Ten years after smoking was banned from public places there has been a significant drop in the number of smokers in Calderdale.
On 1 July 2007 it became illegal to smoke in restaurants, bars, clubs and other public places, protecting staff and guests from breathing second hand smoke.
New figures from Public Health England show that in 2012, five years after the introduction of the smoking ban, 21.6% of people in Calderdale smoked. By 2016 this figure had reduced to 18.7%.
There are many long-term medical conditions which are associated with smoking tobacco, such as heart disease and a range of respiratory conditions including lung cancer, bronchitis and emphysema. Since the smoking ban was introduced there has been a reduction in the number of deaths from these smoking related illnesses.
Between 2013 and 2015 there were around 19 fewer deaths per year from heart disease linked to smoking compared to 2007/09. There were also around 12 fewer deaths per year from strokes linked to smoking between 2013 and 2015, compared to 2007/09.
Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Public Health and Inequalities, Cllr Faisal Shoukat, said:
“These figures are very encouraging as we can see that the smoking ban is making an impact. There’s now a real opportunity that for the first time we will raise a smoke-free generation.
“Our children aren’t used to seeing people smoking around them, and now there’s a good chance that they won’t pick up the habit just because it’s something everyone does. That’s really great news for their future health.”
The Council is strongly committed to discouraging smoking in the borough. It’s never too late to give up and people are four times more likely to successfully quit with support.
The Council funds and supports Yorkshire Smokefree Calderdale to help local people to quit. Practical advice and access to medication to help to quit can be given in person, on the telephone or online with specialist support for pregnant women.
Clinics are held across Calderdale including at GP practices, pharmacies, the Children’s Centres in Elland, Siddal and Halifax, and other community locations including St Paul’s Methodist Church in Sowerby Bridge and Tesco in Brighouse.
The service can be accessed at http://calderdale.yorkshiresmokefree.nhs.uk/(external link) or call 0800 612 0011 which is free from any landline or 0330 660 1166, which is free from most mobiles.
The Council was the first in West Yorkshire to sign up to the Local Authority Declaration on Tobacco Control, and has also signed up to Breathe 2025, to inspire a smoke-free generation of children. To make your pledge visit http://breathe2025.org.uk/(external link)
ENDS