrictions in your home on where and when you can smoke. This will have a better influence on their view of smoking – if it’s out of sight it’s out of mind".

Weight control

Teenage girls in particular are so body conscious that many take up smoking in the hope it will suppress their appetites and help them lose weight. This is a dangerous road for children to start down so you should talk to them about why they want to lose weight and ways they can do it without taking up the cigs.

Try taking up swimming or dancing to keep you and your teen fit and healthy. And a trip to the GP can show them the ageing effects won’t give them a beach bod.

Vending machines

Baby-faced teens can easily get their hands on a packet of cigarettes by simply popping money into a slot, and 17 per cent of underage purchases are from machines.

The Government is hoping to bring in stricter rules about machines or a total ban. If you do find cigarettes on your child ASH say the first thing you should do is find out where they got them from and report the retailer.

Get them to speak to a school nurse, local GP or pharmacist. They will be able to give real health advice and support, without them feeling like they’re being lectured.