Report to: Executive
Date:
21st November 2005
Report by: Susie Waller, Head of Health Improvement
SMOKE FREE CITY
1.
Purpose
The Executive are asked to consider the proposed Local Smoke Free
Charter for Portsmouth (see example appendix 1).
The signing of this charter represents the ‘in principle’ commitment from
Portsmouth City Council to the development of a Smoke Free City. This
would include commitment from each of the directorates towards ‘getting
our own house in order’ through contributing to the Smoke Free Action
Plan.
2. Recommended
That the Executive support and agree the signing of the ‘Smoke Free
Charter’
3. Background
Smoking is the single greatest cause of illness and premature death
through heart disease, stroke, lung cancer and asthma.
In the South East it is responsible for:
• 1 in 4 deaths of people aged 35-64.
• The admission to hospital of over 44,000 people with smoking related
conditions in 2003/4 with an estimated cost to the health service of
around £238million.
• The loss of £370million a year to businesses through related sick days
and an estimated cost of £1.2 billion a year from cigarette breaks.
• The estimated economic cost of smoking related fires of almost
£15.5million a year.
Nationally
•
it kills an estimated 86,500 people per year.
• It is responsible for 1 in 3 cancer deaths and one seventh of all
cardio vascular disease.
• Over 80% of deaths from lung cancer are the direct result of
smoking.
•
In pregnancy smoking can cause low birth weight, which in turn
increase the chances of infant mortality and morbidity.
1
Smoking disproportionately affects the least well off.
• 26% of all adults smoke in England, but the figure is 31% in manual
groups as compared with 20% among non-manual groups.
In Portsmouth the lifestyle survey (1999) showed that 32% of Portsmouth
residents smoked, however a survey done in January 2003 shows that
Portsmouth has a smoking prevalence greater than 29% (adult population
18 and over) This puts Por