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Reducing smoking in pregnant women in Richmond upon Thames

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Reducing smoking in pregnant women in Richmond upon Thames

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Giving the deleterious health effects smoking has on mother and foetus  and the associated high risks with smoking in pregnancy; a smoking cessation programs that are designed specially for pregnant women smokers are needed and this is why the Richmond upon Thames put some strategies in place to effect this.
1 in 12 premature births is cause by smoking during pregnancy;1 in 14 pre-term related deaths, 1 in 3 sudden unexpected death in infancy (SUDI) and 1-in 5 cases of low birth weight in babies to full term are all due to effects of smoking during pregnancy.
In Richmond upon Thames, in 2014/2015 only 2.6% of women smoked at the time of delivery, which is significantly lower than the London and England average. But, this did represent an increases from 1.9% the previous year, oppose to a decreasing trend nationally.
Some of the strategies put in place by Richmond upon Thames are
1.Identification and referral of pregnant women who smoke.
2.Sufficient expertise in local stops smoking services to meet the needs of pregnant women.
3.Effective communication amid health professionals.
4.Implementation of NICE guidelines.
5.Smoking cessation training for all the health professionals working with the pregnant women.
6.Effective communication with the women and their families.
7.Introducing the use of vaping.

NHS Richmond Primary Care Trust awarded the Stop Smoking Service Contract to Thrive Tribe (trading as Kick-it) with  Richmond and Twickenham PCT, for a period of 3years from 01 October 2012 to 30 September 2015, including two further periods of tension of up to one year each. It is a joint contract amid the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames and Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames; with Richmond council acting as the contract lead.
The Kick-It smoking cessation programme supports and facilitates the delivery of stop smoking advice within pharmacies and general practices which represents the greatest opportunity to provide the service to local communities.
This has reduced the smokers in pregnant women to 1 in 20 in Richmond upon Thames compared to 1 in 5 in Blackpool. There Has been a reduction in smoking rate overall to 14.4% last year, from 19.8% in 2011.

Sources:
Https://www.richmond.gov.uk/media/10929/stop_smoking_cseeation_services_eina.pdf.
Https://ash.org.uk/media-and-news/ash-daily-news/ash-daily-news-for-3-July-2019.

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Reducing smoking in adults in Richmond Upon Thames  

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Reducing smoking in adults in Richmond Upon Thames  

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Smoking is common among people of different ages, it is the biggest cause of preventable deaths in England, accounting for nearly 80,000 deaths each year. One in two smokers will die from a smoking-related disease.

The borough, Richmond upon Thames has put together various ways to help adults in the borough to quit smoking.  They launched the 13th of March each year as the national no smoking day.  This has helped 226 to quit smoking.

Free local support is available in Richmond upon Thames through the council’s Stop Smoking Service. Specialist advisers can give you products to use, such as patches and an inhalator, and can offer you regular support and information, whether you smoke cigarettes, e-cigarettes or other tobacco products such as shisha.

226 people have been helped to quit smoking through the Stop Smoking Service over the last twelve months.

Cllr Piers Allen, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Services and Health said:

“Taking the step to stub out for good and kick your smoking habit will have immediate effects on your overall health. Evidence shows as soon as you give up, your blood pressure is reduced, blood circulation improves, breathing becomes easier, and your skin looks better.

“We have a range of services available to smokers in Richmond who are looking to quit, including the Council’s personalised 24 hour Stop Smoking service and a pan-London anti-smoking service. They are there to help you take the first steps to a healthier, smoke-free life and I would encourage you to take advantage of them.”

You can access the Council’s personalised Stop Smoking Service online, by emailing stopsmoking@richmond.gov.uk or calling the 24hr helpline 0800 011 4558.

Specialist advice is available in pharmacies and GP surgeries borough-wide, and there are drop-in clinics that anyone can visit without an appointment at the Civic Centre every Tuesday 12 noon to 2pm.

To access the pan-London anti-smoking service you can ring the helpline on 0300 132 1044 between 9am and 8pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 4pm Saturday and Sunday and get one-to-one support from a trained adviser. The online portal also provides additional information about other stop smoking services in our area.

The above are all the measures taken by the borough Richmond upon thames to help their residence to quit smoking and live a normal healthy life.  And reduce smoking generally in their borough.

http://www.richmond.gov.uk/stub_out_smoking_for_good

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Passive smoking is the involuntary inhaling of smoke from other people's cigarettes, cigars, or pipes.

The picture below explains the different environments that smoking effects.

Richmond Upon Thames has put some procedures in place to reduce smoking in public places and therefore reducing passive smoking.

The feasibility of smoke-free parks or areas within parks where there are recreational facilities for children and young people to be looked into and consulted upon.

Smoking is not tolerated at any school within the London Borough of Richmond Upon Thames.

As explained in the picture below smoking can be passive by encouragement, for example a social smoker.

Social smoker – These are transient group who do not smoke other than in social settings (therefore if the setting was non-smoking they would stop / not smoke).

Richmond Upon Thames actions to prevent smoking in public places.

The Council’s enforcement staff will work closely with businesses to raise awareness of the legislation. This approach will be complemented by visits which will either be proactive to confirm compliance, or reactive in response to complaints.

Prosecution or the use of fixed penalty notices will be a last resort and used only when the seriousness of the situation warrants.

What are the penalties?

Smoking in a smokefree place could lead to a fine of £200 – with a fixed penalty option of £50

Failure to prevent smoking in a smokefree place - a fine of £2,500

Signage offences – a fine of £1,000

https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/passive_smoking (accessed 04/12/2019)

https://richmond.gov.uk/media/6668/tobacco_control_task_group_final_report.pdf (accessed 04/12/19)

https://richmond.gov.uk/smokefree_legislation

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Smoking and mental health in Richmond Upon Thames

An estimated 20,400 (14%) adults in Richmond smoke. In Richmond, per year over 600 deaths are attributable to smoking, and over 1,000 hospital admissions are due to smoking related conditions.

Dementia in Richmond over the next five years

The prevalence of dementia is increasing nationally. In Richmond, the number of people aged over 65 living with dementia is expected to rise to 2235 by 2021 – a 15% increase over the next 5 years – and to 2561 by 2025 – a 32% increase over the next 10 years. Table 1 gives a breakdown of the increase over the next five years for men and women in Richmond.

What is dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term for a range of progressive disorders affecting the brain, the most common of which are Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. It is more common in those over 65 years of age, but can occur in younger people.  Dementia results in a progressive decline in multiple areas of function, including memory, reasoning, communication skills and the skills needed to carry out daily activities.

Environment and lifestyle factors

• Smoking has an extremely harmful effect on the heart, lungs and vascular system, including the blood vessels in the brain. This increases the risk of developing vascular dementia.

London Borough of Richmond upon Thames developed a strategy called “JOINT DEMENTIA STRATEGY 2016-2021”. This strategy sets out our five year vision for people with dementia and their carers in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The framework for this Joint Strategy has been taken from the NHS England Dementia Pathway Transformation Framework.
There are five elements to the Framework: Preventing well – the risk of people developing dementia is minimised. One of the priorities for this strategic framework include: Re-shaping healthy lifestyles services The aim of this model is to identify those at risk of long-term conditions, offer brief behavioural change intervention and services to address need.  The services will focus on main causes of long term conditions that are amenable to local action:  Weight management; Dietary advice; Increase physical activity; Health education (diabetes prevention); Smoking (brief advice, signposting); Alcohol (brief advice, signposting); Mental wellbeing (brief advice, signposting).

Support services for people with dementia in Richmond are available through local Richmond NHS services (the GP, Memory Service and Community Mental Health Team), Richmond Borough Council Social Services and through independent voluntary or charitable organisations such as Alzheimer’s Society, The Carers Hub and the Community Independent Living Service.

Richmond Upon Thames Community Services team “Age UK Services” : Provide opportunities in the Borough to help improve lifestyle, build companionship and learn new skills. The team aim to help promote healthy living and to encourage physical and mental wellbeing. Services the offer include: Great Outings, Exercise groups and clubs, Clubs and courses and so on.

Richmond Health Walks

The Richmond Health Walks are one of a range of free healthy lifestyles services on offer for local residents as part the Richmond Lifestyles Service, commissioned by the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. The walks are free for all to join. There is no need to pre-register, just turn up at the starting point fifteen minutes before the start time and introduce yourself to the walk leader. No special equipment needed – just wear sturdy, comfortable footwear.

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Reducing the effects of smoking with teenagers within the borough of Richmond upon Thames

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Reducing the effects of smoking with teenagers within the borough of Richmond upon Thames

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Richmond also has London’s highest percentage of 15-year-olds who smoke, as 14.3 per cent of those surveyed reported to be current smokers
- The percentage of the borough’s youngsters who smoke regularly was almost double London’s average, at 6.7 per cent.
- The patterns of risky behaviour among young people were often inversely associated with levels of deprivation, and highest in areas of less deprivation with a predominantly white ethnic background.
-Richmond’s cabinet member for health, Councillor David Marlow (2016) found these findings interesting as Richmond’s young people consistently perform well academically and are among London’s healthiest.
- He believes the issue is likely caused by the affluent demography of the borough which enables the choice of risky behaviours such as drinking, smoking and taking drugs. He believes we all have a part to play whether as the council, teachers, families and individuals to encourage youngsters to make healthy choices rather than unhealthy ones.
- Richmond upon Thames use 'Improving young people’s health and wellbeing: a framework for public health"
This framework has been developed as a resource which allows local councils and areas to deliver public health role for young people. This poses questions for all councillors, health and wellbeing boards, commissioners, providers and education and learning settings in order for them to help support young people and teenagers to live a healthier lifestyle and improve future lifestyle outcomes.
- Richmond Stop Smoking Service offers free help, advice and access to stop smoking medications to all smokers who live or work in the Richmond area.
They can also advise on professional help offered by GPs and pharmacists in the borough. People living within Richmond upon Thames are  four times more likely to stop smoking for good through the use of a local stop smoking service to advise and being offered regular support and information. This has a postive effect for all teenagers in the long run as it allows them to get the support they need from now as opposed to the future.
-  Stop Smoking London helpline is a London telephone helpline which is available for Richmond residents where specialist advisors can guide them through the range of stop smoking support available to them. This is available for all ages and would have more of a positive effect on teenagers as it is confidential and over the phone. It does not make them feel as if they are being judged which can have a more positive psychological effects on teenagers in the future.

- The NHS  Smokefree National Helpline offers expert advice on how to quit for good as well as regular motivational phone calls from a specialist stop smoking advisor. This can be very encouraging for teenagers as it is good to know you have someone behind you every step of the way when trying to quit something as addictive as smoking.

- Education is a way in which can have an effect in reduction of teenagers smoking in the borough of Richmond upon Thames as they can actually have a full and better understanding of the effects smoking has on their still developing bodies short term and long term. This may allow them to get a real sense of the negative impacts of smoking on your health and wellbeing, This includes the strains it has on you mental, emotional and physical being.

Sources:
https://www.richmondandtwickenhamtimes.co.uk/news/14201921.more-of-richmonds-teenagers-drinking-smoking-and-taking-drugs-than-anywhere-else-in-london/ (Accessed: 2nd of December 2019)
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-young-peoples-health-and-wellbeing-a-framework-for-public-health (Accessed: 2nd of December 2019)
https://www.richmond.gov.uk/services/wellbeing_and_lifestyle/stop_smoking
(Accessed: 2nd of December 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wuiqd0SdMno (Accessed: 2nd of December 2019)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW6hwmdZbmE (Accessed: 2nd of December 2019)

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Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use among Young People in England 2014