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28/02/2012
Minister Launches Tobacco Strategy For NI
Health Minister Edwin Poots today launched a new ten-year tobacco control strategy for Northern Ireland.
The new strategy has three main objectives: to reduce the numbers of people in Northern Ireland taking up smoking; to encourage more smokers here to quit; and to afford greater protection for the whole population from tobacco-related harm.
Launching the new publication at an event in the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Minister said: "Smoking remains the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland and is the leading cause of health inequalities in our society.
"We have undoubtedly made good progress in recent years with milestone achievements such as the introduction of smoke-free legislation; the increase in age-of-sale requirements; and the significant development of smoking cessation services."
The Minister also admitted that further work was required: "Smoking prevalence amongst our general adult population has remained in and around 24% since 2007, and for manual workers, prevalence rates are even higher at 31%. Clearly we still have some way to go before we achieve the substantial reductions we are seeking with regards to smoking prevalence."
The new strategy has been developed by a multi-sectoral working group and replaces the Department's previous Tobacco Action Plan. While the new strategy takes account of the population as a whole, it will continue to focus on a number of key priority groups: children and young people; pregnant women and their partners, who smoke; and disadvantaged people who smoke.
(CD/GK)
The new strategy has three main objectives: to reduce the numbers of people in Northern Ireland taking up smoking; to encourage more smokers here to quit; and to afford greater protection for the whole population from tobacco-related harm.
Launching the new publication at an event in the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Minister said: "Smoking remains the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland and is the leading cause of health inequalities in our society.
"We have undoubtedly made good progress in recent years with milestone achievements such as the introduction of smoke-free legislation; the increase in age-of-sale requirements; and the significant development of smoking cessation services."
The Minister also admitted that further work was required: "Smoking prevalence amongst our general adult population has remained in and around 24% since 2007, and for manual workers, prevalence rates are even higher at 31%. Clearly we still have some way to go before we achieve the substantial reductions we are seeking with regards to smoking prevalence."
The new strategy has been developed by a multi-sectoral working group and replaces the Department's previous Tobacco Action Plan. While the new strategy takes account of the population as a whole, it will continue to focus on a number of key priority groups: children and young people; pregnant women and their partners, who smoke; and disadvantaged people who smoke.
(CD/GK)
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