Health campaigners and smoking survivors issue a plea to the Government to 'bring forward now lifesaving action'

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Smoking survivors and campaigners from the North East travelled to Westminster in London to call on the new Government to commit to creating a smokefree generation without delay.

Fresh, the North East regional programme for tobacco control, Action on Smoking and Health, MPs and Peers attended the event held by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health in Parliament.

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A YouGov survey found that 73 per cent of North East adults support plans to raise the age of sale by a year each year and 78 per cent of North East adults support ending smoking with a target of fewer than five per cent smoking by 2030.

Ailsa Rutter, director of Fresh, said: “We are calling on the new Government to bring forward now lifesaving action to prevent more children taking up smoking and dying in the future.

Regional smoking survivors and campaigners in London.Regional smoking survivors and campaigners in London.
Regional smoking survivors and campaigners in London.

“Every day, more children take up smoking and get hooked on a lethal addiction.

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“Countless families in our region have suffered from the death and diseases of smoking. There is huge public support for a smokefree generation.

“MPs now have one of the biggest chances they will ever have to prevent our biggest cause of cancer, stop the start of young smokers and create a better life free of addiction for our children. We are urging them to take this chance and not delay further.”

Among the campaigners present were cancer survivors Sue Mountain and Cathy Hunt, and Debbie and Sadie Thomas, who in 2021 lost their beloved husband and dad Denham from COPD.

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