Three-way fight to cut smoking death toll

The fight to cut deaths from smoking in Manchester will focus on three key areas in a new initiative by the City Council and the NHS.

A Tobacco Task Group, set up in response to new figures showing that the city has the highest number of smoking-related deaths in the country, will focus on:

• Promoting smoke-free homes and communities
• Preventing children and young people from taking up smoking and supporting those who smoke to quit, and
• Tackling counterfeit and illegal tobacco.

Councillor Glynn Evans, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Adult Services, said: "We take these new Department of Health figures very seriously and are unhappy that Manchester has such an alarming number of avoidable deaths.

"We are committed to doing everything we can to reduce the number of smoking-related deaths by preventing young people taking up the habit and helping those already smoking to give up.

"We will be working especially hard in the more-deprived areas of the city where the prevalence of smoking is particularly high to help people give up smoking and to encourage an environment and culture where NOT smoking is the norm.

"We will continue to promote ways of protecting non-smokers, particularly children, from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke.

"We'll also be working with Customs & Excise to cut down on the availability of cigarettes and tobacco imported illegally, some of which are even more harmful than legal tobacco products."

Manchester City Council and its partners have been working to cut smoking for many years and the council was a strong campaigner for a ban of smoking in public places, which was introduced nationally two years ago.

The Department of Health figures published last week showed that on average, men in Manchester live to 73, a 12-month increase on research two years ago but still 10 years less than in the London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Women live to 78 years, nine years less than in the London borough.

For help to stop smoking, contact Manchester Stop Smoking Service on 0161 205 5998 or text QUIT with your name and postcode to 81066.