Report of Director of Public Health

The Cabinet considered a report of the Director for People presenting the ‘Smoke Free Southend:  A strategy to tackle smoking in Southend-on-Sea 2015-2018’.

Resolved:-

1.    That the ‘Smoke Free Southend: A strategy to tackle smoking in Southend-on-Sea 2015-2018’, be adopted in principle.

2.    That the Director of Public Health, in consultation with the portfolio holder for Health and Social Care, be authorised to make any minor amendments to the strategy in response to feedback from the proposed consultation.

Reasons for Decision

1.    The ‘Smoke Free Southend’ strategy and the associated action plan will help to improve the health and wellbeing of the local population and strengthen partnership working across the borough for this agenda.

2.     It is also intended to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use in the longer term and therefore generate economies over time by reducing the cost burden of tobacco.

Other Options

‘Smoke Free Southend’ provides a strategic framework and action plan to strengthen, coordinate and add value to work taking place across the Borough that contributes to the tackling smoking agenda. The other option would be for such work to continue without a strategic framework to guide priorities. This approach would have a slower rate of progress, miss opportunities for the synergy created from joint working and be less efficient.

Note:- This is an Executive Function.

Eligible to call-in to People Scrutiny Committee

Executive Councillor:- Cllr Moyies 

This matter had previously been subject to Pre-Cabinet scrutiny.