PLANS to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ have been backed by health leaders in Greater Manchester, as an historic Bill has been tabled in Parliament for the first time.
A new survey, conducted across the city-region’s 10 boroughs including Tameside and Oldham, has found that over half of people (53 per cent) have lost a friend or family member to smoking-related illnesses.
As four in five smokers start before the age of 20, new legislation includes proposals to ‘stop the start’ of smoking, raising the age of tobacco sales to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes.
Plans also include a ban on disposable vapes to combat the alarming rise in young people vaping.
It comes as NHS Greater Manchester launches its ‘What Will You Miss?’ campaign across the city-region, raising awareness of the devastating harms of tobacco and prompting residents to consider the moments they will miss from dying too soon.
In Greater Manchester alone, around one in seven people (14.3 per cent) smoke, while 150,000 people live with a smoking-related illness and tobacco causes 3,900 deaths each year.
Oldham’s Director of Public Health lost her mum to lung cancer and hopes the plans will spare other families of the pain she endured.
“My mum died when she was just 63 – she still had so much living to do,” said Rebecca Fletcher.
“She’d had a cough for a while that she’d ignored and when she finally got help, she was diagnosed with lung cancer due to smoking and died two months later. I didn’t expect to lose my mum when I was in my thirties – there are so many birthdays and family occasions that she’s missed.
“If we end smoking, we can end the biggest cause of lung cancer and save thousands of families from the heartache that I’ve been through.”
Tameside Council’s Director of Public Health is also the Chair of the Greater Manchester Public Health Leadership Network.
Debbie Watson said: “We are delighted that the Government is prioritising ending the harms of smoking by introducing new legislation which will prevent our biggest cause of cancer, stop the start of young smokers and create a better life for our children.”
Jane Pilkington, Director of Population Health at NHS Greater Manchester, added: “There is overwhelming support in Greater Manchester for a smoke-free generation policy as eight in ten people in the city-region support making smoking history.
“Creating a smoke-free generation is one of the most impactful things the government can do to protect children and young people from the harms of tobacco, and to help people who currently smoke to stop.”