Havering Council's Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy 2024-2029

Overview

Smoking is the leading cause of avoidable ill health such as cancer, heart and lung disease and also results in premature deaths. 

The Council has been working in partnership with numerous health and social care professionals and community organisations to develop a strategy to address tobacco and vape harm in Havering.

The Havering Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy 2024-2029 aims to focus on local challenges and to reduce both tobacco and vape harm in the borough over the next five years in line with the national ambition of creating a smoke-free society by 2030. 

The vision is to deliver a smoke-free future for Havering and improve the health and wellbeing of the population by working in partnership with other organisations and services to offer evidence based support to smokers to quit as well as making smoking less visible, creating smoke-free environments and tackling smoking and vaping amongst young people, an area of growing concern.

Evidence shows clear inequality of impact caused by smoking with rates higher amongst men, disadvantaged groups, routine and manual workers, people with substance addictions and also among those with long term mental health conditions or a Serious Mental Illness (SMI). The high rates of smoking within these groups further compound the negative impacts on their health, social and financial wellbeing.

Reducing smoking within these groups and in the wider population, as well as tackling or reducing vaping amonst young people,  will improve the overall health and wellbeing of Havering residents. In addition, given the prevailing high cost of living, quitting smoking will provide additional benefits in terms of savings made to incomes.

This strategy focuses on four priority areas, as shown below:

Why your views matter

In order to ensure that the strategy meets the needs of Havering residents, we are encouraging all residents, those working in the Havering health, social care and education system, and those from the local community and voluntary sector to review the draft Havering Tobacco Harm Reduction Strategy and provide feedback.  

You can download the full draft strategy in the 'Related' section below, and you can also find an easy read version, along with the Needs Assessment.

The following survey will include questions that cover the priority areas of the Strategy.  Please ensure that you complete all questions.  You will be required to supply some details about yourself but your identity will remain anonymous.