Officer presenting: Director of Health and Community. Title of Report: Tobacco Control Northern Ireland Briefing Paper

Transcription

1 Title of Report: Tobacco Control Northern Ireland Briefing Paper Officer presenting: Director of Health and Community Author: Head of Health and Community Wellbeing 1 Purpose of Report/Recommendations 1.1 Seek members' approval to extend the Tobacco Control enforcement Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Omagh and Fermanagh District Council for 12months (Appendix 1). 1.2 Inform members' of the key findings in the recent Public Health Agency briefing paper, Tobacco Control Northern Ireland (Appendix 2). 1.3 Inform members' of the Council's environmental health service role in the control of tobacco. 2 Background 2.1 Cigarettes are the only legal product which, when used as intended, will kill half of its users. Furthermore, smoking has been identified as the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland with one in every six deaths in Northern Ireland being attributable to smoking. 2.2 These and other key facts about tobacco, e-cigarettes and the tobacco industry are summarised in a new tobacco briefing paper, Tobacco Control Northern Ireland. This briefing has been produced by Health Intelligence in the Public Health Agency, Northern Ireland, for use by those interested in tobacco control. 2.3 With responsibility for enforcement of a wide range of tobacco control legislation, Council has a key role to play in helping to achieve the aims of the Ten-Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland, published by the Department of Health, Social Services and Personal Safety in 2012 (Appendix 3). 2.4 Despite the advances made over recent years, tobacco remains a key public health issue in society with over a fifth of the NI population (22%), equivalent to 320,000 adults aged 16 and over, still smoking. This means that Northern Ireland has the highest prevalence rate of smoking within the UK and Republic of Ireland, with only Scotland having the same rate. Moreover and of particular concern locally, Derry City and Strabane District Council (23.3%) is second only to Belfast (25.1%) among the district councils in having the highest estimated smoking prevalence. Local Government District Smoking Prevalence (2013/2014) Belfast 25.1% Derry and Strabane 23.3% Antrim and Newtownabbey 21.5% Mid and East Antrim 20.7% Mid Ulster 20.5%

2 Causeway Coast and Glens 20.0% Newry, Mourne and Down 19.8% Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon 19.6% Fermanagh and Omagh 18.1% North Down and Ards 17.4% Lisburn and Castlereagh 16.5% 2.5 This is of concern given the fact that smoking has been identified as the single greatest cause of preventable illness and premature death in Northern Ireland, accountable for approximately 1 in 6 of all deaths. 2.6 Indeed smoking has been shown to contribute to deaths from a wide variety of causes and is thought to account for: 86% of all deaths from lung cancer; 85% of all deaths from Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease; over half the deaths from stomach / Duodenum ulcers; 1 in 4 of all cancer deaths and; 1 in 10 of all circulatory disease deaths. 2.7 The harm caused by tobacco smoke also extends to non-smokers through exposure to second hand smoke, with children and unborn babies being particularly vulnerable. 2.8 While it is difficult to quantify the extent and impact of these illnesses, it has been estimated 17,889 people were admitted to hospitals in NI due to smoking related causes in The cost of treating these smoking related illnesses, in Northern Ireland hospitals alone, is around 164m a year. There is in addition a much larger cost to society due to smoking related costs such as those associated with premature death, excess sickness absence, smoke breaks, second hand smoke (early deaths), smoking related litter and fire in the business place or home The financial burden to individual smokers is considerable. In 2014, a 20-a-day smoker would spend on average, over 3,000 a year on cigarettes. The individual costs of smoking are greatest among the poorest in our community. The most recent NI data for 2014/15 shows three times as many smokers living within the most deprived quintile (36%) compared to the least deprived quintile (12%) and smokers with lower income spend twice as much of their total income on cigarettes compared to the more affluent groups. 3 Key Issues 3.1 In order to address this major public health issue, in 2012 DHSSPS published the "Ten Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland". This strategy has three key objectives namely: fewer people smoking; more smokers quitting; and protection for all from second hand smoke. 3.2 Through its education and enforcement role Council has a key role to play in helping to achieve these objectives and currently employs one Tobacco Control Officer to enforce tobacco control legislation within the City and District.

3 3.3 The main legislation enforced by Council is summarised in the following table: Legislation Summary Key objective Smoking (Northern Ireland) Order 2006 Prohibits smoking in all enclosed or substantially enclosed public and workplaces and public transport, with some limited exceptions such as designated rooms in hotels and residential care homes. Protecting people from second hand smoke Children s and Young Persons (Sale of Tobacco etc.) 2008 Protection from Tobacco (Sales from Vending Machines) 2012 The Tobacco Advertising and Promotion (Display) 2012 Sales to children are regulated by the Health and Personal Social Services Order 1978 and the Children s and Young Persons (Protection from Tobacco) Order The 2008 increased the minimum age of sale for tobacco products from 16 years to 18 years Prohibits the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products directly to the public, regardless of age, from vending machines. It also made it an offence to display advertisements or pictures of tobacco products on vending machines. Prohibits point-of-sale tobacco advertising and display of tobacco products in large and small retail shops applied to large shops from October 2012 and to small shops from April 2015 due to reduced availability of tobacco products to children due to reduced availability of tobacco products to children due to reduced promotion of tobacco products

4 3.4 The Tobacco Control Officer has a range of enforcement tools available to him, including the issuing of fixed penalty notices for contraventions of the smoke free legislation and prosecution. Test purchasing exercises are regularly conducted to identify contraventions of legislation relating to the sale of tobacco products to children. Council also works closely with businesses to ensure that they are aware of their duties under the law and provides guidance and signage to support business in fulfilling those duties. 3.5 A summary of Tobacco Control Enforcement Activity for the first three quarters of this financial year is attached as Appendix 4. 4 Financial, Equality, Legal, HR and Other Implications % funding for the Tobacco Control Officer's work is received from the Public Health Agency. 4.2 Post Local Government Reform the Council entered into a twelve month (2015/16) Service Level Agreement with Omagh and Fermanagh District Council which is the lead Council with respect to the management and delivery of the Tobacco Control Services contract with Public Health Agency (PHA). The overall contract value for 2015/16 is 106, As part of the SLA Derry City and Strabane District Council provides a tobacco Control enforcement service within the legacy Limavady District Council area of the Causeway Coast and Glens Council. 4.4 The PHA has confirmed that it will extend the current contract beyond 31 March 2016 for 12 months subject to the same terms and conditions. There are, therefore, no financial implications for Council. 4.5 In Order to minimise disruption to the services currently being delivered it is recommended that the Council extend the SLA with Omagh and Fermanagh District Council for a further 12 months (2016/17) to allow for the Council to review its priorities which will support the priorities of the Community Plan. 4.6 Monies received through the issue of Fixed Penalty Notices are required to be used for the purposes of tobacco control and have in the past been used to purchase items such as signage for premises and vehicles which are then distributed free of charge to businesses that require them. 5 Recommendations 5.1 It is recommended that members approve the extension of the Tobacco Control SLA at Appendix 1 for 12months and the background Papers in Appendices 2, 3 and 4 are noted. Background Papers Appendix 1: Tobacco Control enforcement Service Level Agreement (SLA) with Omagh and Fermanagh District Council

5 Appendix 2: PHA Tobacco Control Northern Ireland Appendix 3: Ten-Year Tobacco Control Strategy for Northern Ireland Appendix 4: Summary Tobacco Control Enforcement Activity (01/04/15 31/12/15)