Agenda item

Report attached to be presented by Alice Wiseman and Iain Miller

The Board received a presentation from Alice Wiseman on the 10 Year Tobacco Control Plan.  Alice advised the Board that the issue of engagement still hasn’t been resolved however, it was agreed that the team would continue to provide updates to the Board.

In terms of a reminder of the Background to the plan the current position in Gateshead is that:

·         29,485 Gateshead Residents Smoke

·         Smoking is the single most preventable cause of early death

·         462 Gateshead residents die every year from smoking related diseases

·         More than half of smokers will die early from a smoking related illness

·         For every death there are 20 people living with a life limiting illness

·         Smoking accounts for over half of the differences in risk of premature death between the most and the least deprived

Alice advised the Board that we are making progress; however, this is not fast enough.  It was reported that the need to develop a 10 Year Plan was driven by the following:

-       the Gateshead Tobacco Control Strategy elapsed in March 2016;

-       The National Tobacco Control Strategy elapsed in December 2015 with no replacement to date;

-       Findings from California show the rapid decline in adolescent smoking will not continue if tobacco control expenditure and focus are reduced;

-       The commitment by the Council as part of the Regional Tobacco Alliance, ‘Making Smoking History’, to reduce smoking to 5% by 2025. 

The following recommendations were made by the Health and Wellbeing Board in June 2016:

•        Action 1: Ensure a greater focus on tobacco control activity by all partners on Health and Wellbeing Board for Gateshead.

•        Action 2: Undertake a CLeaR review of the Gateshead Smokefree Tobacco Alliance in July 2016 in partnership with HWB members.

•        Action 3: Work with young people in Gateshead to establish their views and build local action.

•        Action 4: Develop a local 10 year delivery plan based on both the output of the CLeaR assessment and national, regional and local intelligence.

•        Action 5: Maintain public support for action, communicate a clear understanding of the harm caused by tobacco and the benefits of stopping smoking in partnership with FRESH NE.

•        Action 6: Ensure the Sustainability and Transformation Plans (STPs) include challenging action and targets for reducing smoking locally.

The following 5 key objectives the plan aims to achieve are:

·         Reduce smoking prevalence among adults 18 year+ by 1.5% per year to 5% by 2025

·         Reduce smoking prevalence in routine and manual groups by 2.3% per year to 5% by 2025

·         Reduce smoking prevalence among young people (15 year olds) by 0.8% per year to 5% by 2025

·         Reduce smoking during pregnancy by 0/9% per year to 5% by 2025

·         Show progress in tackling local inequalities in smoking rates on a year by year basis

It was suggested that the ambition of 5% smoking prevalence across the Board should be openly more ambitious when it comes to smoking during pregnancy and smoking amongst young people. The aim should be 0% for these particular groups.

There was a request that partners think about how they engage in the Tobacco Alliance.

It was noted that there will be a presentation at the next Board meeting on how the Tyne and Wear Fire Service can be a health asset and this could be an area in which they broaden their work around safety visits.

The Director of Public Health has been challenged to a Year of Action on Tobacco.  Alice also advised the Board that Tobacco dependents need to be treated as though they have a long-term condition and in a non-judgemental way.

RESOLVED -That the 10 Year Tobacco Control Action Plan be endorsed by the Board.

                                 That it is noted that further engagement work will take place on the 10 Year Plan.