The power of local systems to save lives
Councils and their partners could do even more to contain the spread of COVID-19 if properly funded to undertake a robust localised system of testing, tracking and tracing, argues Professor Donna Hall.
Campaigners warn children more exposed to secondhand smoke since lockdown
14/05/2020 More than one in ten smokers who live with children are smoking indoors more since lockdown, new research has revealed today. |
Helping smokers to quit during Covid-19
06/05/2020 Alan Sutherland calls on councils to make use of more digital tools to help smokers quit during Covid-19 |
Around 300,000 quit smoking due to coronavirus
04/05/2020 Council leaders have welcomed figures that show around 300,000 people have quit smoking due to an increased risk from coronavirus. |
England ‘unlikely’ to meet 2030 smoke-free target
25/02/2020 England will fail to reach the Government’s 2030 smoke-free target unless smoking in the poorest communities is tackled, research has revealed today. |
Nearly 300 children start smoking every day, figures show
03/02/2020 Campaigners have called for tobacco manufacturers to pay to end smoking after figures show 280 children in England start smoking every day. |
Funding cuts put 2030 smokefree target ‘at risk’
14/01/2020 Funding shortages for local tobacco control could put the 2030 smokefree target at risk, campaigners have warned today. |
Air pollution like smoking 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns
05/12/2019 People living in areas that have high levels of air pollution have an increased risk of death equivalent to smoking over 150 cigarettes a year, charity warns. |
Social care for smokers costing councils £720m a year
26/09/2019 Smoking-related social care is costing local authorities £720m a year, new research has revealed. |
Smoking rates dropping at fastest rate in a decade
19/09/2019 The number of adult smokers fell by 2.2% in the first half of this year, according to the latest figures. |
Over one billion fewer cigarettes smoked each year, charity says
29/08/2019 More than a billion fewer cigarettes smoked each year, although campaigners argue this number could be higher if stop smoking service cuts were reversed. |
Prevention green paper blasted as ‘shopping list of half-complete ideas’
23/07/2019 Local authority leaders have criticised the Government’s prevention green paper as a ‘missed opportunity’ which neglects the role councils play in delivering public health services. |
Criminals making £100m a year from London’s illegal tobacco trade
28/06/2019 Illegal tobacco trade in London is bringing crime into communities and undermining stop smoking efforts, London Councils has warned today. |
Over 500,000 social housing tenants in poverty due to smoking
27/06/2019 Over half a million social housing tenants are living in poverty due to the cost of smoking, anti-smoking campaigners say. |
Council proposes introducing more smoke-free spaces
12/04/2019 Derbyshire residents could soon be asked to decide on whether they want more smoke-free places in their county. |
Councils forced to slash stop smoking services
15/03/2019 Government cuts mean only half of local authorities now offer smokers the best support to quit, according to campaigners. |
Very few young people regularly vape, report finds
27/02/2019 Only a small proportion of young people are regularly using e-cigarettes, according to the findings of a new report. |
Plan to help problem drinkers and smokers unveiled
07/01/2019 All problem drinkers and smokers that are admitted to hospital will be given extra support under new NHS prevention measures. |
Councils urged to reduce smoking in social housing
20/11/2018 Councils have been urged to help drive down smoking rates after research revealed smoking is twice as common in social housing than in other tenures. |
One person every 80 seconds stopped smoking last year
20/09/2018 More than a million people have stopped smoking in England since 2014, new figures have revealed. |
Council to review vaping scheme after exploitation accusation
10/09/2018 A deal between Birmingham City Council and a multi-national tobacco company to promote e-cigarettes has been branded 'a disgrace' by a government minister. |
Government urged to relax regulations around use of e-cigarettes
17/08/2018 The Government should relax regulations surrounding e-cigarettes and reconsider their use in public places, MPs have urged today. |
Nine out of ten councils forced to cut health services, study reveals
02/05/2018 Nine out of 10 councils have cut spending on public health services in response to Government reductions to their budgets. |
Stop smoking services should recommend use of e-cigarettes, health body says
06/02/2018 Local stop smoking services and healthcare professionals should provide behavioural support to those smokers wanting to quit with the help of an e-cigarette, public health body says. |
Just one cigarette a day increases risk of heart disease and stroke
25/01/2018 Councils have called for a reversal of public health cuts after research highlighted the danger of people smoking just one cigarette a day. |
Public health cuts undermine support for smokers
15/01/2018 Cuts in public health grants have led to a ‘dramatic’ change in local services aimed at helping people quit smoking, according to anti-smoking campaigners. |
Sales of vape starter kits soar by 29% as NHS Stoptober campaign embraces e-cigarettes
01/11/2017 The latest sales figures show that Public Health England’s new harm reduction approach to decreasing smoking rates across the UK has not only been widely accepted, but capitalised upon this Stoptober. |
Quitting at ‘decade high’ as smokers prepare for Stoptober
28/09/2017 Those who wish to quit smoking are preparing for a month without tobacco as new figures reveal quitting success rates are at their highest for ‘at least a decade’. |
Number of smoker drops by 1.9 million since ban
03/07/2017 The number of smokers in Britain has fallen by 1.9 million since the smoking ban was introduced ten years ago, new figures have revealed. |
Young adults turning away from cigarettes, figures suggest
15/06/2017 The percentage of young adults who smoke in England has fallen by over 5% in the last five years, new figures show. |
Welsh Assembly passes 'radical' health bill
17/05/2017 Councils will be required to publish a ‘local toilets strategy’ and ban smoking in playgrounds after a radical new Bill was approved in Wales. |
Council rolls out voluntary smoking ban in play areas
21/04/2017 A voluntary smoking ban across 80 children’s play areas has been rolled out by Oxford City Council following a successful three-month trial. |
Smoking-related illnesses cost councils £760m a year
30/01/2017 Local authorities in England face a bill of £760m a year to help people with smoking-related illnesses stay in their own homes, campaigners say. |
Stop Smoking Services: 'Don't Quit on Us'
09/01/2017 Philip Brownlie explains why all councillors should help call for more funding to enable councils to run effective Stop Smoking Services. |
Vaping products included in tobacco council survey
18/11/2016 E-cigarettes and products associated with vaping have been included in a survey of the activity of council trading standards teams for the first time. |
Six out of ten councils forced to cut stop smoking services
16/11/2016 Six out of ten councils have been forced to reduce their Stop Smoking Services in the past year due to funding cuts, according to new research. |
Experts issue warning over 'exploding' e-cigarettes
10/10/2016 Cheap and imported vaping kits have led to an increase in the number of smokers injured by ‘exploding’ devices, health experts have warned. |
Parks should be ‘no smoking zones’ to protect children, experts say
26/09/2016 Local authorities should ban smoking in areas where children play or learn, environmental health professionals urge. |
City of Edinburgh Council cleans up with ballot bin
15/09/2016 Edinburgh has adopted an innovative way of discouraging smokers from discarding their cigarette butts on the ground—the ballot bin. |
Calderdale considers banning smoking outside council buildings
06/09/2016 Smoking could soon be banned outside council buildings, under new plans being considered by Calderdale Council. |
Retailers ‘flout’ laws on selling e-cigarettes to children
09/08/2016 Four in ten retailers flout the laws on nicotine inhaling products, study shows. |
Rise in number of pregnant women giving up smoking
16/06/2016 The number of pregnant women still smoking when they give birth has fallen to the lowest level since figures were recorded. |
Figures show hospital admissions from smoking is increasing
27/05/2016 Blackpool had the highest estimated hospital admission rate for smoking-related conditions in England in 2014-15, according to the latest figures. |
Birmingham’s shisha bars like ‘smog-hit Beijing’
29/04/2016 Customers in some of Birmingham’s shisha bars experience pollution levels higher than those in ‘smog-hit Beijing’, report says. |
Council bans smoking from beach
09/03/2016 A beach in Pembrokeshire is set to become the first in Wales to be smoke-free. |
Report shows extent councils are scaling back on stop smoking schemes
13/01/2016 Around 40% of councils have cut their stop smoking services following reductions in public heath budgets, a new report has revealed. |
Tackling the UK’s big butt problem
10/11/2015 Designated areas for smokers can help tackle the expensive problem of discarded cigarette butts, claim Keep Britain Tidy. |
Nearly half a million households could be lifted out of poverty if they quit smoking claims new data
28/10/2015 An estimated 418,000 households could be lifted out of poverty if they quit smoking, according to a new ‘Local Poverty Calculator’ published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). |
MPs call for increase in tobacco tax
14/10/2015 MPs are calling for an increase in tobacco tax to persuade more people to stop smoking. |
Council launches one-stop health shop
13/10/2015 Medway Council has opened a shop to give people advice on healthy eating, giving up smoking and tackling substance misuse. |
Councils urge residents to kick smoking habit
29/09/2015 Councils across the country are urging smokers to give up cigarettes ahead of new legislation that bans smoking in cars carrying children. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
