All Together Smokefree

The vision

Our bold ambition is to end smoking, everywhere, for everyone, making Cheshire and Merseyside smokefree by 2030. All Together Smokefree is our collective strategy to deliver this in a way that is fair and equitable for our adult population, and ensures a tobacco free future for every child.  

Nationally there is an ambition to create a smoke free generation, where fewer than 5% of people smoke across all demographic groups within society. A key component of this is the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, legislation which aims to curb smoking and vaping in a number of ways, including by raising the age of sale for tobacco by one year every year, meaning people born after 2009 will never be able to legally buy tobacco. 

Radically reducing smoking remains the single greatest opportunity to reduce health inequalities and improve healthy life expectancy. 

Why is it important?

  • Smoking is the single leading cause of preventable death and is responsible for at least half of the difference in life expectancy between the least and most deprived in our sub region. 
  • Smoking is a cause of 16 cancers, diabetes, and dementia, and accounts for two-thirds of the difference in life expectancy in people with a serious mental illness. 
  • In Cheshire and Merseyside, 10.4% of adults over 18 now smoke regularly – a reduction of 1.3% since 2022 and below the national average of 11.6%. This progress reflects the dedication of our communities and stop-smoking services, but there is still more work to do. 

What are we doing?

Cheshire and Merseyside Directors of Public Health Executive Board commissioned a situational analysis in 2023 to understand effective approaches to reducing smoking prevalence across the subregion.  

Following this analysis, a system-wide Strategic Framework was co-produced, alongside a position statement and an implementation plan to deliver on national 2030 targets. The All Together Smokefree Board met for the first time in October 2024, and delivery of the programme has now begun, with the bulk of activity expected from early 2025. 

Key Facts and Updates

Tobacco and Vapes Bill

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will create the first ever smokefree generation by making it an offence to sell tobacco products to those born on or after 1 January 2009, thereby phasing out the sale of tobacco products while not stopping anyone who currently legally smokes from being able to do so. This will mean anyone who turns 15 or younger in 2024 will never legally be sold tobacco products. The bill also includes: 

  • Powers to create a retail licensing regime for the sale of tobacco and vapes. 
  • Powers to extend smokefree legislation to public, outdoor areas. 
  • Powers to prohibit vaping in smokefree places. 
  • Powers to regulate vape product design 
  • A ban on vape advertising and sponsorship. 
  • A ban on vape vending machines 
  • Further powers to regulate the design of vapes. 

Smoking in Cheshire and Merseyside

  • Maternity: Smoking is the leading modifiable risk factor for poor birth outcomes and in our sub-region. Cheshire and Merseyside Smoking at Time of Delivery (SATOD) rate reduced for the full year 23/24 to 8.2%% from 10% in the previous year beginning to close the gap with England now at 7.4% (previously 8.8%).
  • Severe mental illness: Smoking is the leading cause of the 10-20 year reduction in life expectancy for people with serious mental illness; in our sub-region, 45 per cent of people with serious mental illness are smokers. 
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Around 86 per cent of all COPD deaths are caused by smoking; in our sub-region, 1,258 people die from COPD, each year. 
  • Cancer: Smoking is the leading preventable cause of cancer, responsible for 27 per cent of cancer deaths; in our sub-region, 1,547 people die from cancer caused by smoking, each year. 
  • Cardiovascular disease (CVD): Smokers’ CVD risk is double that of non-smokers and nationally, 9.300 people die from CVD caused by smoking, each year.

Leadership

All Together Smokefree is part of All Together Fairer.

This work is overseen by the All Together Smokefree Board and the lead Director of Public Health is Dr Sarah McNulty, Director of Public Health for Knowsley.

More information

The Strategic Lead for All Together Fairer in the Champs Support Team is Andrea Crossfield MBE.

The Programme Manager in the Champs Support Team for All Together Smokefree is Louise Vernon. You can contact Louise by emailing louisevernon@wirral.gov.uk.

Read the latest All Together Smokefree news here.