Stoke-on-Trent is set to receive almost £2 million from the government to be invested in smoking reduction measures. The funding from the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) is part of a plan running until 2029 aimed at creating a smoke-free generation.
The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID), formerly the Office for Health Promotion, was created in 2021 and is part of the Department of Health and Social Care. Its remit is to advise the government on issues relating to public health, which include reducing smoking.
National smoking figures show downward trend
Stephen Gunther, director of public health for Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said he was “really pleased that we have received this funding to build on the great work that is already being done to stop people from starting smoking and help those who are to quit”.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures released late last year show that there were 6 million smokers in the UK in 2023, 11.9% of the population. This represents the lowest proportion since records began in 2011, with people aged 25 to 34 making up the largest group of current smokers. Around 5.1 million people are currently using e-cigarettes as an alternative to smoking tobacco with the highest use in the 16 to 24 age group.
Social deprivation hampers health despite willingness to change
In 2022 the council’s health and wellbeing board received evidence as part of the Khan Review into tobacco control policy that an average of 24 people die every week in the city due to smoking-related health issues. The report also warned that areas with a history of social deprivation and the associated public health issues, of which Stoke-on-Trent is one, were at risk of missing the government target of having only 5% of the national population still smoking by 2030.
The review was led by Dr Javed Khan OBE and set out the case for investing £125mn a year in policies aimed at making the UK smoke free by 2030. Key recommendations included raising the age at which tobacco products can be bought by one year every year until nobody is of legal age to buy them and promoting vaping as an alternative to smoking.
High levels of smoking have been associated with most indicators of disadvantage, including the growing disparity in life expectancy between the most and least affluent communities. Smokers in less affluent areas of the country are no less motivated to quit the habit, but their efforts can often be hampered by difficulty accessing support services and the stress associated with living in poverty.
Organisations in Stoke unite to support anti-smoking action
In late 2023 the council set out plans to improve wellbeing in the city by tackling key areas including health, inequality and public safety as part of its ‘Our City, Our Wellbeing‘ strategy. Since 2024 the council has deployed a range of initiatives to cut smoking rates in the city, including providing tailored support for people who want to quit smoking and vaping.
Efforts to reduce smoking rates will be led by the newly-formed Stoke-on-Trent Tobacco Alliance, which will bring together organisations working on smoking-related issues with the aim of making a bigger impact. This, Gunther said, would give health services a “better chance to create a smoke-free generation and support those who want to quit”.
Cabinet member for health and wellbeing, Lynn Watkins, welcomed the investment saying the money will “make a real difference to people in Stoke-on-Trent. By offering more support and reaching more people, we can help people live healthier, longer lives. Smoking causes real harm to families and communities, so helping people quit is a big step towards a smoke-free Stoke-on-Trent”.
