Government pledges to end smoking by 2030

As part of a range of measures to tackle the causes of preventable ill health, the government has pledged to end smoking in England by 2030.

The government had previously aimed to create a smoke-free society - with smoking rates close to zero - by 2025.

Other priorities in the green paper, which aims to reduce the number of years spent in poor health, include promoting physical activity, developing guidelines on sleep and targeting those at risk of diabetes.

The paper, which will now be consulted on, says that the government will help those in deprived areas who currently experienced the longest periods of poor health, by ensuring any smoker admitted to hospital automatically gets offered help to quit, extending tooth brushing schemes in nurseries and primary schools, encouraging ‘active play’ , and doubling funding for the diabetes prevention programme which targets lifestyle support to those most at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The release of the paper has caused controversy, with Theresa May urging for the publication to be revealed before the new leader of the Conservative Party is announced, whereas Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, preferred to wait.

Ian Hudspeth, Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “This green paper, while containing some ambitious and interesting ideas, is a missed opportunity to make the most of councils’ role and expertise in meeting our shared vision for a healthier nation. Everyone agrees that prevention is better than cure, but councils also need adequate funding for their public health services to help achieve the stated aims of this approach.

“The new Prime Minister must now prioritise preventative services by using the upcoming Spending Review to reverse the £700 million of public health funding cuts over the last five years. Only this, alongside a joined-up prevention approach across government, can help councils tackle persistent problems like obesity, mental illness, substance misuse, sexually transmitted infections and the health impact of loneliness, as well as addressing some of the serious health inequalities that still exist across the country.”