Welcome to the Smokefree Devon Alliance newsletter.
As always please share any information that you would like to see included in future editions.
 In case you are not aware it is World No Tobacco Day tomorrow, Friday 31st May 2019. The annual event hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is an opportunity to raise awareness on the harm caused by smoking and exposure to second-hand-smoke, and encourage more people to make a quit attempt.
Please promote the messages using your own social media activity (#NoTobacco). You can read more about the campaign and how the focus for 2019 is on tobacco and lung health.
GP surgeries who currently have a contract with Devon Public Health for delivering smoking cessation activity will be familiar with the requirement to fill in the Smoking cessation quarterly return forms. Devon Public Health have recently created a short instructional video explaining the process for completing these forms..
 Devon Public Health are in the process of creating a similar video to assist pharmacies in the completion of their quarterly returns. We will be in contact when this is available.
The NHS Long Term Plan is a blueprint for how the service will move forwards in the next 10 years. As expected the prevention of health-related illness and death caused by smoking features within the publication. “The NHS will increase their contribution to tacking some of the most significant causes of ill health including new action to help people stop smoking”. Part of this new action will be moving forwards with new evidence-based NHS prevention programmes based on the Ottawa and Manchester Cure models.
 The Greater Manchester CURE model has recently launched a new website which explains all about the CURE project and provides links to a host of resources and information.
The NHS Long Term Plan is quick to point out that the new commitments for action will need to complement, rather than be a substitute for public health grant funded local government services including smoking cessation services, school nursing and health visitors. As we know within the Smokefree Devon Alliance – we all need to play our part if we are to help the population of Devon to become truly smoke-free.
Read more about the NHS Long Term Plan.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Cancer Research UK recently published a report into the state of Stop Smoking Services and Tobacco Control in England.
 In addition, ASH and Fresh have also shared some insights into the current status of local tobacco control partnerships in the country. The findings were based on feedback from 33 participating local authorities. A quick read of the report demonstrates that out local Devon Smokefree Alliance is doing well and ahead of many other areas in terms of having a defined Strategy, Vision for tobacco control and a current and active Action Plan. Devon Smokefree Alliance is also well positioned with regards to it’s current membership and senior leadership buy-in. We need to continue to work collaboratively towards the Action Plan and use the opportunities we each have within our organisations to raise the profile of our tobacco control activity.
The report identified a number of key partners for an effective alliance which included:
NHS - MH & Acute trusts; Maternity units; CCGs; GP surgeries; Clinical champions; Pharmacies
Trading standards; Fire service; Housing; Public health registrars/consultants; Children and young people; Police; Universities; Vape shops; Sports clubs and local VCS organisations.
We would be grateful if you would extend an invite from the Smokefree Devon Alliance to anyone within these sectors who may be able to help us to achieve our shared vision of creating a smokefree Devon population.
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