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1
South East England Regional Assembly
The impact of smoking on health
2
Illness caused by smoking

• 364,000 patients are admitted to NHS hospitals
  each year due to diseases caused by smoking
• 7,000 hospital admissions per week, or 1,000 day.

3
The cost to the region

• It is estimated that in the South East every day,
  nearly 22 million cigarettes are smoked, that is
  over a million packets a day.
• Currently about 1.6 million adults smoke in the
  South East with more than 16,000 people in the
  South East dieing from smoking each year.

4
Smoking and deprivation
80
60
1973
smoking
40
1996
20
0
0
1
2
3
4
5
Poorest
Most affluent
DEPRIVATION SCORE
5
Costs to the regional economy of smoking
6
Smoking since 1948
7
What can local authorities do?

• Non-smoking policies
• Partnership with the private sector
• Planning and licensing
• Environmental Health Officer powers
• Regeneration and social inclusion policies
• As part of a wider process aimed at reducing
  tobacco related harm

8
Recent Polling

• South East Public Health Group survey for
  Choosing Health
• 79.4 support a ban on smoking in workplaces
• MORI polling
• 81 of those polled in South East backed
  smokefree workplace law.
• Nationally
• 86 of social class AB support the proposal
• 83 of social class C1 support the proposal
• 79 of social class C2 support the proposal
• 72 of social class DE support the proposal.
• Even regular smokers support a new law the poll
  shows support from 59 of daily smokers and 68
  of infrequent smokers

9
The Resolution

• Given the significant adverse impact of smoking
  on the health, well-being and competitiveness of
  the South East
• 120,000 people dying each year from smoking in
  the South East
• 0.2 billion cost to the region's NHS
• 1.7 billion cost to the region's economy
• This Assembly encourages local authorities in the
  South East to hasten preparations for smoke-free
  status by promoting awareness, leading local
  debate, developing partnerships and taking
  measures to reduce the incidence of smoking and
  create smoke-free public environments and
• Calls on central government to bring forward
  legislation to support this work.