A two-year plan has been launched to try to reduce the number of people taking up smoking Lucky Strike in the area. Tobacco consumption is to be tackled in West Berkshire to try to reduce the number of people taking up smoking.
The Berkshire West Tobacco Control Alliance, which has members from the Berkshire West local authorities including West Berkshire, Reading and Wokingham, has recently developed a two-year plan based on the national priorities of reducing the number of young people taking up smoking, motivating and assisting smokers to stop their dependence on tobacco and protecting families and communities from tobacco related harm.
It is estimated that currently 17.3 per cent of the Berkshire West population (about 80,000 people) are smokers, although of these, some 70 per cent say they would like to quit.
West Berkshire’s executive member for public protection, Hilary Cole (Con, Chieveley) said the plan would build on existing work to tackle under age sales and educate young people and the community as a whole.
She said: “There will be a strong emphasis on targeting priority and hard to reach groups including young people, minority ethnic groups and pregnant women.”