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Anti-Smoking Programmes in the UK

Smokers can be weaned off the habit if governments fund the right sort of programmes, a new study has suggested.

The research comes from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and RTI International, both independent agencies based in America.

Their findings indicate that if state money is put towards tobacco control programmes then the number of smokers will decline.

“It appears that sustained, well–funded programs become increasingly effective over time,” said RTI International’s Matthew Farrelly, the lead author of the study. “As states build capacity for tobacco control, they make better and better use of each additional dollar.”

The study used data collected from all 50 states, and highlighted the fact that while 29.5 per cent of Americans smoked in 1985, only 18.6 per cent were smoking in 2003.

This news follows calls for more government funding to help smokers quit from UK anti-smoking charity Ash.

British government figures released last week showed that nearly a quarter of adults (22 per cent) were still smoking in 2006.

The number did represent a two per cent decrease on 2005, and is likely to have fallen further following the advent of the smoking ban.

But Ash believes the government is not doing enough to help smokers, and says it will have to do more to hit its target of only 11 per cent of adults smoking by 2022.

“In order to drive smoking rates down even further it’s important that the Government builds on recent successes and implements a comprehensive tobacco control strategy,” said Ash Director Deborah Arnott.

“[It] must develop a new strategy including proven measures such as raising the tax on tobacco and reducing smuggling as well as increasing controls on the sale of tobacco.”

Ms Arnott’s call echoes the findings of the RTI study, which claims governments will make back the money they spend on anti-smoking campaigns through reduced treatment costs of smoking related illnesses.

“If states consistently fund programs at recommended levels they could substantially reduce adult smoking prevalence, and thus reduce smoking–related morbidity, mortality, and economic costs,” said the report’s co-author Terry Pechacek.