Reducing the Demand and Supply of Illicit Tobacco and Underage Tobacco Sales across Cheshire and Merseyside Peter Astley MBE Head of Public Protection Warrington Borough Council
Effective tobacco control: its more than smoking cessation!
Regulatory Services: have a key role to play in reducing the supply of tobacco to young people and illicit tobacco to all!
The case for tackling supply: Underage access: • Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18! • Reducing access = reducing the chance of nicotine dependency! Illicit tobacco: • Undermines current tobacco control initiatives (e.g. reducing under-age access) and perpetuates health inequalities. • Cheap price undermines quit attempts. • Impacts on community cohesion.
63% Agree: “illicit tobacco brings crime into our communities”
87% Agree: “illicit tobacco is a danger to our children”
“14 -15 year old smokers are more than twice as likely as their adult counterparts to be often offered illicit tobacco to buy” (NEMS 2011)
“1 in 7 young smokers have gone to a private address, or fag house, to buy illicit cigarettes” (NEMS 2011)
Reducing supply in C&M, achievememts: Underage access: • Exponential impact in compliance work Illicit tobacco: • Exponential increase in enforcement work across the region at a local level. • Developed ‘world first’ regional solution: The ‘ North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Programme’ is a multi-agency approach which has focussed on reducing demand and supply at the heart of the community.
Reducing supply: outcomes • Underage access: – Big rise in compliance, reduced supply to under- 18’s – Reduced prevalence?
Underage purchasing rates 25 20 15 10 5 0 2007 2009 2011 14-16 % Prevalence: North West Chesire & Merseyside
Reducing supply: outcomes • Underage access: – Big rise in compliance, reduced supply to under- 18’s – Reduced prevalence? • Illicit tobacco: – IT market shrinking in the area (volume change estimated as 23% reduction, when those struggling financially increased from 20 – 25%!). – Raised awareness of illicit tobacco among consumers and stakeholders – impacting on demand – Improved partnerships, both formal and informal which has impacted on IT strategies/actions locally
Illicit Tobacco Levels: 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 2000/1 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10 Cigarettes HRT
tobacco supply reduction: challenges
Public Protection 2012!
The future: 50 45 40 ? 35 Impact of reducing 30 tobacco supply 25 Current impacts: 20 • Public Health budgets & lack of leadership? • Reducing budgets = reducing underage sales 15 & illicit compliance work = increased availability. • Economic climate. 10 • Developing markets. 5 • Border control changes. 0 2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Under 18's prevalence
Conclusions • Conclusions? • Peter Astley: pastley@warrington.gov.uk • Thanks for listening!
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