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Cheshire East Council to pay pregnant smokers £400 to quit
Cheshire East Council has approved a plan to pay pregnant women £400 to quit smoking.
Cheshire East Council health committee was told 10.8% of the area's expectant mothers were smokers and a pilot scheme paid over six instalments would cost about £116,000. It was also told other smokers in their households would receive £200 to give up.
The area's public health director Dr Matt Tyrer said it could lead to healthcare savings of about £450,000.
NHS figures show 9.6% of pregnant women were known to be smokers at the time of delivery in 2020-21.
The pilot scheme was supported by all but one of the committee's members.
Conservative councillor Andrew Kolker, who represents Dane Valle, said smoking was "catastrophic" to the health of an unborn child, so he was "absolutely 100% behind" anything that is proven to reduce smoking.
However, he added that he was concerned about how the council could prevent fraud.
Dr Tyrer reassured councillors that "robust processes" to determine somebody's eligibility, which will include regular carbon monoxide testing, will be used to ensure fraudulent claims to the scheme are identified.
Source: BBC News, 19 July 2022
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Patients will wait less time for lung cancer diagnosis
A new programme aimed at diagnosing lung cancer patients as early as possible, when treatment can be more effective, has launched in Rossendale, Lancashire.
A CT scanner to check for lung cancers and reduce NHS waiting times is based in the car park of Rossendale Leisure Trust’s Adrenaline Centre.
Operations Manager Ross McCowan said: “The CT scanner is being used on the carpark for the next three months and its sole purpose is to reduce the waiting times for the NHS, if successful they may require more time with us in the future.”
The clinicians are hoping to see patients between 55 and 74 who may be at risk because of being smokers, ex-smokers or have a family history of lung cancer or asbestos exposure. Patients see a specialist nurse who then refers them for an instant scan, reducing the hospital wait by months.
McCowan added: "Speaking to the NHS team running the service, the plan is to diagnose 1,000s of unknown cancers in their services and improve the lives of our community and their families."
"They are also referring for smoking cessation directly to the smoking teams locally."
Source: Lancashire Telegraph, 21 July 2022
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Thailand: Bang Saen Beach to ban drinking and smoking
Officials in the Chon Buri province of Thailand plan to ban the drinking of alcohol and smoking on Bang Saen Beach so they can develop the stretch as a model tourist attraction.
The Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Saensuk Municipality of Muenf Chon Buri District, and the National Institute of Development Administration yesterday announced the project to upgrade Bang Saen Beach into a tourist destination free from alcohol and tobacco.
The Permanent Secretary of Pattaya city, Pramoote Tubtim, reported that Bang Saen wanted cooperation from locals and visitors not to bring alcoholic drinks or cigarettes to the area. People who bring alcohol or smoke on the beach would be warned first. If those still fail to follow the rules, they face charges and penalties, to be outlined later.
According to the report, restauranteurs and shop owners along the beach agreed to the project even if they had to stop selling alcohol and cigarettes.
Source: Thaiger, 21 July 2022
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