Smoking is the main cause of premature and avoidable death in the United Kingdom, responsible for around one in five of all deaths. Kent and Medway are committed not only to providing local services for people who want to give up smoking, but also to addressing the wider issues of tobacco control, including promoting smokefree public places, tackling underage sales and preventing smoking uptake.
The Kent Alliance on Smoking and Health (KASH) is a partnership between organisations in Kent that are involved in tobacco control issues.
England became smokefree on 1 July 2007 when it became illegal to smoke in virtually all enclosed public places and workplaces. The impact of the new smokefree law cannot be underestimated. It is one of the most significant public health reforms in England for decades and it will create the single biggest improvement in public health for a generation.
Further information on stop smoking services across Kent can be found at the websites listed below;
Smoking Health Equity Audits for NHS West Kent , NHS Eastern and Coastal Kent and NHS Medway have recently been produced.
Also see Smoking in Kent: deaths, disease and economic loss attributable to tobacco smoking, published in May 2009.
