Health organisations have launched a new initiative in Greater Manchester to set up green 'smoke-free' spaces in a bid to improve public health and challenge societal attitudes about smoking.

Paul Dennett, Chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board and Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester, announced the city-region has joined the Partnership for Healthy Cities to improve the health and wellbeing of residents across the region.

The Healthy Cities initiative is a global network that is committed to preventing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, and chronic lung disease that can be brought on by smoking.

Greater Manchester is set to receive £79,000 from the network to tackle the problem and is supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and Vital Strategies.

The scheme works to create smoke-free outdoor spaces and challenge cultural and societal attitudes to smoking, in turn preventing serious and life-threatening illnesses while also protecting the most vulnerable.

More than 5,000 adults die from smoking-related diseases every year in Greater Manchester and smoking tobacco is the single largest cause of preventable deaths around the world.

The Oldham Times: New green spaces could be set up that prohibit smoking in Greater Manchester by the end of 2022.New green spaces could be set up that prohibit smoking in Greater Manchester by the end of 2022.

Although smoking rates in the region have fallen to 14.9 per cent, around 350,000 people, rates vary across the city region and there are stark differences between neighbouring boroughs.

For instance, Manchester's smoking rate currently sits at one in five adults (20.8 per cent) whereas in Trafford, roughly only one in 12 smoke (8.5 per cent) which is one of the lowest rates in the country.

Plans are now underway to challenge the city's high rates by transforming several pockets of outdoor spaces into healthier, greener and safer spaces with smoking outright prohibited in these public areas.

Extending smoke-free outdoor spaces has already gained support from residents across the region as one study in 2018 found almost eight in 10 people (78 per cent) found smoke-free zones to be a good idea.

When asked which outdoor spaces should be smoke-free, children’s playgrounds, school entrances, outside public libraries and town halls, public parks and outdoor events were the most popular choices.

The first phase of the project will be implemented by Manchester City Council in collaboration with NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care.

The spaces will draw inspiration from Melbourne, Australia and New York, USA, which have implemented similar initiatives.

Members of the public and local businesses will be consulted on the plans in a consultation early next month and are encouraged to suggest places they’d like to see go smoke-free.

A final decision will be made in autumn and the first smoke-free zone will be implemented by the end of 2022.

Paul Dennett, Chair of Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership Board and Deputy Mayor for Greater Manchester, said: “People living in Greater Manchester have a lower life expectancy than those living in other parts of the country, and we must take action to reduce preventable illnesses and the role they play in our considerable health inequalities.

“When we look at smoking, which is the leading cause of preventable illnesses, we have some of the highest smoking rates in the country, and it has a significant impact on our people’s health and wellbeing. 

“Smoke-free spaces not only promote healthy behaviours to children and young people, but they also encourage smokers to quit and make it easier for ex-smokers to stay smoke-free.

"Through the Partnership for Healthy Cities network, we will boost our efforts in making smoking history to ensure longer, healthier lives for our residents.” 

Councillor Thomas Robinson, Manchester City Council's Executive Member for Healthy Manchester and Adult Social Care, agreed that by making smoking "less visible" in outdoor areas, the city-region can improve health and prevent the next generation from picking up the habit.

Cllr Robinson added: "The more spaces we can make smoke-free, the less likely children are to take up smoking - preventing them from getting hooked on a deadly addiction.

“The reality is that smoking has a devastating impact on our communities, with two in three long-term smokers dying prematurely from their addiction and we need to embrace initiatives such as this to tackle this public health challenge."

Both Dr Kelly Henning, who leads the Public Health programme at Bloomberg Philanthropies, and Ariella Rojhani, Director of the Partnership for Healthy Cities at Vital Strategies, commended Greater Manchester for joining the plan.

Dr Henning said: "Greater Manchester is taking an important step to protect the health of their residents, and ultimately, save lives."

Ms Rojhani added: “We’re glad to welcome Greater Manchester to a network of cities committed to saving lives by changing the environments in which people live, work, and play, and commend them on this outstanding step forward.”