Peter Astley MBE Head of Public Protection Warrington ... · Peter Astley MBE Head of Public Protection Warrington Borough Council . Effective tobacco control: its more than smoking

Reducing the Demand and Supply of Illicit

Tobacco and Underage Tobacco Sales across

Cheshire and Merseyside

Peter Astley MBE

Head of Public Protection

Warrington Borough Council

Effective tobacco control:

its more than smoking

cessation!

Regulatory Services:

have a key role to play in reducing

the supply of tobacco to young

people and illicit tobacco to all!

The case for tackling supply:

Underage access:

• Two-thirds of smokers start before the age of 18!

• Reducing access = reducing the chance of nicotine dependency!

Illicit tobacco:

• Undermines current tobacco control initiatives (e.g. reducing under-age access) and perpetuates health inequalities.

• Cheap price undermines quit attempts.

• Impacts on community cohesion.

63%

Agree: “illicit tobacco brings

crime into our communities”

87%

Agree: “illicit tobacco is a

danger to our children”

“14-15 year old smokers are

more than twice as likely as

their adult counterparts to

be often offered illicit

tobacco to buy” (NEMS 2011)

“1 in 7 young smokers have

gone to a private address,

or fag house, to buy illicit

cigarettes” (NEMS 2011)

Reducing supply in C&M, achievememts:

Underage access:

• Exponential impact in compliance work

Illicit tobacco:

• Exponential increase in enforcement work across the region at a local level.

• Developed ‘world first’ regional solution: The ‘North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Programme’ is a multi-agency approach which has focussed on reducing demand and supply at the heart of the community.

Reducing supply: outcomes

• Underage access:

– Big rise in compliance, reduced supply to under-18’s

– Reduced prevalence?

Underage purchasing rates

0

5

10

15

20

25

2007 2009 2011

14-16 % Prevalence: North West Chesire & Merseyside

Reducing supply: outcomes

• Underage access:

– Big rise in compliance, reduced supply to under-18’s

– Reduced prevalence?

• Illicit tobacco:

– IT market shrinking in the area (volume change

estimated as 23% reduction, when those struggling

financially increased from 20 – 25%!).

– Raised awareness of illicit tobacco among consumers

and stakeholders – impacting on demand

– Improved partnerships, both formal and informal

which has impacted on IT strategies/actions locally

Illicit Tobacco Levels:

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

2000/1 2001/2 2002/3 2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7 2007/8 2008/9 2009/10

Cigarettes HRT

tobacco supply reduction:

challenges

Public Protection 2012!

The future:

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

2009 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Under 18's prevalence

Impact of reducing

tobacco supply

Current impacts:

•Public Health budgets & lack of leadership?

•Reducing budgets = reducing underage sales

& illicit compliance work = increased availability.

•Economic climate.

•Developing markets.

•Border control changes.

?

Conclusions

• Conclusions?

• Peter Astley: [email protected]

• Thanks for listening!