ANTI-SMOKING campaigns are needed in County Durham amid smoking-related social care bills of more than £13.3m.

More than 40,000 people need to stop smoking to meet health targets and ambitions to create “a tobacco-free generation”.

A council report estimates 62,000 people in County Durham smoke - 14.3 per cent of the population, higher than regional and national figures.

Read more: Fences cut and crops ruined on Durham farms – police suspect poachers on quads

It was estimated an additional £13.39m was spent on social care as a result of smoking for people in County Durham aged 50 and over.

The County Durham Tobacco Control Alliance aims to reduce smoking in the county to five per cent - 40,100 fewer smokers - or less by 2025.

Amanda Healy, Durham County Council’s director of public health, told councillors: “We really do need to reinvigorate our approach to tobacco and to tobacco control.

“There’s been a huge amount of really, really excellent work that’s taken place over many years.

“However I think it’s time to put us back on the front foot of that.

“If we want to get to five per cent, we need to see 40,000 giving up smoking, and that’s also not having anyone else start smoking,” she told the council’s health and wellbeing board.

“We’re still way behind some other parts of the country so a really focused approach to that work will be really, really welcome.”

She applauded the “fantastic” work continued in the pandemic: “But in reality what I think we need to see is that renewed vigour and emphasis on tobacco work to address the prevalence that we have.

“Obviously the most important thing is to stop adults from smoking.

“We are keeping a close eye on vaping and young people as well.

“The last thing we want is young people to start smoking.”

The council report said: “The greatest contribution to the increase in prevalence in County Durham is through the routine and manual workforce.

“This data provides evidence that there is a need to reinvigorate the importance of the tobacco control agenda across the county to reduce mortality and morbidity rates of our local communities caused by smoking.”

Councillors agreed to support this, as well as a focus on reducing smoking in pregnancy rates. New “stop smoking specialist advisors” are also being recruited.

The report adds: “In the North East the annual smoking in pregnancy rate has reduced from 15.2 per cent in 2019/20 down to 13 per cent.

“However, a slower reduction rate in County Durham indicates work needs to continue within maternity services.”

The 14.3 per cent smoking prevalence figure had dropped from 2019’s level of 17%, and the rate of smoking quitters in County Durham was well above that for England and the North-east.

The five per cent target was extended to 2030 for pregnant smokers, manual groups and people with mental health issues.

The report estimated 17,000 people are either not receiving care for illness attributable to smoking, or receiving unpaid care from friends and family in County Durham.

It would cost more than £158m a year to provide paid care for them, says the report.

Ms Healy added: “I think it’s really important to remember that smoking remains the largest cause of preventable deaths and one of the largest causes of health inequalities in England. There’s still 200 people a day die from smoking-related illnesses which could have been prevented.”

Durham City MP Mary Kelly Foy led a backbench debate on the subject last November, leading to the government emphasising its commitment to tackling harm from smoking.

A national Tobacco Control Plan is “expected at any time”, the report says.

A Mintel survey last year said Covid-19 affected smokers, with more than half “stress-smoking” during the pandemic, 10% started again after quitting and 30% smoking more regularly.

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