A fund of £1.9million is set to come to Kent County Council (KCC) to pay for schemes to help residents who smoke kick the habit.
The cash injection from central government is the largest allocation to a local authority from Whitehall’s £70million ‘Stopping the start’ funding pot to help the UK become smokefree by 2030.
Under the grant arrangements, further annual funding to help Kent smokers quit will also follow from the Department of Health and Social Care for an additional four years, between 2025 and 2029.
Speaking at today’s (January 23) Health Reform and Public Health Cabinet Committee, KCC Public Health leaders hailed the extra help to target Kent’s and Britain’s biggest cause of preventable death.
Smoking rates continue to fall nationally and locally. Less than one-in-nine people (11.6%) now smoke in the county, compared to around one-in-five people (20.2%) in 2011.
But tobacco is still responsible for over 60,000 deaths in England per year. As well as increasing the risk of life-threatening health conditions such as dementia, Alzheimer’s, high blood pressure and respiratory disease, it is also the cause of 27% of all cancer fatalities.
Kent County Council Cabinet Member for Public Health, Dan Watkins, said: “Smoking remains the leading single cause of avoidable death, disease and disability and disproportionately affects our most vulnerable residents. It’s actually so harmful that 85% of smokers and ex-smokers regret ever picking up a cigarette in the first place and struggle to stop because of an addiction they don’t want.
“This additional money will significantly increase our funding available to tackle smoking – enabling us to increase services and support to help people quit. It’s a game-changing investment and will help save lives.”
KCC Director of Public Health, Dr Anjan Ghosh, added: “We’re excited to receive the biggest local authority grant and looking forward to working with our healthcare partners and others to bolster local services and interventions to help Kent’s remaining 167,000 residents who still smoke to stop.
“This includes rolling out a Swap-to-Stop scheme with Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust to help adult smokers switch from cigarettes to less toxic vapes. Vapes are a useful aid to help adult smokers quit but they are not risk free so if you don’t smoke, don’t vape.”
With smokers seeking professional help to quit three times more likely to stop than those who rely on willpower alone, anyone wanting to stub out cigarettes is encouraged to contact the free One You Kent smokefree service.
Find out more and fill out an easy self-referral form at www.kent.gov.uk/smokefree or Text ‘QUIT’ to 87023, or call 0300 123 1220, to speak to a friendly adviser.
County Councillor Karen Constantine said: “The announcement of the smoking cessation program is very welcome. I’m sure it will assist a large number of people. However, today at the same meeting, at which I was present, a significant range of concerns were raised about the declining state of Thanet NHS. The lack of GP and dental appointments, midwife and GP shortages, the lack of support for people with mental health needs etc. The growth of poverty – seemingly now unchecked – all too often leads inexorably to a spiral of ill health and declining life expectancy.
“Kent requires urgent investment into an array of vital NHS services. We do need a new hospital in Kent, the proposal to fund one at a cost of £460 million has not materialised. In order to improve faltering maternity services additional funding of £123 million needs to be found. NHS estates, which is everything from roofs to laptops also require funding of £300 to stand still.
“So far there is no sign of this much-needed funding.
“Residents were warned today that council tax will have to rise and they will be expected to pay for more and expect less.”
