City council set to bring in new services to reduce smoking backed by nearly £4 million funding

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is looking to invest almost £4 million of Government and public health grant funding in smoking cessation services to help people quit and live healthier and longer lives.

The money will be used as part of a five-year programme to create a generation free from smoking.

National Government will be contributing funding in addition to funding provided by the Public Health Grant. This is a fund that is issued to every council each year to specifically fund activities to improve public health in the local area.

The city already helps more than 700 people a year stop smoking - with quit rates above both the national and regional average.  Despite that progress, an estimated 26,385 people in Stoke-on-Trent - or 13% of the adult population - still smoke.

The city is aiming to meet an ambitious government target to reduce smoking rates to just 5% of the population by 2030.

In 2024/25, the city council has already used funding to:

• Create new roles to support an expansion of stop smoking offers to support more people to quit
• Offer free Allen Carr’s Easyway quit-smoking seminars - available in Stoke-on-Trent for the first time.
• Expand pharmacy support, giving more people expert advice in their neighbourhoods
• Work within communities to give people tailored support to quit smoking or vaping
• Work with councils across the West Midlands to share resources and cut smoking rates across the region.
• Conducting work to better understand how people want to be supported

The Stoke-on-Trent Tobacco Alliance brings together partners from a range of services across the city who have been key in developing this work and actions within the city to further support the reduction of smoking rates in our city.

Councillor Lynn Watkins, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: ““I am pleased with this proposal, as the support offered should have a positive outcome to reduce health inequalities and improve the quality of life for many residents.

“Smoking affects so many, and as we work towards having cleaner air to breathe, a smoke free environment means many more children will grow up with good health, and fewer children will have to watch their parent’s health decline due to preventable diseases.

“With this funding, we can expand the current offer to support more people in their journey towards stopping smoking and reduce risk for them and their friends and families.”

In Stoke-on-Trent, smoking rates are higher than the national average and a leading cause of deaths in the city. Quitting smoking can help to prevent this, with those who have quit smoking for 10 years having half the risk of dying from lung cancer compared to those who are still smoking.

We want to encourage people not to start smoking as well as supporting those who do smoke to quit - if you don’t smoke, don’t start and if you’ve never smoked, don’t start vaping.

Use of a vape along with support from a stop smoking service is the most effective way to stop smoking.  Support to quit smoking is currently available to many of those who live, work or have a GP in Stoke-on-Trent, to see how we can help you, please visit: www.stoke.gov.uk/smokefree