Council aims to help an additional 11,300 smokers quit over next five years

A plan has been published to help an additional 11,300 people quit smoking in Bolton. Bolton Council intends to enhance the borough’s stop smoking services funded by an additional government grant.

A report on future smoking cessation strategy set to be approved next week, said adult smoking in Bolton has an estimated prevalence of 14.2 per cent. This equates to approximately 42,444 smokers.

The rate is higher than both the North-West average of 13.4 er cent and the England average of 12.7 per cent. The report estimates that the annual cost of tobacco harm in Bolton is £95M.

This includes the additional costs from increased social care and other public services as well as impact on the local economy related to lost days of productivity. In 2024, Bolton Council commissioned a three-year Community Stop Smoking Service help people quit in Bolton.

Bolton public health has received official confirmation of the award of this grant until next April which will bring £438,537 into the council. The report said: “The ambition is that Bolton will achieve a 150 per cent increase in the quit rates by the end of year five.

“This would equate to an extra 11,277 people setting a quite date by March, 2029. “The new funding can be used to increase referrals from a range of community settings, such as primary care or mental health services but these are not limited.

“It can also be used to train more local healthcare staff to deliver smoking cessation advice and referrals.” The report added that from the additional grant, £340,000 would be spent on the locally commissioned stop smoking service.

This would include an additional coordinator stop smoking advisors to manage and increase in referrals. The aim will be to achieve a rise in quit