Taxing smokers helps them give up - Newstalk ZB

New research by Auckland University says more Maori, Pacific and low income smokers are ditching the habit following the rise in excise tax in April

More evidence that taxing smokers heavily is forcing them to give up.

It comes in new research by the Auckland University's Centre for Tobacco Control Research.

It says more Maori, Pacific and low income smokers are ditching the habit following the rise in excise tax in April.

A survey's found that 65 per cent of participants had tried to stop smoking since then, double the quitting rates reported in a national survey, which found that about a third had tried to quit in the last year.

The survey also found people weren't switching to loose tobacco, as has happened with previous price hikes.

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Smokers blow £2M NHS cash - Hartlepool Today

THE cost of treating patients for smoking-related illnesses in Hartlepool topped £2m in just 12 months, new figures have revealed.NHS Hartlepool last year footed a bill totalling £2,228,219 for hospital admissions of adults aged over 35 for conditions linked to smoking.

But Hartlepool, where an estimated one in three adults smoke, leads the way nationally for helping people quit.

Last year Hartlepool's Stop Smoking Services persuaded 1,934 people to give up cigarettes by holding clinics in community centres, pubs, and children's centres across the town.

Carole Johnson, health improvement lead for NHS Hartlepool, said: "Smoking rates and deaths from respiratory disease in Hartlepool are higher than the national average and the town has a high incidence of lung cancer, particularly among women.

"Hartlepool has an extremely successful Stop Smoking Service. Once again for 2009-2010 Hartlepool achieved the highest four-week quit rates in the country.

"Overall in Hartlepool there has been a steady decline in smoking prevalence."

The PCT added it was doing a number of things to tackle smoking in the town, including helping pregnant smokers to quit and a training programme for staff who work with children and families on the dangers of second-hand smoke.

Dr Katie Elmer, consultant chest physician at the University Hospital of Hartlepool, said smoking is a major cause of early death in the town and warned admissions for chest conditions are expected to rise during winter.

She said: "The biggest thing anyone can do to improve their health is to give up smoking."

Figures for smoking-related hospital admissions were released by the Association of Public Health Authorities Observatories (APHO), a public health intelligence organisation.

The cost for neighbouring North Tees primary care trust, which covers Billingham, was £4,017,653, while County Durham PCT, which covers Peterlee and east Durham, reached £11,493,469.

The figures come as the APHO publishes tobacco profiles for the North-East detailing levels of illness and avoidable death caused by smoking.

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PHA gives smokers 4000 reasons to stop smoking - HealthCanal.com

The Public Health Agency (PHA) is giving smokers 4,000 reasons to give up smoking for good with a mass media campaign highlighting the thousands of chemicals contained within every cigarette.

Gerry Bleakney, Lead for Tobacco Control at the PHA, said: “This campaign focuses on the crucial fact that every time a smoker has a cigarette they are inhaling over 4,000 chemicals, including ammonia - the bleach in toilet cleaner, benzene - commonly found in paint stripper, acetone - found in nail polish remover and hydrogen cyanide which is used in rat poison. It is a toxic mix which is delivered straight into the body with every cigarette smoked.

“Smoking is a killer addiction and remains the greatest cause of preventable death and disease in our society. Smoking causes life-threatening illnesses including cancers, lung disease, heart disease and stroke and in 2008 claimed 2,400 lives prematurely. However, we know the majority of smokers really do want to stop and the good news is that every year thousands are successful in their quit attempt."

At present 24% of people in Northern Ireland smoke and this contributes to around 30% of all cancers.¹ Tobacco related cancers such as lung, oesophageal and stomach cancers, have a low rate of survival, according to the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry.

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey supporting the campaign, said: "I hope that this campaign will encourage people to stop and think about the harm they are doing to themselves, and to access one of the many services available to help them to quit. We all know that smoking kills. It is a highly destructive habit that leads to many preventable deaths each and every year. Health inequalities would also be greatly reduced if people stopped smoking."

Research shows our most deprived areas have more than twice the level of smoking related deaths, 187 per 100,000, compared to the least deprived areas, 91 per 100,000 while the Northern Ireland average is 126 deaths per 100,000.²

Gerry concluded: “Smoking is indeed a major cause of health inequality and is the main cause of the gap in life expectancy between rich and poor. The divide this addiction creates in life expectancy is shocking. You are 60% more likely to die from lung cancer if you live in the most deprived areas of Northern Ireland.

“We hope the campaign will encourage smokers to think about making a quit attempt to give up smoking for good. We know that stopping smoking is not easy and it is an incredibly hard habit to break. Nicotine is an addictive substance and experts have said the nicotine in cigarettes can be as addictive as drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Despite this, 3 out of 4 ex-smokers do manage to quit without help, but help is available if needed and can quadruple your chances of being successful.”

The campaign includes television, radio, outdoor and online advertising and will run from today until the end of November. Posters will also be distributed to GP surgeries, pharmacies and central health promotion resource service in local Health and Social Care Trusts. If you are interested in stopping smoking visit www.want2stop.info for further information and the location of your local stop smoking cessation service. There are over 600 specialist service providers in Northern Ireland in GP surgeries, pharmacies, acute services and community and voluntary organisations.

There will be an opportunity for media interviews on Wednesday 6 October 2010 when Mark McBride, Tobacco Control Coordinator with the PHA, will be available for interview. Please contact Press Office to arrange.

¹ NISRA: Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. The continuous household survey. http://www.csu.nisra.gov.uk/survey.asp140.htm

² Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety. Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Inequalities Monitoring system. Third update bulletin. NISRA. Belfast. 2009.

Contact the PHA Press Office on 028 9031 1611.

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