00:00In Liverpool, health officials say the fight against smoking is entering a new phase, as the city commits to an
00:06ambitious goal of becoming smoke-free.
00:09Liverpool City Council signed the pledge for a smoke-free UK, developed by the Smoke-Free Action Coalition,
00:15committing to go further and faster towards reducing smoking rates to below 1% by 2040.
00:21Leader of the council, Liam Robinson, said the move comes alongside the tobacco and vapes bill becoming law,
00:27which introduces a generational ban on the sale of tobacco to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 from
00:362027.
00:37Council data shows smoking rates in Liverpool have been falling faster than across the north-western England,
00:43supported by local stop-smoking services, which helped 3,644 people quit in the last year.
00:50The authority says it's also expanding smoke-free environments, including homes, playgrounds, pavements and sports pitch sidelines,
00:58a programme that's been shortlisted for a National Public Health Award.
01:01Enforcement teams confiscated more than half a million cigarettes over the past year as part of ongoing action against illegal
01:08tobacco sales.
01:09Separately, test purchasing between 2023 and 2025 found attempts to sell vapes to underage buyers fell from 31% to
01:1710%.
01:18Public health leaders, including Director of Public Health Professor Matt Ashton,
01:22says smoking remains the single biggest cause of preventable illness and health inequality in the city.
Comments