Smoke Free Newcastle
Aims
Smoke Free Newcastle is a group of people representing statutory and voluntary organisations and is coordinated by Newcastle Primary Care Trust and Newcastle City Council. It is carrying out a comprehensive action plan to tackle tobacco issues in the city. By doing this Smoke Free Newcastle hopes that the health of people living or working in the city will be improved and health inequalities will be reduced. It will also contribute to a better environment for all.
Smoke Free Newcastle meets four times a year to plan action and report back on progress. Its members include environmental health officers, health professionals, voluntary organisations, local councillors, the Chamber of Commerce and the trade unions. The group has terms of reference which are reviewed annually. It reports to Newcastle City Council’s Well Being and Health Partnership Executive and is responsible for delivering the tobacco control elements of the Newcastle Health Improvement Strategy. The minutes of meetings are available on request.
Smoke Free Newcastle works closely with Fresh – the campaign for a Smoke Free North East. To find out more log on to www.freshne.com
The Smoke Free Newcastle Plan
Since its first meeting in May 2004, Smoke Free Newcastle has been implementing its action plan. Revised Smoke Free Newcastle Tobacco Control Action Plan (PDF 343kb). This plan was formally adopted in March 2005 by Newcastle City Council and its progress has been monitored since then.
To begin with Smoke Free Newcastle’s main target was to make Newcastle a smoke free city no later than 2010. It therefore focussed its work on trying to protect workers and the public from the effects of second hand smoke whilst in an enclosed place. Since 1 July 2007, this work has been made easier with the introduction of a smoke free law in England. It is now against the law to smoke in virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places in England. All businesses must comply with the law and the City Council are responsible for enforcing it. For further information, help and advice contact Newcastle’s Smokefree Compliance Team or Smoke Free England at www.smokefreeengland.co.uk
The Smoke Free Newcastle plan has targets on the key areas of tobacco control to;
1. Reduce exposure to second hand smoke by supporting all workplaces and public places to become smoke free (NB: since 1 July 2007 virtually all enclosed and substantially enclosed workplaces and public places in England have to be smoke free by law).
2. Continue to provide free NHS stop smoking support to people wishing to quit. The Newcastle and North Tyneside Stop Smoking Service can be contacted on 0300 123 9290 or log on to smokefree.nhs.uk for tips and advice on quitting.
3. Support and develop public education and media campaigns which aim to give the public more information on the dangers of second hand smoke, stop smoking information and other key areas of tobacco control. Further work is also being undertaken to prevent young people from taking up smoking.
4. Reduce the availability and supply of tobacco products by working with the HM Customs and Revenue Service to tackle tobacco smuggling and continuing to take action to reduce illegal tobacco sales to minors. Smoke Free Newcastle works with Trading Standards to ensure no young person under 18 is able to purchase tobacco.
5. Reduce the promotion of tobacco by enforcing the law on tobacco advertising.
For further information about Smoke Free Newcastle contact
Judith MacMorran
E-mail Judith.MacMorran@newcastle-pct.nhs.uk
Phone 0191 229 2903