Public Health Promotion - Tobacco Control Scrutiny Review 10/11
Health in Hackney Scrutiny Commission
Tobacco is a major public health issue in Hackney and the Commission wanted to investigate how the prevalence of smoking in the borough might be tackled and develop practical recommendations for developing and strengthening the work of the Council and its NHS partners in the area of tobacco control. The Commission looked at partnership working to tackle smoking prevalence, tobacco alliance models and key stakeholders to be involved in a tobacco control alliance group to help tackle smoking prevalence in Hackney.
Key recommendation areas were to bring tobacco control services out to the community, implement community champions for specific groups with high prevalence, conduct work to challenge the perception of smoking as normal among young people, build up robust local data on smoking prevalence and establish a brand identity for tobacco control communication to service users.
The Commission's final report
This review looked at partnership working and identifying the model and key stakeholders for establishing a tobacco control alliance group (in Hackney) to help tackle smoking prevalence. The review concluded and made several recommendations about tobacco control work and alliance structure, partnership, communication and employers.
Response from the Cabinet Member
The health and wellbeing of Hackney's residents is of great importance to us as a Council. Ensuring that all those who live in our Borough can look forward to living long and healthy lives is one of the key goals we as an authority have. We can't do this on our own and as the report recommends, and this response shows, we are reaching out to work closer and closer with our partner organisations to tackle issues that impact negatively on health in Hackney.
What has happened as a result of the review?
The Commission received an update on the implementation of their recommendations at the meetinmg in October 2011. Outcomes included funding for a new member of staff to teach young people about the dangers of smoking, and a pilot was completed prohibiting smoking in Clissold Park playground. In a letter from the Commission's Chair, Cllr Luke Akehurst, to NHS East London & The City, he noted "The Commission was pleased to hear that the local Primary Care Trust will be addressing the issue by creating a post with responsibility for leading on young people tobacco control prevention, liaising directly with schools and the Learning Trust. The Commission strongly urges the Learning Trust to provide full support to this post holder". The Commission will receive a further update in April 2011
Page updated: 10 Apr 2012
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