Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance
We are a group of professionals who are committed to tackling smoking in Suffolk through:
- good promotional work
- changing policies
- supporting people to quit smoking
- disrupting the illicit tobacco trade.
We are passionate about making sure people have the right to be healthy and all have a part to play towards a smoke free Suffolk.
Our vision in Suffolk is to create a smokefree generation.
View Suffolk's tobacco control profile, includes:
- smoking prevalence in adults
- smoking prevalence in young people
- smoking related mortality
- smoking related ill health
- impact of smoking, smoking quitters
For more information on smoking facts and data in Suffolk take a look at the Public Health Joint Strategic Needs Assessment page on smoking.
Membership
- Membership is open to any organisation that will commit to achieving the objectives of the Alliance
- List of current members are Public Health, Trading Standards, Health and Wellbeing teams, HMRC and One Life Suffolk
- If your organisation wishes to become a member of the Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance or you would more information email HealthandWellbeing@suffolk.gov.uk
Purpose of the Alliance
The Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance aims to:
- To diminish the roles of tobacco and smoking in Suffolk, making for safer and healthier communities as endorsed by the Suffolk Health and Wellbeing Board (HWBB)
- To provide a platform for partners to advocate, coordinate and monitor activities that contribute to this agenda
- To serve as a forum for information exchange and a voice for tobacco control in Suffolk
How we do this
- We meet every quarter and follow an action plan created to address our priorities with steer from the strategic board
- We work in partnership with organisations, statutory and voluntary and with communities and individuals to achieve our aims
- Our outcomes are measured using the CLeaR Assessment, a self-assessment tool to improve our tobacco control work. The tool provides guidance for local authorities, public health bodies and the NHS on using ‘deep dive’ self-assessment tools to improve their tobacco control work. Public Health England
Our objectives
In broad terms, these are:
- Prevention: Creating an environment where young people choose not to smoke
- Protection: Protecting people from second-hand smoke and supporting tobacco control interventions
- Cessation: Supporting and enabling people to quit smoking
Our priorities are
- Suffolk Tobacco Control Alliance Priorities 2021- 2022
- Support Suffolk County Council to become smoke free
- Support the national Tobacco Control Plan for England, to pave the way for a smokefree generation. The comprehensive plan sets out the following national ambitions for achievement by the end of 2022
- Support NHS organisations to be Smoke Free by 2020
Priority people and places we are working with
- Pregnant mothers. In 2016/17 10.2% of women in Suffolk were smoking at time of delivery
- People with mental health conditions. In 2014/15 38.6% of adults with serious mental illness were smoking
- People with long term conditions which is being addressed through Public Health's Healthy Hospitals work and Clinical Commissioning Groups acute care contract arrangements
- Routine and Manual workers. In 2017 23.6% of Suffolk's routine and manual occupations smoked
- Areas of Suffolk with prevalence of smoking: Ipswich, Forest Heath, Waveney
Public Health England data
Our Campaigns
Stoptogether - Stop Smoking, quit together.
Our overarching message is to encourage smokers to quit with friends, family and get support from non-smokers and support services to quit. This message runs through all our priority group campaigns.
Take it Outside
Raises awareness of health and safety risks of smoking in the home, encourages smokers to take their tobacco products outside.
Smoking in Pregnancy
Encouraging pregnant women, the fathers, partners, friends and family to seek support to quit smoking.
Routine and Manual workers
An estimated 1 in 4 people in routine and manual occupations smoked, compared with 1 in 10 people in managerial and professional occupations (Public Health England 2018). We aim to increase manual and routine workers awareness of smoking cessation services in Suffolk.
Illicit Tobacco
- Illegal Tobacco - what is the real cost?
- Report anyone selling illegal tobacco to Suffolk Trading Standards by calling 03454 040506.
Useful Documents
Tobacco and smoking: policy, regulation and guidance Public Health England
Use of e-cigarettes in public places and workplaces Public Health England
Health Matters: preventing ill health from alcohol and tobacco use Public Health England
The NHS Long Term Plan – a summary Jan 2019
Useful Websites
- ASH
- Illicit Tobacco Partnership
- Drugs alcohol and tobacco a toolkit for employers
- The NHS Long Term Plan:10 Key Public Health Points. Jan 2019 Point 2. Smoking
- the Ottawa Model for smoking cessation will be embedded in all Trusts by 2023 to 2024, meaning every person admitted to hospital who smokes will be offered support to quit
- a new smoke-free pregnancy pathway will be deployed, adapting the Ottawa Model for expectant mothers and their partners, so the entire family can be treated together
- a new universal smoking cessation offer will be made available as part of specialist mental health services. This will include the option to switch to e-cigarettes while in inpatient settings
Page reviewed: Septemeber 2020. Next Review: February 2021