AN organisation set up to cut smoking rates in the South-West will close at the end of June due to funding cuts.

Public Health Action, formerly Smokefree South West, has today (Friday, February 5) received notice of termination of its contract from June 30.

 

A spokesman said: "We were very disappointed to receive notice of the termination of this contract from June 30.

"While the letter of termination praised us as having provided ‘an excellent service working to address the issues and reduce the harm caused by tobacco and alcohol’, it also cited the decision to terminate the contract as ‘a direct result of the severe public health cuts announced in the recent Comprehensive Spending Review'.

"We are proud of the major contribution we have made to the reduction in smoking prevalence in the region, which has now fallen to under 17%, the lowest ever, and below the average for England of around 20%.

"It is also notable that the region now has the highest proportion of ex-smokers in the UK, at 38%."

The All Party Parliamentary Group of Smoking and Health said it is saddended by the news.

It has written to the local authorities that have provided funding to the group to urge them to reconsider their proposed funding cuts.

In the letters it recommends that the councils meet with the Department of Health and other public health partners to discuss how funding might be secured in the future given that withdrawal of funds has serious implications for national tobacco control policy.

Hazel Cheeseman, director of policy of health charity ASH, said: “Regional tobacco control activities have been shown by NICE to be highly cost effective and Smokefree South West has achieved a great deal in helping to cut the regional smoking rate to under 17%, below the average for England.

"We understand the financial pressures that local authorities are experiencing but given the huge costs of treating smoking induced ill health, we urge the South-West local authorities to reconsider their decision to cut funding to such an effective area of activity.”