The Smokefree Action Coalition recognises that the NHS has a pivotal role to play in creating the UK’s first smokefree generation. A smokefree NHS is vital in achieving this aim.
There are a number of ways in which the NHS makes a contribution. These include providing smoking cessation services, working to ensure the NHS Estate is smokefree, prescribing stop smoking medications and making sure that all smokers are asked if they smoke and offered support to quit.
The recently published Tobacco Control Plan for England sets ambitious targets for reducing smoking prevalence among adults to 12% and among children to 3%. As part of delivering this goal the Government commit through the Tobacco Control Plan to fully implement NICE guidance in NHS services which includes implementing a fully smokefree NHS by 2020.
Many NHS organisations have taken the step of signing the NHS Smokefree Pledge, which you can see here. This is an update to the previous NHS Statement of Support for Tobacco Control, which you can see here.