Agenda item

The Health and Wellbeing Board considered a report that provided an overview of the tobacco control work in Oldham, in the context of regional and national policy and approaches. It focused on the role of the Oldham Tobacco Alliance, made up of partners and services from across the borough, in progressing this agenda and working together to tackle tobacco-related harm and improve the health and wellbeing of people living in Oldham.

It was noted that one in seven adults still smoked in England and tobacco remained the single biggest cause of preventable illness and death. Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking, and smoking substantially increases the risk of heart disease, heart attack and stroke and causes the vast majority of cases of lung cancer. Tackling smoking was one of the most effective interventions that could be made to prevent ill health and to reduce health inequalities. Reducing smoking rates not only improved health outcomes and reduced the burden on the NHS, it also boosted productivity and economic growth.

Smoking prevalence in Oldham was considerably higher than Greater Manchester and England rates and tobacco-related harm disproportionality impacted several of the Borough’s communities, including those who were already impacted by high levels of deprivation and other socio-economic determinants of health. Reducing smoking rates in the borough was a priority in the Oldham Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Oldham Integrated Care Partnership’s Locality Plan.

The vision of the Oldham Tobacco Alliance is to improve the health and wellbeing of Oldham’s population by reducing smoking rates, minimising tobacco related harm and contributing to a reduction in the health inequalities experienced by some of our communities due to smoking and tobacco.

Significantly reducing smoking prevalence at a far faster rate than at present will:

–        improve health outcomes,

–        support poverty reduction,

–        deliver higher productivity,

–        give babies and children a better start in life,

–        reduce health and social care costs and

–        cut crime by dealing with the illegal tobacco trade.

Therefore, the Oldham Tobacco Alliance is taking a strategic and comprehensive approach to tobacco control (aligned to national and regional policy and evidence base) to make smoking less accessible, acceptable and desirable, empower successful quitting and stop young people starting to smoke in the first place.

The Health and Wellbeing Board was asked to consider Oldham’s approach to tobacco control, the work to date of the Oldham Tobacco Alliance and the wider health and care system in tackling smoking and the effectiveness of the locality tobacco control plan in reducing smoking prevalence and tobacco related harm.

Health and Wellbeing Board was asked to consider what more can be done to address smoking locally and to reduce the risk and impact of tobacco related harm and how we can work together as a system to contribute to reducing the health inequalities caused by tobacco and smoking and improve the health and wellbeing of our residents.

In this regard the Board received presentations concerning assistance for smokers to quit; the range of measures that NHS Pharmaceutical Services can provide to help people to quit smoking; enforcement action that the Council and partner agencies can and are taking to counter the threats posed by vendors selling tobacco products to under 18-year-olds and problems associated with counterfeit and illegal cigarettes. The Board was also advised of the problems that were being caused by young people who used vaping products. In this regard the meeting noted that the Youth Council had submitted a Motion, to Council on 12^th July 2023, regarding the prevalence of vaping amongst young people and the negative side-effects that this led to. the Motion was unanimously endorsed by the Council.  

Resolved:

That the Health and Wellbeing Board supports current and planned initiatives to reduce smoking, for the benefit of the Borough’s residents.