South Gloucestershire Council

Published: 11/11/2015

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Matthew Riddle and Director of Public Health Professor Mark Pietroni (pictured) have pledged support to a national initiative to help protect people from preventable diseases such as lung cancer.

The Local Authority Declaration on Tobacco Control was signed on behalf of South Gloucestershire Council on Tuesday 10 November during lung cancer awareness month which takes place every November in the UK. The declaration commits the council to specific actions to reduce smoking prevalence and health inequalities amongst local communities. Further details on the declaration is available online at www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/declaration

Leader of South Gloucestershire Council Cllr Matthew Riddle said: “We are committed to providing the very best services and support we can for people who wish to stop smoking in South Gloucestershire. In signing this declaration we can continue to build on the positive work we are already doing locally to inform people about the serious damage smoking can cause.”

Director of Public Health Professor Mark Pietroni added: “Our focus is to continue to promote a shift in social attitudes so that choosing not to smoke is encouraged regardless of who you are or where you live. It’s really important that we continue to reduce the attractiveness of tobacco, particularly to young people, and that everyone plays their part to protect children from the harms of second-hand smoke.

“We are already doing a number of things to help reduce smoking in South Gloucestershire. We are currently working on a new tobacco control strategy, a youth prevention programme and a campaign to reduce smoking in pregnancy. We are also working to stop the trade in illegal tobacco sales and we are involved in the national second-hand smoke campaign which highlights the hidden dangers that smoking in homes and cars can cause to children’s health. We also took part in promoting last month’s Stoptober campaign which encourages people to stop smoking for good.”

Regular Smokefree sessions run throughout the year in Filton, Kingswood, Patchway, Staple Hill and Yate to help people stop smoking. For more information on local stop smoking services visit www.southglos.gov.uk/smokefree