This is Somerset --
In South Gloucestershire, estimates show we have more than 58 children aged between 11 and 15 who start smoking every month.
In the South West, one in three (34 per cent) of 16-24 year olds smoke – the highest proportion in the UK.
Smoking remains the major preventable cause of death and disability in this country.
It is also a significant cause of the health divide between rich and poor and is one of the key reasons why poorer people are more likely to develop serious illnesses and die up to 20 years earlier than their richer neighbours.
This means it is a key priority for the county's Health and Wellbeing Board.
I am committed to stopping a new generation of children from starting a smoking habit which can lead to early death.
Research shows children are overwhelmingly more likely to be attracted by designed, colourful tobacco packs, than toned down, standardised packs. Britain could and should lead Europe in introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes.
Our campaign to stop this last legal form of tobacco advertising in South Gloucestershire has been running through our work with Smokefree South West, who have campaigned for standardised packaging of cigarettes since 2012.
With regulation in place to restrict television, radio and other advertising, packaging is becoming more and more important to the tobacco industry in their bid to attract customers.
The new law would be a logical extension of reforms brought in over the past 15 years which have seen a ban on cigarette advertising, the banning of smoking in indoor public places and, most recently, the ban on displaying cigarettes openly in supermarkets and small retailers.
The Department of Health ran a public consultation on whether to introduce standardised packaging between March 2011 and August 2012.
Its results are still being analysed but previous research has shown more than 60 per cent of the public support standard packaging for cigarette packs.
In December last year, Australia became the first country in the world to put all tobacco products in standard olive coloured packs, labelled simply with the brand name and graphic warnings.
Smokefree South West has already proved successful in accelerating the reduction in smoking rates in the region and that' why we are keen to continue working with them. If we can give young people one less reason to start by taking the last vestiges of 'glamour' out of smoking, it will greatly help the NHS.
Dr Mark Pietroni, Director of Public Health for South Gloucestershire Reported by This is 2 hours ago.
In South Gloucestershire, estimates show we have more than 58 children aged between 11 and 15 who start smoking every month.
In the South West, one in three (34 per cent) of 16-24 year olds smoke – the highest proportion in the UK.
Smoking remains the major preventable cause of death and disability in this country.
It is also a significant cause of the health divide between rich and poor and is one of the key reasons why poorer people are more likely to develop serious illnesses and die up to 20 years earlier than their richer neighbours.
This means it is a key priority for the county's Health and Wellbeing Board.
I am committed to stopping a new generation of children from starting a smoking habit which can lead to early death.
Research shows children are overwhelmingly more likely to be attracted by designed, colourful tobacco packs, than toned down, standardised packs. Britain could and should lead Europe in introducing standardised packaging for cigarettes.
Our campaign to stop this last legal form of tobacco advertising in South Gloucestershire has been running through our work with Smokefree South West, who have campaigned for standardised packaging of cigarettes since 2012.
With regulation in place to restrict television, radio and other advertising, packaging is becoming more and more important to the tobacco industry in their bid to attract customers.
The new law would be a logical extension of reforms brought in over the past 15 years which have seen a ban on cigarette advertising, the banning of smoking in indoor public places and, most recently, the ban on displaying cigarettes openly in supermarkets and small retailers.
The Department of Health ran a public consultation on whether to introduce standardised packaging between March 2011 and August 2012.
Its results are still being analysed but previous research has shown more than 60 per cent of the public support standard packaging for cigarette packs.
In December last year, Australia became the first country in the world to put all tobacco products in standard olive coloured packs, labelled simply with the brand name and graphic warnings.
Smokefree South West has already proved successful in accelerating the reduction in smoking rates in the region and that' why we are keen to continue working with them. If we can give young people one less reason to start by taking the last vestiges of 'glamour' out of smoking, it will greatly help the NHS.
Dr Mark Pietroni, Director of Public Health for South Gloucestershire Reported by This is 2 hours ago.