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The report shows that smoking currently kills approximately 250 people in North Somerset each year with rates of smoking across the local GP practice populations varying from around 6% to 33%. It also harms many thousands more, through direct health impacts like heart disease, cancer, stroke and disability.
Evidence shows that smoking is the number one cause of premature illness and death in North Somerset. For one in ten of adults (the proportion in North Somerset who currently smoke), the best thing they can do to improve their health and wellbeing is to quit.
Smoking addiction creates and maintains poverty, damages the lives of children and young people, and risks everyday factors that protect our health and wellbeing like employment, safe housing, and good mental health. It costs some people many more years in poor health and a much earlier end to their life.
The addiction to tobacco is a serious condition, but breaking free from it provides immediate and long-term benefits. Services and interventions to support people to stop smoking are highly effective and improve health outcomes.
Within hours of stopping smoking, blood oxygen levels will increase, in days your heart rates and blood pressure will fall, and sense of taste and smell will improve. In one week, lung capacity grows and risk of heart attack decreases, and within two years most smokers will have health risks equivalent to someone who has never smoked.
Cllr Jenna Ho Marris, Executive Member responsible for public health at North Somerset Council said: “People who smoke are more likely to succeed quitting with expert support from their local stop smoking service. We have been working across North Somerset to increase the availability of this support. We also know that relapse is a normal part of stopping smoking, so people should always feel confident about asking for help at any time and use that to secure a healthier, smokefree future.”
Matt Lenny, Director of Public Health said: “Evidence shows that at least eight out of ten people who smoke want to quit – we just need to find every way possible to help them to make that a reality. Our ambition is to create a smokefree generation, and to reduce smoking rates by at least half in North Somerset to below 5% of our population by 2030. We will go further if we can. We want to support as many people who smoke to stop as we can and prevent any young people becoming addicted.
“We have a welcome and unique opportunity to make a lasting impact for the health and wellbeing of our community by creating a smokefree generation. We do not want to stigmatise people who smoke but support them in their journey toward stopping, offering help to achieve better personal health, enhanced family environments, and greater financial freedom.
“We are committed to using every available method to support people who smoke to stop. This includes expanding stop-smoking support services, implementing the "Swap to Stop" nicotine replacement vape starter kit program, and delivering communications campaigns. We are also dedicating stop smoking resources to frontline health services in hospitals, general practices, pharmacies, mental health facilities, and maternity care.”
Better Health North Somerset (www.betterhealthns.co.uk/stop-smoking/) offers a range of free quitting support. Advisors offer a non-judgmental support for those who want to stop smoking. They understand the difficulties involved in stopping smoking and we offer the most effective way of stopping smoking for good. Smokers are 3 times more likely to quit with support.
• Advisors are trained experts in helping people to stop smoking.
• They provide free support via face-to-face drop-in sessions and/or telephone support.
• Smokers can receive 12 weeks free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) such as patches, lozenges and mouth spray to help reduce your withdrawal symptoms.
• The service is a vape friendly service providing vape kits and 12 weeks’ worth of e-liquids and coils.
• Advisers can support you to access prescription only medication from your GP.
• NRT sent to a local pharmacy for you to collect.
To watch and read the “Time to stop smoking for good” annual report, please visit: www.betterhealthns.co.uk/information/director-of-public-health-report-2025