Oxfordshire County in England has announced its plan to become the first smoke-free region in the country by 2025. The county will take strict measures against smoking later this month, including the establishment of outdoor dining areas and break spaces in workplaces. The proposed ban, described as a "long game" to change the smoking culture, aims to prevent deaths caused by tobacco-related diseases, according to the British newspaper "Daily Mail."
Under the new proposal, the Oxfordshire County Council aims to reduce the prevalence of smoking among adults to less than five percent by 2025 and to cut smoking among workers to below 10 percent by the same year. Additionally, the local authority plans to address the supply and demand for illicit tobacco, increase public awareness, support regional programs to reduce illegal tobacco, and take action to limit the sale of tobacco-related products and e-cigarettes to underage individuals.
This year's smoking strategy priorities for the county include creating more spaces where people feel "empowered" to refrain from smoking. This will involve encouraging employers to curb the habit outside offices and factories, or by establishing smoke-free areas in newly created dining areas.
Anjaf Azhar, the public health director in Oxfordshire, stated last week that this initiative aims to "create an environment that encourages quitting smoking." He emphasized that it is not about exempting people from smoking but rather about fostering a setting that promotes non-smoking and empowers individuals to do so, although this change will not happen overnight.
Dr. Adam Briggs, the public health official leading the strategy, noted, "We have a case that is entirely driven by commercial factors for death and disease; it is impossible to be on the wrong side of history with tobacco consumption." He also referenced figures provided by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty at a recent conference, stating that over 90,000 people died from tobacco-related diseases in 2020, compared to 75,000 due to COVID-19.
