Better Health For All

By Stevie Benton, Communications Manager at ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)

As smoking prevalence continues to fall, NHS and public health organisations are taking things to the next level with the NHS Smokefree Pledge. 

Co-ordinated by the Smokefree Action Coalition, the NHS Smokefree Pledge is a commitment to help smokers in their care to quit for good and to create smoke-free environments that support them to do so. By signing the Pledge, organisations agree that they will take a number of actions to reduce smoking prevalence and help smokers quit. The commitments in the pledge include:

• Treat tobacco dependency among patients and staff who smoke, as set out in the Tobacco Control Plan for England
• Ensure that smokers within the NHS have access to the medication they need to quit in line with NICE guidance in secondary care
• Create environments that support quitting through implementing smoke-free policies as recommended by NICE

Smoking remains the single greatest cause of premature death and disease in our communities. Around 79,000 people die because of smoking in England every year and for every death, another 20 smokers suffer from smoking-related diseases. Smoking imposes a huge burden on the NHS. Stopping smoking is the single most effective action a smoker can take to improve their health.

Signing the pledge is simple and a visible commitment to a smoke-free NHS. This No Smoking Day, if you’re a director of public health, why not take that crucial first step and encourage your Trust to sign up?