Tackling illicit tobacco – two years on: The North of England experience
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Author(s)
Andrea Crossfield, Ailsa Rutter and David Wiggins
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| Presenter(s) |
David Wiggins Strategic Programme Manager, North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Programme, Fresh Smoke Free North East |
Andrea Dickens Head of Policy, Innovation & Development, Smokefree South West, Bristol |
Abstract The North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Programme was launched in 2009. A world-first programme, it brings together key partners from the health and enforcement fields to address the multiple impacts caused by the cheap and easy availability of illegal tobacco.
Two years on from the launch the learnings and progress so far are being assessed in a number of ways. These include an independent evaluation by the UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, and a re-run of a major piece of insight work to track awareness of, attitudes to and behaviours associated with the illegal tobacco trade.
The Programme’s experience has already influenced the development of a similar programme in the South of England, and is cited as an example of good practice in the new Tobacco Control Plan for England.
A toolkit is being developed to enable other areas to draw on the North of England experience in delivering a range of objectives to achieve the overarching aim of reducing the supply of and demand for illicit tobacco. As part of this development work other interested localities are being invited to review the elements of the toolkit to see if they meet their needs.
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Source of funding: The Programme was pump-primed by Department of Health funding, and additional financial support has been provided through local NHS funding in the North West and North East.
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Declaration of interest: None
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