NORTH Cumbria doesn’t have any dedicated local stop-smoking support service despite having more than 40,000 smokers, according to new research.

These findings which can viewed in an interactive map, produced by retailer Vapekit, looked at smoker data from every Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) in England from 2020/21, encompassing all smokers aged over 15. 

This data was then benchmarked against the number of local stop-smoking support services within each area, leaving each area to be ranked according to its support service to smoker ratio. 

Despite the fact that it has 43,535 smokers, the area covered by North Cumbria CCG was one of only 12 CCG areas out of 135 in England not to have a single ‘dedicated local’ stop smoking support service. That is, an allocated service staffed by expert advisers who can provide regular, tailored one-to-one support over a long period. 

In contrast, the area covered by Central London (Westminster) CCG has two dedicated local stop-smoking support services – even though there are 12,876 fewer smokers than in North Cumbria.

When North Cumbria is compared with every other area of England that contains a CCG, it’s the fourth-worst area of the country in terms of the number of smokers versus the number of local stop-smoking support services.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Tackling public health issues such as smoking is a priority for the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities and a key part of the government’s levelling-up agenda.

"This is why we launched the independent review of our bold ambition to make England smoke-free by 2030.

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"This review provides independent, evidence-based advice on potential interventions that will inform our approach to tackling the stark health disparities associated with tobacco use," they said. 

The study found that there are 129 dedicated local stop-smoking support services across England and 8 million smokers over the age of 15 – approximately one local service per 62,000 smokers. 

Smokers in Cumbria can however use a self referral by calling the NHS on 0300 013 3000, in which they will be redirected to pharmacies across Cumbria who are offering 1-2-1 support and nicotine replacement therapy.

Cumbria County Council's Public Health Team are currently investigating other options to ensure there are as many opportunities to quit as is reasonably possible.

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