Senior leaders unite to back government proposals to create a smokefree generation

West Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership (WY HCP) has published an open response welcoming government proposals to raise the age of sale for tobacco products, create a smokefree generation and eventually eradicate youth vaping.

In a joint letter Cathy Elliott, Chair of NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, Councillor Tim Swift, Chair of WY HCP; Rob Webster CEO for NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board; Dr James Thomas, Medical Director for NHS West Yorkshire Integrated Care Board and Chair of West Yorkshire’s Clinical and Care Professional Forum; and Rachel Spencer-Henshall, Public Health Director, and WY HCP Public Health Director Lead respond to the consultation Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation setting out their reasons for backing the proposals.

Reducing smoking rates supports many of WY HCP’s big ambitions and could increase the years of life that people live in good health in West Yorkshire and reduce stillbirths and neonatal deaths. Other considerations include reducing the gap in life expectancy between people with mental health conditions, learning disabilities or autism and the rest of the population, cutting waste associated with smoking and fewer people becoming unable to work through smoking related ill health.

In West Yorkshire, there are around 252,000 adults who smoke, around 13.1% prevalence, which is higher than the national average. The harms caused by smoking are considerable increasing the risks of cancer, heart disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and stroke with at least 19,000 hospital admissions and 8,900 deaths every year in West Yorkshire alone.

Raising the age that people can legally buy tobacco products will also help delay smoking uptake and reduce the number of young people who start smoking in the first place. The letter encourages the government to take all action possible to ensure that the legislation introduced is robust and welcomes the commitment to increase funding for tobacco enforcement.

See the letter in full on our website.