Bid to 'Make Smoking History'

Make Smoking History

Residents from Rochdale are being given the chance to play their part in making history, as Greater Manchester bids to be the first place in the world to Make Smoking History within a decade.

David Gorner, from Rochdale, wants to encourage the largest ever response to a public engagement about tobacco harm.

Nearly one in five people still smoke in Rochdale, and other areas of concern for public health in Rochdale are binge drinking and poor diets. For those who have two or more risky behaviours the impacts on their health can be devastating. 

David, 45, said: “The smoking situation in our community is pretty bad, judging by the amount of people who spend most of their evening outside pubs in all types of weather.

“I think that we should encourage pubs, bars, and clubs to carry health warnings in their designated smoking areas, and the council could enforce this by including minimum requirements for anti-smoking as part of licensing agreements.

“It would be great if everyone in the community could work together to help make smoking history. It’s important to be informing and warn people about the harms of tobacco, and the benefits of quitting.

“It’s a great initiative to help raise awareness of the dangers of smoking and to encourage positive change in our community.”

People are being asked to give their views about the plan to radically cut adult smoking and deliver a tobacco free generation through a whole range of local actions, including extending smokefree places and licensing tobacco retailers.
 
The History Makers survey will also ask people to voice their opinion on whether tobacco companies should pay a ‘polluter levy’ for the devastation that their addictive products cause to individuals, families and communities.

Sarah Price, Director of Population Health and the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “While the numbers of young people taking up smoking has reduced drastically over the past ten years, we still have too many smoking and starting to smoke. We plan to deliver a tobacco-free generation with our communities.

“Smoking is everyone’s business. The harm from tobacco addiction affects our whole society, from the pain and suffering of individuals and their families to the preventable costs to the economy and public services.”

To have your say, visit:

www.historymakersgm.co.uk