After new Health Secretary Therese Coffey was unable to confirm that a new plan to reduce smoking would be published this year, leading health figures including County Durham's director of public health have called for the Government to explain its plans to reduce smoking.
This comes amid speculation that a new "Tobacco Control Plan" announced in the summer has been dropped - and after Health Secretary Therese Coffey told media that she was “not aware” whether the target to get the adult smoking rate down to 5% or under has been axed. Ms Coffey was also unable say whether or not ministers were set to scrap the commitment to producing the control plan.
The Guardian reports that this is set to happen - but the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said the Government's intention to publish the tobacco plan this year had not changed, but could not say whether it would be published in the coming months. In response, leading public health figures in the North East have joined a cancer survivor in demanding Government action to tackle "our biggest killer".
Amanda Healy, director of public health in County Durham, said: "I speak on behalf of Directors of Public Health in the North East when we say we need action to reduce smoking, especially in regions like the North East where more families suffer. Despite efforts of tobacco companies to derail efforts to reduce smoking, there has been massive support for these efforts and we have made good progress to reduce smoking rates with the NHS and local communities working together.
“Smoking remains our biggest killer and is an addiction that starts in childhood. Tobacco is a driver of poverty and has a negative impact on the economy and for our businesses. Most smokers would like to stop and many deeply regret starting in the first place. The appalling fact is that millions more will die unless we take action."
Ailsa Rutter - who heads up regional campaign group Fresh - also warned that ignoring the issue of smoking would "add more burden on the NHS and condemn more families and more children to lifelong tobacco dependency". The group has previously highlighted the connection between tobacco addiction, chronic illness and poverty in our area.
Sue Mountain, 56, has suffered from smoking-related cancer three times. The South Shields woman said: "The fact is that smoking has killed nearly 8million people in the UK in the last 50 years. Why do we tolerate this? Why aren’t we doing more to stop people dying?
"Prevention saves the NHS, it helps the economy, and it helps ordinary families with their day to day finances. If money is tight then tobacco companies need to be pay for the damage they do. I could have bought half a house with the money I spent on smoking instead of cancer."
The DHSC has insisted the 5% target was not being scrapped and said ministers remained "committed" to hitting it by 2030. But leading medics and campaigners said this won't happen unless further action is taken.
Smoking causes nearly one in five cancer cases and more than one in four cancer deaths each year in the UK. Almost six million people in England still smoke. In June, a major review led by Dr Javed Khan said smoking should be banned in outdoor spaces such as beer gardens, cafe pavements and beaches.
A DHSC spokesperson said the position on publishing the tobacco plan this year had not changed but could not say whether it would be published in the coming months.
“It is inaccurate to suggest that the tobacco control plan has been scrapped and the Government remains committed to its smoke-free ambition by 2030,” they added. We will set out our next steps for the plan in due course."
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