The report of the Director of Public Health is enclosed.

The Board considered the report of the Director of Public Health that provided an update to earlier reports called, “Stopping the start: Our new plan to create a smokefree generation in Manchester” which were presented to the Health and Wellbeing Board on the 1 November 2023 and 24 January 2024 respectively.

This report provided initial information about the new Tobacco and Vapes Bill 2024, reported on how we were using the Local Government Stop Smoking and Support Services Grant and provided an update on the Swap to Stop initiative in Manchester.

The report concluded with an update of tobacco and vaping elements of the government’s budget on the 30 October 2024. The report was provided in two parts relating to Tobacco Control and problems associated with vaping and youth vaping.

The Director of Public Health underlined the importance of the new bill to protect the health of the population and the move towards a smoke free environment.

The Chair requested explanation of Grant Investment Work between April 2024 – October 2024, the Room to Breath Project and trading standards work in dealing with the sale of vapes.

The Board was informed that the grant receive for 2024/25 is £930,000 and it is anticipated that a similar amount will be provided for the next four financial years. Previous year’s spending proposals were reported to the Health and Wellbeing Board. The use of the funding is specially for us on local authority stop smoking services or activities. The grant funding has allowed the service to be grown, and this has included the use of a virtual service as well as a face-to-face service. The number of clinics will increase to locations in Ancoats, Gorton, Harpurhey and Wythenshawe with other pop-up clinics proposed following the success of an event in Withington. the grant funding has been targeted to provide treatment and there has been recruitment of new medical and non-medical staff. The service is neighbourhood based providing for upto to 600 people per year.

In response, a member welcomed the report and the recognition and approach being taken for those people with a mental illness and suffering from addiction where the level of smoking is 42%.

A member referred to the effects of smoking in pregnancy and on children and a culture of vaping within school-age children driven by easy access to the product and the use of attractive packaging and flavours. The point was made that it is important to continue to educate young people on the dangers of vaping. The prevalence of shisha establishments within Manchester and use of other tobacco-based products may not be included in the questions which patients are asked if they smoke and is important that all methods of tobacco use are recognised. 

A member referred to a lack of public awareness of the availability of smoking cessation services and the need to raise public awareness as the service is rolled out.

The Director of Public health referred to the development of an Integrated Wellbeing Service that will use a neighbourhood approach model for a ‘person centred approach’. The service will take a multi-service preventative care approach to help with stopping smoking and other health related circumstances faced by the individual.  

In response to questions asked, the Board was advised that smoking in pregnancy services is provided through the NHS and maternity sites within Manchester offer a smoking and pregnancy assessment if the pregnant woman smokes. Nicotine replacement treatments or a vape may be offered as an alternative to smoking. The Room to Breathe Project is a piece of work focussing on protecting pregnant women, babies and children from a smoking in the home, promoting behaviour change and stopping smoking in the home and to go outside instead. The process is being developed through a steering group and communication campaign to start getting the message out to the public, initially through workforce contact, Council partners and health visitors. The use of vapes is being addressed although the scale of the use disposable vapes, and the availability of illegal vapes makes it difficult for trading standards staff to cope. New legislation does address the issue of advertising and sponsorship on vapes and this will help to reduce the attractive appearance of vape packaging. A list of activities and projects taking place in schools to help to start to reverse the current trend of smoking and vaping was provided in the report submitted (paragraph 12.5). The use of other tobacco products like shisha and chewing tobacco is addressed through other regulations and a tailored approach is needed in taking this forward within communities where it is popular. Primary care clinicians can help provide a signpost service for smoking cessation treatment as well as asking patients if they use other forms of tobacco other than smoking and vaping.

Reference was made to the four week quit data collected by the Council and it was explained that the person quitting smoking is assessed to measure the level of carbon monoxide in their breath after four weeks of stopping and again at twelve weeks.

The Chair thanked officers for the detailed report and the important ongoing work to reduce smoking.

Decision

The Board note the report and support the ongoing programme of work.