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Overview
Campaigns
Resources
Useful Links

Overview

This is where you can find out more about smokefree issues and some of our key campaigns - from smoking in pregnancy to tackling the sale of illicit tobacco.

Facts and figures on smoking in the North West

Smoking costs the NHS in the North West an estimated £194 million per annum¹

In the North West, smoking accounts for almost 12,000 deaths annually²

23% of people in the North West smoke, compared to a national average
of 21%³

25% of men in the region smoke, compared to a national average of 22%⁴

22% of women in the region smoke, compared to a national average of 19%⁵

22% of 14-17 year olds claim to smoke in the North West⁶

50% of teenagers who continue smoking will eventually be killed by their habit⁷

The vast majority of smokers begin smoking before they are 18⁸

Young people are three times more likely to smoke if both their parents
smoke⁹

10% of 14-17 year old smokers in North West regularly buy their cigarettes from vending machines¹⁰

Young people are more likely to smoke cigarette brands that are advertised and promoted heavily¹¹

Young women are more likely to smoke than young men¹²

Children are particularly susceptible to exposure to second hand smoke¹³

References

1 ASH, Beyond Smoking Kills 2008
http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_691.pdf

2 Local Authority Health Profiles 2009
http://www.apho.org.uk/default.aspx?QN=P_HEALTH_PROFILES

3, 4, 5 and 8 Office for National Statistics, General Household Survey 2007, Smoking and Drinking Among Adults
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_compendia/GHS07/ GHSSmokingandDrinkingAmongAdults2007.pdf

6, 10 and 12 Trading Standards North West, Market Research Report 2009, Behaviour and Attitude Towards Smoking Among 14-17-year-olds in the North West

7 ASH, Smoking Statistics, Smoking and Death, 2008
http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_107.pdf

9 ASH, Policy Issues, Youth Smoking
http://www.ash.org.uk/ash_9tccgnrs.htm

11 Smokefree Action Report, Protecting Children From Tobacco Marketing 2009
http://www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/point-of-sale-display.html

13 Sandler, DP et al. Cancer risk in adulthoodfrom early exposure to parents' smoking. Am J Pub Health 1985; 75: 487-492
http://www.ajph.org/cgi/reprint/75/5/487

Campaigns

Smokefree North West believes that every child and young person in the region is entitled to a tobacco-free future.

Together with our partner organisations, we are working on a number of campaigns to help achieve this. On this page you can learn more about the latest work in these areas.

If you have any problems accessing these documents, please download Adobe Acrobat here.

You can also find information on these campaigns - and other smokefree issues - in our Resource Library and on our Useful Links page.

Children and Young People

One of Smokefree North West’s key priorities is to break the cycle of children and young people’s addiction and exposure to tobacco, and challenge the tobacco industry’s recruitment of new smokers.

Essential Information on Secondhand Smoke in the Home (PDF 836kb)
Beyond Smoking Kills Protecting Children Reducing Inequalities 2008 (PDF 5326kb)
Consultation on the future of tobacco control (PDF 405kb)
Secondhand Smoke 2006 (PDF 716kb)
Secondhand Smoke Impact on Children 2006 (PDF 283kb)
SFNW evaluation (PDF 917kb)
Smoke-free movies (PDF 755kb)
Smoking in Cars (PDF 791kb)
TSNW 2007 (PDF 150kb)
TSNW 2009 (PDF 7267kb)

Elsewhere on the web

The Health Bill

As part of the Health Bill 2009, legislation to remove cigarettes and tobacco from display at the point of sale and ban cigarette vending machines has been given the green light in Parliament.

Secondhand Smoke – Protecting Children and Young People

Children and Young PeopleSmokefree North West leads the region’s work on protecting children and young people from tobacco harm. There are clear links between exposure to secondhand smoke and damage to children’s health. Secondhand smoke in the home and the car is particularly dangerous.

Health and Wealth – Health Inequalities linked to Smoking

People living in different socio-economic environments face very different risks of ill health and early death, especially in relation to smoking. Those from more deprived communities have poorer short and long term health than those in better off communities.

Smuggled and Fake Tobacco

Illicit tobacco – whether it’s smuggled or fake - puts children at risk. In July 2009 an initiative was launched to rid the North West of illicit tobacco, with the aim of cutting smoking-related death rates and clearing the region’s streets of a significant source of crime.

Mental Health

Nearly 45% of all the cigarettes consumed are smoked by people with a psychiatric disorder. This is especially significant as smoking has a negative effect on many mental health conditions. New legislation is being used as an opportunity to help more people with mental health conditions to stop smoking for good.

Smokefree Pregnancy

Protecting unborn babies from tobacco is a key priority for Smokefree North West – the region’s rates of smoking among women due to give birth are higher than the national average.

Smokefree Movies

Smoking featured in 75 per cent of the top box office youth rated films of the past 10 years. Research has shown that exposure to smoking in movies is the single most powerful pro-tobacco influence on young people, accounting for the recruitment of 52 per cent of all new 11 to 17-year old smokers. In June 2009 Liverpool City Council launched a consultation on smokefree movies.

Resources

In this section, you will find documents providing more information on Smokefree North West's areas of work. This list of documents will be updated as new research is completed.

You can also find information on a range of other smokefree issues - from smoking in black and minority ethnic communities, to international tobacco policy.

If you have any problems accessing these documents, please download Adobe Acrobat here.

Smoking Profiles

Local smoking profiles for the North West are available from the North West Public Health Observatory website at www.nwph.info/sam. The smoking profile tool allows users to compare morbidity and mortality rates across the region by local authority and by primary care trust and to view trend data. The data is also available for download.

Niche Tobacco Products Directory

The Niche Tobacco Products Directory has been constructed with the support of council trading standards services across England and Wales. Local Government Regulation hopes it will provide a good source of reference material and help councils and others to effectively regulate this market in a practical way , avoiding duplication of effort. Access is easy: just log onto www.ntpd.lacors.gov.uk and browse the directory.

Useful Links

On this page, you will find links to some of Smokefree North West's partner organisations, as well as other tobacco control initiatives.

If you would like to suggest a link to add to this page, please contact us at info@smokefreenorthwest.org.

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