Leading Child Health Experts To Discuss Tackling Youth Smoking In Wales

Leading health experts will meet today to discuss how to tackle youth smoking prevalence in Wales.

Around 6,000 children take up smoking every year in Wales and 9% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoke weekly – a figure that has not fallen since 2013.

At today’s Wales Tobacco and Health Network (WTHN) event  ASH Wales will call for urgent action to tackle the problem and to prevent today’s children from become the next generation of adult smokers, with its latest research showing that 81% of adult smokers in Wales first took up the habit aged 18 or under.

It has gathered a panel of child health experts to find ways to tackle the issue, chaired by Baroness Finley, Chair of the Commission on Alcohol Harm, who was responsible for bringing the first private members’ bill that led to smoking being banned in public places in Wales in 2007.

The panel will explore a range of solutions including raising the age of sale from 18 to 21, a national education programme to teach children about the impact of smoking, tailored stop smoking programmes for further education colleges and pupil referral units and a crackdown on the illegal sale of tobacco to under 18s.

It will also call for the full implementation of the Public Health Wales Act (2017) which would make it illegal to hand over tobacco products to under 18s and would lead to the setting up of a tobacco retail register in Wales.

Youth smoking prevalence is highest in the most deprived areas of Wales and plays a key role in causing the stark health inequalities that exist across the country. According to the latest SHRN (School Health Research Network) survey of 103,971 students in Wales, children from more deprived backgrounds were twice as likely to smoke as those from affluent homes and were 12% more likely to have tried their first cigarette before the age of 13.

WTHN panel member Professor Graham Moore is Deputy Director of Health Public Policy, DECIPHer (Cardiff University) and has carried out extensive research into health inequalities in childhood and adolescence. His team has led the SHRN survey for five years.

He described the role smoking plays in health inequalities among children and young people and why it’s so important to tackle youth smoking prevalence.

“DECIPHer have studied young people’s exposure to tobacco smoke, and smoking rates, in various surveys in Wales since smoke free legislation in 2007. We’ve seen great steps forward in that time in reducing children’s exposure to other people’s smoke, while youth smoking rates are now at an all-time low.

“However, the past few years have seen a plateauing in the long term decline in young people’s smoking rates. Young people from poorer families remain more likely to grow up in environments where tobacco is bought, sold and used, and to take up smoking themselves. Further action is needed to reach those young people who continue to take up smoking.”

Andrew Cooksley MBE is part of the WTHN panel and is founder and CEO of ACT, Wales’ largest provider of training and apprenticeships. A survey of ACT learners found that 43% of them smoke, prompting the organisation to put a greater focus on educating young people about health and wellbeing.

Mr Cooksley said: “Three years ago,  I taught a class of 14 learners for the day.  Every single one of them went off for a smoke during their break. They came back with chocolate and crisps that turned out to be their breakfast. This was a real wake up call for me about the lives they lead and the impact this will have on their health.

“Last year ACT carried out a survey of its learners which revealed that 43% of them are smokers. As a result, we have put lessons about personal growth and wellbeing at the heart of the training we deliver.

“I believe that health and welling should be the backbone of every young person’s education in Wales. It should not just be a side issue that is dealt with as a tick box exercise in one or two sessions.
If nothing is done to support these young people to change their behaviour and tackle this addiction, they will grow up to be unhappy, unhealthy and expensive adults.

“We cannot afford to ignore this problem and to turn a blind eye to the high number of young people in Wales, particularly from deprived backgrounds,  who are already addicted to tobacco. There is an opportunity to reach young people before it’s too late and it’s crucially important that we find a way to do this through education.”

The WTHN panel will also include Dr Britt Hallingburg, Lecturer in Health & Wellbeing Psychology at Cardiff Met.

It will be chaired by Baroness Finlay, a doctor and professor of palliative medicine.  Baroness Finlay is an Independent Crossbench Member of the House of Lords.  She was responsible for bringing the first private members’ bill that eventually led to smoking being banned in public places in Wales in 2007.

“I Don’t Want You to Die, Mammy”: The Moment I Finally Stopped Smoking

Laura Mochan was just 13 when she smoked her first cigarette. What started as something that felt “cool” quickly became a lifelong addiction. As an adult, Laura was smoking up to 60 cigarettes a day. Last January, encouraged by her nine year old son, she finally quit, and says giving up has completely changed her life. To mark No Smoking Day 2021 and inspire others to take that first step, Laura shares her story.

I started smoking when I was just 13. Like many teenagers at the time, it was seen as the ‘cool’ thing to do with friends at the park or behind the school toilets. If you didn’t smoke, you stood out.

I didn’t even like it. I hated the taste, the smell, and the fear of my parents finding out. But it didn’t stop me. I have huge regrets now. I wish I had never touched a cigarette.

I began buying packs of ten, then quickly moved to 20 a day. Addiction crept in fast. Through my teens and twenties, I smoked a pack a day. By my thirties, life became more stressful, and smoking became even more ingrained.

My husband and I found out we were both infertile and our only chance of having a family was IVF .  Months of tests and fertility treatments followed. I was pretty much making my way through 30 cigarettes a day by that point.

Then we finally got pregnant with twins. I immediately wanted to stop smoking, but I couldn’t do it. I felt incredible guilt and I tried so hard, but I couldn’t. I did manage to get my habit down to around four or five a day. We then lost our son’s twin and the fight against increasing my habit weakened.

Soon after our son was born, I was smoking at least 20 a day – quickly up to 30  a day. A year later and our marriage broke down, I had PND, I was made redundant soon after, and our son had awful problems with colic and reflux and a very poor sleeping pattern. I was then getting through 40 cigarettes a day. It stayed that way for about 18 months until I found a new job and our son settled. I was down to around 15 to 20 cigarettes a day then (sometimes less).

Then, I lost both of my parents, two aunts, a cousin and our sixteen year old dog all in the space of five years after that. I easily smoked 40 to 60 cigarettes a day through this period. It was that or start drinking – even a prescription drug was on the table, but smoking helped just enough.

When 2019 came around it was three years since the last of the loss we suffered. I was comfortably smoking 15 to 20 a day. A few days before Christmas, my then nine-year-old son asked me to stop smoking, telling me it was an awful thing… smelly and very dangerous. He didn’t like that I would come in from the back garden ‘smelling like a dead animal’. I did feel guilty, and I seriously considered giving up (I had pondered it a few times, but I never truly properly tried).

I told him I would try… ‘Yes, absolutely… I will definitely stop soon’ I told him. He asked if I’d stop for Christmas and I heartily agreed.

Christmas came and went and nothing was mentioned. Thank God, I thought. And then two days before New Year’s Eve came around and he asked me again, only this time he made me promise. The kid didn’t even blink: “I don’t want you to die, mammy. Please stop doing it because it kills people and kids don’t have parents anymore.” My heart nearly burst; I had never seen him so solemn. Before I knew what I was doing, I made a promise to him that I would stop for the New Year. I meant it – I was going to try my best, anyway.

New Year’s Eve and I smoked my ‘last’ cigarette around 11pm. The next morning, I was up the shop by 11am buying 20. I felt awful, the guilt was horrendous. I smoked one after the other on the way down from the shop. Two chewing gums and a hefty dose of body spray later and I was alright. I spent a few days like this, hiding out the back or down around the corner of the street to smoke. I had even made a big declaration on social media that I was giving up for New Year. I felt like a failure, which ironically made me smoke more.

The morning of the 5th of January 2020… he caught me. I quickly crept back in from the garden and he was standing there staring at me. I felt so sick. He started crying. Oh my God that look he gave me before the tears came, I will never forget it. And that was that.

I smoked my last cigarette early evening that day and I haven’t smoked since. I don’t break promises to my little boy, but I suddenly had, and it ruined me more than him. I did it cold turkey. My friend bought me patches, but they really didn’t do much to help.

The cravings were very intense for the first three or four days. I had the shakes, I was sweating, I couldn’t sleep, I couldn’t think straight. It was really hard, there is no denying that, but it wasn’t uncontrollable; I didn’t feel ill or depressed or have any major concerns etc. I just felt dreadful and drained – and desperate for a smoke. Three weeks later and the intensity had halved. Yes, I absolutely still craved one, but it wasn’t the only thing on my mind anymore. I was sleeping better, not shaking as much, my appetite was better than ever. Three months later and it was significantly easier again. The urge to smoke was popping in to my head at random times as opposed to with a coffee, after food, while I was on the phone, feeling stressed (they had been the worst times for cravings).

I was asked what I did to help with the cravings… I busied myself, popped a sweet in my mouth, a chunk of carrot or plum tomato or red pepper (I eat a lot healthier since I gave up, too). The cravings still come 14 months on, but they are few and far between now. It’s MUCH easier than it was to deal with and they last just a few moments before they’re gone. There have been a couple of times (on bad days) where I have struggled, but there is no way I will go backwards now.

It’s March 4th, 2021 now… 424 days, approximately 10,176 hours since I last smoked a cigarette. I also worked out that based on just 20 a day (sometimes more), I have saved an incredible £4282 – in a year and two months!? I honestly cannot tell you how I afforded to spend that on cigarettes?? It’s absolutely crazy!

I worked out the savings since quitting, and how much I could save by Christmas this year if I started actually saving £10 a day in a jar. It isn’t easy! I cannot justify taking a tenner out of the cashpoint every day just to put in a jar where it can’t be used. I am determined to do it, though: I managed to hand over that £10 a day to the tills in Tesco or the local corner shop… so this is no different – other than the fact that by December 1st (traditionally when I begin Christmas shopping), I will have £2750 to spend on gifts. I know it will be hard to take money out (that I can’t actually afford to take out!) to put in a jar, but like I said, I did it for YEARS, so…

I’ve come so far and worked so hard to get to where I am. I am smoke free, my lungs – while still damaged to an extent – no longer have to fight the effects of inhaling poison and the next few years will see my risk of heart disease and lung disease and Cancers of all sorts decrease dramatically. This by itself is reason enough to keep going.

Giving up smoking has had a knock on effect because I now know that I am way more capable than I thought. Taking yourself away from an addictive drug is not easy, not at all, and you have to want to stop. That was one of the barriers for me, looking back. My son was my inspiration, but looking at what actually goes in to a cigarette and the damage it can quickly do to your organs (some of it is irreparable) was a real eye opener. To think I willingly inhaled deadly poison for 30 years is mind bending to me now. Never again. I wanted to stop and I still do. I am very proud of myself for it.

My advice to smoking thinking of quitting is that you have to want to stop so looking up the ingredients of a cigarette is a good place to start. Then do a little research into the diseases and the multiple horrifying ways in which smoking can destroy your organs and soft issues. Think about the people who need you to be fit and healthy; most of us have at least someone who needs us, depends on us, loves us. I will add that I can taste my food better and that is a good thing as I learned to really enjoy food for a few months after I quit. I am two stone heavier but I can lose that weight – if I can give up smoking I can lose a little weight no problem! I am now at a point where I can say ‘If I can give up smoking, I can do anything I put my mind to’. And it feels great. Even my mindset has changed and is more positive.

I will leave you with this. I have no will power. I rarely finish projects I start, I am annoyingly indecisive and I can be a real dizzy minx, so if I can give up smoking absolutely anyone can. Think of the people who need you and think of the money you have already wasted. Then think of what you are going to do with the huge savings you’ll make.

Children’s Commissioner and Minister back Wales’ No Smoking Day School Gates campaign

The Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the Minister for Wellbeing have jointly praised a national campaign banning parents from smoking at schoolgates in support of this year’s No Smoking Day.

Over 140 schools across Wales have pledged to take direct action to reduce smoking at schoolgates today (10/03/2021) by putting up banners and sending messages to parents.

The Children’s Commissioner, Sally Holland, said she is delighted so many have chosen to take part in the ASH Wales campaign.

Meanwhile Eluned Morgan, Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language said she is ‘determined children should see less people smoking’.

The campaign comes just days after it became illegal to smoke on schoolgrounds in Wales and will reinforce the message to parents, pupils, staff and visitors that smoking around children is no longer acceptable.

The legislation banning smoking inside school grounds came into force on March 1st and is the latest in a raft of measure to combat stubbornly high youth smoking rates in Wales where an estimated 6,000 children take up the habit every year.

In Wales 8% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoke at least weekly and according to ASH Wales’ latest YouGov survey, 81% of adult smokers in Wales tried their first cigarette aged 18 or under.  Currently 18% of the adult population of Wales smoke at a cost to the NHS of an estimated £320 million a year.

Speaking on No Smoking Day, the Children’s Commissioner for Wales, Sally Holland, said:

“I’m delighted to hear that so many schools have decided to take part in this initiative. Not only does it help to de-normalise smoking – an important step in lowering the numbers of young people in Wales who smoke – but it also helps to protect children from the harms of second-hand smoke.

“All children and young people have a right to good health under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. The harm to health caused by smoking, for both smoker and those around them, is something we should all strive to protect children from.”

Eluned Morgan, Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Welsh Language, said:

“We recently made it illegal to smoke on school grounds, playgrounds and outdoor childcare settings. We are determined that our children and young people see less people smoking and increasingly think of it as an unusual habit.

“We want to accelerate the downward trend in the number of children and young people that start to smoke, helping them to live healthier lives.

“We remain committed to our longer-term goal of making more of Wales’ public spaces smoke-free and helping people of all ages to make positive changes to their health and wellbeing. Our HelpMeQuit services support smokers of all ages on their journey to a smoke-free future, including those under 18, and we would encourage all would-be quitters to reach out for support to significantly boost their chances of succeeding.”

ASH Wales is calling for more measures to tackle youth smoking rates and on March 22nd will host a meeting of child health experts chaired by Baroness Finley of Llandaff, who first proposed banning smoking in public buildings in Wales.

Among the measures it is proposing is raising the age of sale of tobacco from 18 to 21 – action favoured by the majority of adults in Wales according to the latest ASH Wales YouGov survey which found that 62% would support the move.  It is also calling for more tailored stop smoking support for young people in Wales, particularly in the country’s poorest communities where smoking prevalence is highest.

Suzanne Cass is CEO of ASH Wales. She said: “Youth smoking rates in Wales remain stubbornly high and we must do all we can to prevent the children of today from becoming the smokers of tomorrow.

“There is strong public support for additional measures to address youth smoking prevalence in Wales. Campaigns like Smokefree Schoolgates support the Welsh Government smoke-free legislation and ensure no stone is unturned in the fight to change children’s perceptions about smoking.”

CASE STUDY: Jenny Thomas is headteacher of Tredegar Park Primary School, one of the schools which has joined the Smokefree Schoolgates campaign. She described the problems caused by parents gathering to smoking outside her schoolgates:

“We have received several complaints from parents that there appear to be groups of parents smoking just beyond our schoolgates.

The caretaker has politely asked them to stop smoking or to move away from the gates. The response has generally been negative where they will say that they are not on school property and that they can do as they please on council property. Many forms of communication have gone out to ask them to stop in order to protect our school community.

It is important to stop this from happening so that my families feel safe as they come into school and leave school. A school shouldn’t be a place where people are worried about inhaling smoke. We have many entrances into the school so we have decided to put banners on all the gates. We have done this to remind people that it is not acceptable.

We have tried for years to stop this from happening. I hope that it will support us in some way. I genuinely believe that the children give the best messages to parents. If our children see the signs and know that it shouldn’t happen, they will tell their parents. We are hopeful that our parents will learn from our children.”

John Griffiths, AM for Newport East and chair of the Cross-Party Group on Smoking and Health added:

“I am pleased to again support ASH Wales’ “No Smoking Day” initiative. The new legislation that has just came in around the banning of smoking on school grounds is a really positive step and will reduce the likelihood of our children and grandchildren being affected by the harms of second-hand smoke.

It’s great that a number of schools in Newport have got on board with this campaign and it shows their commitment to our ambitions of a smoke-free Wales.”

 

Wales Makes History By Banning Smoking In School Grounds, Hospitals and Playgrounds

Historical article · 2021

This story records the law change that took effect on 1 March 2021. For the rules that apply now, including the 2007 smoking ban, smoke-free vehicles and current tobacco, vape and nicotine rules, see Smoking laws in Wales.

Wales makes history today by becoming the first country in the UK to ban smoking in the grounds of schools and hospitals and in children’s playgrounds.

The Public Health (Wales) Act legislation which comes into force today, is aimed at driving down smoking rates in Wales where 18% of the adult population currently smoke. Any smokers caught lighting up in areas covered by the act could be subjected to a £100 fine.

When the legislation was first announced it was hailed by Welsh Government ministers as the most important public health legislation to be launched in a decade.

Smoking is the biggest cause of early preventable death in Wales and it costs the Welsh NHS £320 million a year to treat patients with smoking-related conditions.  Meanwhile smoking prevalence among young people remains stubbornly high with around 8% of 15–16-year-olds smoking weekly and an estimated 6,000 children taking up the habit every year. According to a YouGov survey by ASH Wales, 81% of adult smokers  tried their first cigarette aged 18 or under.

ASH Wales, which campaigned for the Public Health (Wales) Act legislation to come into force, believes the legislation will help to de-normalise smoking, prevent young people from taking up the habit and encourage existing smokers to quit. The charity also hopes the legislation could pave the way for more smoke-free spaces, with ministers indicating that a ban on smoking outside pubs, cafes and restaurants could be considered in the future.

Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales, said:

“We are very proud that Wales is leading the way with this forward-thinking legislation.

“For too long smoking has been perceived as a normal lifestyle choice with smokers being able to light up in places where our children play, socialise and learn.

There is nothing normal about smoking, however. It is an extremely harmful addiction that all too often begins in childhood.  We hope that this legislation will make great strides in changing perceptions about this addiction and prevent children from becoming the next generation of adult smokers.”

Have your say on the future of stop smoking support in Wales

Archived page: This 2021 survey and its prize draw are now closed. This page is kept for historical reference.

There is free support available for all smokers in Wales from Help Me Quit and you can also access free NRT and behavioural support from your local pharmacy. But what’s currently missing is an online system that could help smokers to book stop smoking appointments, access helpful tips and track their progress.

To find out if this type of digital solution would work, we wanted to hear from smokers and ex-smokers, which is why ASH Wales ran this survey in 2021.

Nobody knows more about smoking and the challenges of quitting than smokers and ex-smokers, and their views helped inform our work.

The survey is now closed.

Pembroke Secondary School Stubs Out Smoking At The School Gates

A secondary school in Pembrokeshire has become the latest to ban people from smoking outside its school gates.

Henry Tudor School in Pembroke has made the move ahead of new laws due to come into force in March across Wales, banning smoking in all school playgrounds.

The ban on smoking outside the school gates is aimed at tackling youth smoking prevalence by de-normalising smoking and reducing children’s exposure to second hand smoke. It comes ahead of the Public Health Wales Act legislation which comes into force on March 1st and will see smoking banned in the grounds of school and hospital grounds and in children’s playgrounds across Wales.

Visitors to Henry Tudor School will now be greeted at the school gates by a banner asking them not to smoke which was designed by one of the pupils.  Schools across Wales are now expected to implement Smokefree Schoolgates with help from ASH Wales which is providing them with banners, floor stickers and social media support.

The Smokefree Schoolgates campaign was originally launched by ASH Wales in 2015 and more schools are now coming on board due to the new legislation.

Deputy Headteacher Andrew Barlow explained why the school had adopted the policy:

“Our main aim is to stop parents who pick up their children from smoking in front of other pupils and to stop older pupils from smoking as they leave the school

“So far we’ve had a really positive reaction from both staff and pupils particularly those who have been involved in the design of the stop smoking banner. The school council are also happy because this was something they’d campaigned for.

“We very much hope this will result in a decline in pupils lighting up as they leave school and we feel it’s crucially important to de-normalise smoking in the eyes of young people and change parents’ attitudes towards smoking in front of children.”

Currently in Wales 8% of 15 to 16-year-olds smoke at least weekly. ASH Wales is campaigning for all schools across Wales to ban smoking at the school gates. Suzanne Cass, CEO of ASH Wales said:

“Youth smoking prevalence in Wales remains stubbornly high with  thousands of children continuing to take up the habit every year, despite concerted efforts to teach them about the dangers.

“Smoking is not a lifestyle choice, it is a lifelong addiction, with devastating consequences, that all too often starts in childhood.

“We believe that one of the most effective ways to tackle this problem is reduce children’s exposure to the sight of adults smoking in everyday situations such as standing by the school gates.

“We are really pleased that Henry Tudor has joined the many schools in Wales in making the forward-thinking decision to introduce smoke-free school gates and we hope that others will follow suit.”

ASH Wales carried out a survey of pupils at Henry Tudor School to find more about their exposure to smoking.

Of those that took part, 28% said that somebody in their home smoked daily. Meanwhile among pupils that smoked themselves, 22% said they would like to quit the habit.

Research has shown that children are over 70% more likely to smoke themselves if just one of their parents smoke.