Agenda item

Mrs V Tovey, Senior Commissioning Manager, was in attendance for this item.

1                    Mrs Tovey introduced the report and responded to comments and questions from the committee, including the following:

a)      the One You programme was seeking to change people’s behaviours in a sustainable way. Many goals would be long-term, for example, smoking. Some people continued to smoke even during a stay in hospital, surely an ideal place to be encouraged to give up. Mrs Tovey advised that pharmaceutical therapies were prescribed to inpatients to help them quit smoking while in hospital;

b)      asked about vaping being advocated as a safer alternative to smoking, Mr Scott-Clark clarified that vaping was only suggested as a step-down as part of a route to quitting, not as a long-term alternative to smoking.  Although vaping was known to be much less harmful than smoking, its use was still an area of concern and something to be addressed as an addiction;

c)      concern was expressed at the number of young people smoking, and the need for education programmes at schools to be frank in setting out the dangers and antisocial nature of smoking. The Chairman suggested that children be shown a comparison between a healthy lung and a smoker’s lung, and have emphasised to them how unpleasant a smoker’s breath, hair and clothes would smell;

d)      Mr Scott-Clark commented that an effective way to get young people to stop smoking was to get their parents to stop smoking. He reassured the committee that vaping was not known to be used by young people as a route into smoking. Mrs Tovey added that measures to make smoking less normal, for example, smoke-free school gates, aimed to help encourage parents to quit smoking;

e)      a view was expressed that young people may not follow the lead of their parents in giving up; young people tended more to rebel against what their parents did and wanted them to do. It might be possible to channel this rebellious nature in some way to support anti-smoking campaigns. Mrs Tovey advised that selling cigarettes in plain packaging had had an effect on the number of young people buying them, and that young people who had given up and were enthusiastic about not smoking could be used to advocate among their friends;   

f)       using psychology with the public rather than lecturing them could have a greater impact, for example, in campaigns such a ‘what the bump’, about smoking during pregnancy.  It was important to consider that parenthood started not at birth but at conception, and both parents should start to look after their health before considering parenthood. Mrs Tovey added that, via digital and services and the health visitor and midwifery services, expectant parents would be supported through pregnancy to make healthy changes to their life style;

g)      the dangers of passive smoking were still a concern, as was the danger of those giving up smoking adopting potentially more damaging habits instead. Asked about the number of hardcore smokers who resisted giving up, Mrs Tovey advised that hard-core smokers were indeed harder to tackle but would be targeted via campaigns, GPs, KCHFT core services and NHS Health checks, with support being ready to help those who chose to quit. Mr Scott-Clark added that the aim was to reduce the number of smokers in Kent to fewer than 5% of the total population by 2030. It was encouraging that smoking prevalence in Kent was at the lowest rate ever achieved there, partly due to the link between smoking and cardiovascular disease, cancer and reduced life expectancy now being more clearly understood.  The aim was to create as many environments as possible in which smoking was not acceptable. The 5% target was welcomed;

h)      the reduction in the prevalence of smoking had surely been helped by the large number of places in which people were not permitted to smoke, including pubs and in cars with children. It could be helpful to find out what had encouraged people to stop smoking, or not to take it up, for example, the popularity of sports and fitness, or the fact that smoking was no longer seen to be ‘cool’.  Mrs Tovey advised that this data might be available via the public health observatory;

i)        a view was expressed that some young people may take up smoking to help them cope with emotional problems in adolescence;

j)        prevalence rates for smoking in Kent were higher than the national average, partly due to rates being higher generally in areas of deprivation, such as Thanet; and

k)      funding for campaign work would be included in the public health grant, so was not yet known. A response to the Government green paper on prevention was also awaited.

2.         It was RESOLVED that the performance of the One You Kent Service and the initiatives being undertaken to improve quality and outcomes be noted and welcomed.