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Smoking deal must target social inequalities - Burstow
November 12, 2003 6:00 PM
Anti-smoking services, announced by the Government today, need to be targeted so that the huge social inequalities that exist in health can be properly combated, Paul Burstow MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Secretary, said today.
Under the new deal struck with manufacturers, the NHS would be given many smoking-cessation products for free.
Official statistics show:
· 1 in 10 teenagers between 11-15 smoke. This has not improved since the 1980s.
· People in manual groups and people from the north are more likely to smoke.
· 1 in 5 women smoke during pregnancy, rising to 2 in 5 for mothers under 20
Paul Burstow MP said:
"Smoking related illness costs the NHS billions of pounds. More should be done to prevent people smoking in the first place; to help people quit; and to reduce passive smoking. The Government is moving in the right direction but far too slowly.
"Anti-smoking services need to be targeted so that the huge social inequalities that exist in health can be properly combated.
"The Government must put more resources into preventative health care. The root causes of ill-health must be tackled properly to keep people healthy and to relieve the burden on the NHS."
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