100k to help smokers kick the habit
A third of adults in Lincoln still smoke – making the city one of the top 25 places nationally for its high proportion of smokers
Shocking new data reveals that 33 per cent of Lincoln's adult population smoke, compared to a national average of 22 per cent.
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Lincoln is one of 25 local authority areas that has been awarded £100,000 to improve the quit rates
The high levels of smoking in the city result in Lincoln being ranked in the top 25 locations nationally for its number of smokers.
And city MP, Gillian Merron, in her new role as public health minister has awarded £100,000 to each of the 25 local authority areas with the highest number of smokers in a bid to improve the quit rates.
"We're helping people in areas with the highest rates of smoking – particularly among young people and those from the poorest communities – so that we can help them to kick the habit for good," said Ms Merron.
Manager of NHS Lincolnshire's Phoenix Stop Smoking Service, Gary Burroughs, said he has been in talks with the City of Lincoln Council and Lincolnshire County Council about how the cash should be spent.
Although details of a campaign are yet to be decided, the money will be spent on 'tobacco control' initiatives based on stopping retailers selling cigarettes to the under 18s and stamping out counterfeit cigarettes made in China.
"There are no regulations attached to how these cigarettes are made so it's raising awareness of what's in these cigarette packets which can elevated levels of arsenic and cadmium as well as rat droppings swept off the floor," said Mr Burroughs.
"We need to bring the message about these counterfeit cigarettes into schools."
NHS Lincolnshire awarded their flagship Phoenix Stop Smoking Service a budget of £1.6m this financial year in attempt to target the city's 25,000 remaining smokers.
"These are the tougher ones to crack," said Mr Burroughs.
"The wards with the highest number of smokers are Park, Moorland and St Giles.
"It's linked to deprivation and while there is rural deprivation, smoking is linked to urban deprivation."
For the full story see Friday's Lincolnshire Echo.
2 Comments
by leave-me-alone, hell
Friday, June 12 2009, 10:06AM
“smoking is a choice, MY choice and the choice of everyone who smokes. they banned it in pubs and now most of them are closed...well done!! where is the revenue on cigs going to come from if everyone gave up smoking? council tax!!! so everyone else will pay. if the government has so much money to throw at smokers they should instead plow it into the nhs, police, or reduce council tax. and before someone spouts what smokers cost the nhs.......... we pay more in tax than you do!!
car drivers and smokers........easy targets.”
by leave-us-alone, hell
Friday, June 12 2009, 10:01AM
“ive smoked since i was 18, over 20 years and i am NOT deprived. its a choice, one that do-gooders cannot seem intent on taking away from me. the smoking ban has contributed to countless pubs closing, reducing what little pleasure there is left in this god-forsaken country. im glad the government has so much spare money to throw at suc trivial causes when the whole country is going to 'hell in a hand-basket'. i'd prefer lower council tax bills and police on the streets but thats too much like hard work to implement, smokers and car owners....easy targets.
and dont forget the tax that comes with every packet bought, where does that money come from when smokers quit?????”