Andrew Gwynne, the newly appointed Public Health Minister, made his first official visit in post last week (Thursday 11 July) to Tower Hamlets Council’s stop smoking service, Quit Right Tower Hamlets.
The visit highlighted the importance of community stop smoking services for achieving the new government's aim of smokefree 2030.
During the visit, Andrew Gwynne spoke to Tower Hamlets residents who have successfully quit with support from the service. He also spoke to staff about their work and observed in-person consultations. This included showcasing ‘swap to stop’, a government scheme providing smokers with a free vape starter kit to replace their usual cigarettes.
The visit also provided an opportunity for the council’s public health team to provide an overview of the borough’s work on smoking cessation alongside wider public health initiatives.
Tower Hamlets was chosen for the visit as it consistently achieves positive outcomes for smoking cessation, ranking significantly higher than the London and England averages for residents setting a ‘quit date’ and the rate of achieving a four-week quit.
Cllr Gulam Kibria Choudhury, Cabinet Member for Health, Wellbeing and Social Care, said:
“We are honoured that the Minister has chosen Quit Right Tower Hamlets as his first visit in his role as Public Health Minister. This visit is a testament to the importance of our work and the impact we have in our community.
“Quitting smoking is one of the most crucial steps someone can take to improve not only their own health, but the health of those around them. We have seen smoking levels fall sharply over the last six years, and we want to continue offering help to anyone in Tower Hamlets who wants to quit.
“We look forward to any opportunities to collaborate further so we can enhance our services and support even more people to stop smoking for good.”
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Andrew Gwynne, MP said:
“We are committed to creating a smoke-free country to not only save lives, but help build a healthier society, so I was delighted to meet some of the fantastic staff at the Quit Right smoking cessation service who are helping do just that.
“Creating a healthy economy and easing pressure on the NHS through services like these will help us meet our commitment to cut the waiting lists.”
Smokers are four times more likely to quit if they use a service like Quit Right Tower Hamlets. The service, based in Stepney Green, provides residents with evidence-based support to quit, including patches, chewing gum, or e-cigarettes, as well as one-to-one support.
In the last financial year, the service supported more than 1,500 people to quit smoking in Tower Hamlets.
For more information about the council’s stop smoking support services, visit www.towerhamlets.gov.uk/stopsmoking
Posted on Wednesday 17th July 2024