LGA responds to Ash report on Stop Smoking Services funding

14 Jan 2020 10:14 AM

Cllr Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, responded to a report by Action on Smoking and Health and Cancer Research UK, on how funding shortages for local tobacco control could put the Government’s smokefree 2030 target at risk 

“Councils can help the Government achieve its ambition of eliminating smoking by 2030 with adequate long-term funding for their public health services.

“Smoking rates continue to fall, which is good news, but as this report highlights there needs to be greater help for those most in need of support, including routine and manual workers or people with mental health conditions.

“People’s lives are improved for the better by councils, with every pound invested by government in council-run services such as public health helping to relieve pressure on other services like the NHS, criminal justice and welfare.

“Smoking is still the leading cause of preventable death and local government stands ready to work with central government to tackle this.”

New survey shows funding shortages for local tobacco control could put smokefree 2030 target at risk