All Together SmokeFree Campaign.
Nationally there is an ambition to create a smoke free generation, where fewer than 5% of people smoke across all demographic groups within society. A key component of this is the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, legislation which aims to curb smoking and vaping in a number of ways, including by raising the age of sale for tobacco by one year every year, meaning people born after 2009 will never be able to legally buy tobacco.
Radically reducing smoking remains the single greatest opportunity to reduce health inequalities and improve healthy life expectancy.
Why is it important?
- Smoking is the single leading cause of preventable death and is responsible for at least half of the difference in life expectancy between the least and most deprived in our sub region.
- Smoking is a cause of 16 cancers, diabetes, and dementia, and accounts for two-thirds of the difference in life expectancy in people with a serious mental illness.
- In Cheshire and Merseyside, 10.4% of adults over 18 now smoke regularly – a reduction of 1.3% since 2022 and below the national average of 11.6%. This progress reflects the dedication of our communities and stop-smoking services, but there is still more work to do.
Smoking in Cheshire and Merseyside
- Smoking kills 2 out of 3 smokers in Cheshire and Merseyside.
- Maternity: Smoking is the leading modifiable risk factor for poor birth outcomes and in our sub-region. Cheshire and Merseyside Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) rate reduced for the full year 23/24 to 8.2%% from 10% in the previous year beginning to close the gap with England now at 7.4% (previously 8.8%).
- Severe mental illness: Smoking is the leading cause of the 10-20 year reduction in life expectancy for people with serious mental illness; in our sub-region, 45 per cent of people with serious mental illness are smokers.
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Around 86 per cent of all COPD deaths are caused by smoking; in our sub-region, 1,258 people die from COPD, each year.
- Cancer: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer, responsible for 27 per cent of cancer deaths; in our sub-region, 1,547 people die from cancer caused by smoking, each year.
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD): Smokers’ CVD risk is double that of non-smokers and nationally, 9.300 people die from CVD caused by smoking, each year.
Healthwatch Halton are supporting the Smoke-Free campaign and were out in the local community earlier in the month, alongside the local Stop Smoking team, to raise awareness of the ambitious project to improve the health of Cheshire and Merseyside.
Get Support to quit
- Visit Smoking Ends Here to find everything you need to stop smoking.
- Call the free National Smokefree Helpline on 0300 123 1044. Talk to a trained adviser for advice and support. Open: Monday to Friday: 9am to 8pm and Saturday and Sunday: 11am to 4pm
- Join others going through the same thing in a friendly and supportive environment: Join the Quit Smoking Support Group on Facebook
- Get in touch with the Halton Stop Smoking Service; a local team of advisors who use tried and tested ways to help you change your smoking habits, such as nicotine therapy.
0300 029 0029
