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Tobacco

Lit cigarette with smoke

 

Smoking remains the main cause of preventable disease and early death in Wales.

Although rates have reduced over recent years, 14% of adults in Cardiff and Vale still smoke.

Smoking impacts on people’s health and life expectancy, puts pressure on the NHS, contributes to social and environmental concerns, increases health inequalities and disproportionately affects those who live in areas of high deprivation.

Welsh Government’s ‘A Smoke Free Wales: Our long-term Tobacco Control Strategy for Wales’ aims to make Wales smoke-free by 2030.  This means achieving a smoking prevalence of less than 5%.

Tobacco Control is a priority action for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, reflected in ‘Shaping Our Future Population Health’.

The Cardiff and Vale Local Public Health Team aim to reduce the uptake and prevalence of smoking in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, and work towards being smoke free by 2030.

Our Tobacco Control work is split into 3 key areas:

 

Cessation

No matter how long someone has smoked for it is never too late to quit.  Smokers are four times more likely to quit with support than quitting alone. The good news is that finding the right support has never been easier.

Help Me Quit

Thousands of people in Wales quit every year with free, expert, NHS support from Help Me Quit. Our smoking cessation advisors offer support over the telephone or face to face in the community.

Help Me Quit offers:

  • Free, confidential and non-judgemental support from a friendly stop smoking expert.
  • Behavioural support to help you recognise triggers and manage cravings.
  • Weekly sessions tailored to meet your needs.
  • Access to free stop smoking medication.
  • Weekly progress monitoring.

To find out more about Help Me Quit, the choices available to help you become smoke free, success stories and common questions visit Help Me Quit, or call 0800 085 2219 or Text HMQ to 80818 for access support to quit.

The Help Me Quit Team also offer work place smoking cessation groups.  For further information please contact: Deb.Sugrue@wales.nhs.uk

 

Quit for Two, Me and You. Dedicated Maternity Support Worker – smoking cessation

If you are pregnant and a smoker, the most important thing you can do to improve your health and to protect your baby is to quit smoking. If you quit:

 

  • You are more likely to have a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby.
  • You will reduce the risk of stillbirth.
  • Your baby is less likely to be born premature.
  • Your baby is less likely to be born with a low birth weight.
  • You will reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), also known as “cot death”.

 

All pregnant smokers in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan can be referred to a dedicated Maternity Support Worker for:

  • Specialist support for pregnant people to quit smoking.
  • Information and guidance without judgement.
  • Access to FREE nicotine replacement therapy.
  • One-to-one support over the phone from ‘Help Me Quit’.
  • Support and information for anyone else who smokes in your household.

 

For more information please contact: Jodie.Foran@wales.nhs.uk

 

In-house hospital smoking cessation service

The hospital service supports outpatients, inpatients and their partners, parents of paediatric patients and staff to stop smoking. This hospital-based service offers one to one long term intensive behavioural support.

To find out more or make an appointment, please contact:

 

Prevention

Children and Young People tobacco education and prevention service

Staying smoke-free is one of the best things we can do for our health, and it protects other people and the planet too. Our smoking and tobacco education and prevention service helps children and young people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan to gain the information, skills and opportunities they need to make informed choices about their smoking behaviours. We do this through:

  • Supporting the development of whole school/setting approaches to staying smoke-free.
  • Direct delivery of smoking and tobacco education to classes or smaller groups in target school settings. This includes information on smoking, vaping, peer pressure and where to go for support.
  • Signposting to existing resources, or developing our own and supporting educators to use them.
  • Coordinating the Smoke-Free Gates scheme for Primary Schools in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan, and a similar scheme for local Pre-Schools.
  • Promoting smoke-free messages and Help Me Quit.
  • Working with partners to develop, implement and monitor a local action plan aimed at reducing the harms of smoking for children and young people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Our vision is to reduce the uptake and prevalence of smoking amongst children and young people in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan. We also want to protect them from exposure to second-hand smoke and other smoking related harms.

‘Reducing the Harms of Smoking to Children and Young People: An Action Plan for Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan 2022-2024’ has been has been developed by local and national organisations, and it outlines our commitments over the next two years to how we will work towards achieving it.

Environment

A Smoke-Free Environment is a key priority for Welsh Government.  All Wales Smoke- Free Legislation makes it illegal to smoke on hospital grounds, playgrounds, school grounds and in holiday accommodation.

Across Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, a ‘No Smoking Enforcement Officer’ patrols the hospital grounds, approaching smokers to inform them of the law.

Smoking on hospital grounds carries the risk of receiving a £100 Fixed Penalty Notice. In-patients can access Nicotine Replacement Therapy to make them comfortable during their stay. If they are motivated to quit they can be supported by the in-house smoking cessation team, or by Help Me Quit in the community.

For more information on our work on Tobacco Control, please contact:

Trina Nealon, Principal Health Promotion Specialist: Trina.Nealon@wales.nhs.uk

Laura Wilson, Senior Health Promotion Specialist:  Laura.Wilson3@wales.nhs.uk