NEW ways to reach and support Tameside smokers who may be struggling to quit will be found thanks to extra funding.
Tameside Council has been granted £413,000 for the next financial year to expand the borough’s stop smoking provision.
The authority will also receive further grant allocations each year until 2028/29.
This will also fund community and neighbourhood schemes designed to enable residents to get help to stub out cigarettes once and for all, closer to where they live and work.
The Tobacco-free Champions and a dedicated Stop Smoking Community Engagement Officer will also be available, to provide advice training for frontline staff across Tameside and ensure continuous support for communities at the highest risk of smoking.
The funding comes as plans to create a ‘smoke-free generation’ have been backed by health leaders in Greater Manchester – including Tameside’s Director of Public Health Debbie Watson.
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.
A Tameside Council spokesperson said: “This funding will support our ambition to make smoking history within the borough. It will open up more options for those residents who are currently finding it difficult to quit, as well as enabling us as a service to reach even more people in the community.”
People who live, work or have a GP in Tameside can access free support through Be Well Tameside, by emailing bewelltameside@tameside.gov.uk or calling 0161 342 5050.
Support can also be accessed by speaking to your GP or local pharmacy.
Nice effort but sadly a drop in the ocean compared with the damage caused by the government with their ridiculous window tax on vaping. One huge advantage of vaping, was the fact it cost pennies to vape for a week. Not only did it save your lungs but also your wallet. In future though this will not be the case, and guaranteed some people will not bother swapping. Another vastly important thing is the way people who do not know better see vaping and smoking as the same thing. THEY ARE NOT. One involves breathing smoke in, the other does not. A vape is essentially sugar vapour and unless you breathe pointlessly huge clouds and burn yourself it is nowhere near as harmful as cigarettes. Do it today, get a vape or just cold turkey and quit!