Public health experts in Shropshire call for more action to cut smoking

The county's health and wellbeing board was on Thursday told that the county does not have a tobacco control strategy after a service was decommissioned in 2019 and there is limited funding for community smoking cessation services.

A national review, called the Khan review: making smoking obsolete has said that the government will miss its smokefree objective by at least seven years with "the most deprived in society projected to not reach it until 2044.

"A significant acceleration in the rate of decline of smoking prevalence is required if the target is to be reached. This will need to be supported by ambitious action at national and local level"

Public health consultant Berni Lee, in a report to Thursday's board meeting said smoking accounts for "more years of life lost than any other modifiable risk factor".

"In Shropshire, smoking prevalence remains above the national average for key groups most affected by health inequalities, including pregnant women, those living with mental health conditions and people in routine and manual professions.

"Hospital admissions due to smoking are also high in Shropshire. Smoking currently costs the county over £92 million per year in productivity loss, health, social care and fire service costs. Shropshire council currently does not have a tobacco control strategy and following a 2019 service decommission there is limited funding for community smoking cessation services."

The report added that England is currently at least seven years behind its target of making smoking obsolete by 2030, with more deprived groups much further behind.

"The review strongly recommends a new, accelerated commitment at national and local level to tackle smoking as a major cause of health inequalities.

"This will mean preventing people from starting to smoke, and helping smokers quit for good."

It adds that the implications of this review for Shropshire is that smoking "remains a problem for the local population, and investment into tobacco control and smoking cessation should be recognised as a key priority for achieving the objective of reducing health inequalities as set out in the 2022-2025 Shropshire Plan."

The report recommended that the local need for investment in a tobacco control programme and smoking cessation services will need to be reviewed in light of the report.