‘Cuts or changes to services must not impede progress made towards smoke free society’ warns RCGP Chair

RCGP responds to a University College London (UCL) study funded by Cancer Research UK on smoking rates, Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of the Royal College of GPs, said:

“It’s really encouraging to see that smoking rates have dropped across England and that differences between regions are beginning to narrow. But it’s concerning to see rates stagnate and even rise in some areas.

“GPs see the devastating consequences of smoking every day in our surgeries - we see patients facing years of ill health, preventable conditions, and early death because of smoking. We also know how incredibly hard it can be to give up smoking once it becomes an addiction, and many of our patients do try very hard to stop. GPs and our teams have played a major part in encouraging millions of people to quit the habit, and live healthier lives as non-smokers.

“But we know that it is far better to never have started smoking. Preventive medicine is a clinical priority for the College, and we have supported efforts to create a smoke free generation. However, if rates are rising and people are starting to smoke for the first time, it’s important we understand why this is happening.

“We’ve made huge strides to stop people smoking and discourage many from starting in the last decade, and the health benefits of the 2007 smoking ban are clear. It’s vital to ensure that any cuts or changes to services as part of forthcoming plans for the NHS don't have a negative impact on further progress and that we continue to build on the huge advancements that have been made towards a smoke free society, protecting patients from an addiction that will very likely have a very serious impact on their health.”

Further information

RCGP press office: 0203 188 7659
press@rcgp.org.uk

Notes to editors

The Royal College of General Practitioners is a network of more than 54,000 family doctors working to improve care for patients. We work to encourage and maintain the highest standards of general medical practice and act as the voice of GPs on education, training, research and clinical standards.