Over 70,000 people still die every year in the UK thanks to smoking-related illnesses. Lib Dems demand better preventative care measures to prevent this.
Over fifty years on from the discovery of the true health consequences of smoking, smoking has been reduced but still costs the lives of over 70,000 people in the UK every year.
Public health – preventative ways to ensure we do not just live longer but that we live the best life we can for as long as possible – has long been a key health priority for the Liberal Democrats.
In 2012 it was Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow who ensured the creation of Public Health England
In 2012 it was Liberal Democrat MP Paul Burstow who ensured the creation of Public Health England – to address health inequalities and ensure more delivery of public health through local authorities.
All well and good but within no time at all after the General Election in 2015, the Conservatives had made cuts to Public Health England and year on year grants to Councils were slashed.
We want to put public health back on the agenda. That is why public health is one of the four strands of the new Liberal Democrat Health and Social Care Policy going for debate at Autumn Conference.
If you stop smoking ….
After the General Election in 2015, the Conservatives had made cuts to Public Health England and year on year grants to Councils were slashed.
- Your body reacts within half an hour.
- Your blood pressure and pulse return to normal almost immediately.
- Within 24 hours your body rids itself of carbon monoxide.
- Within 48 hours your sense of taste and smell begin to return.
All of this could be achieved on World No Tobacco Day!
In five years, your risk of both heart attack and stroke drops by 50%.
The NHS understands now more than ever the role they can play in supporting people to quit smoking. Every time you see a health professional you will be asked if you smoke and if you say “yes”, you will be offered help to stop. Smoking cessation classes are the most effective in the long term and that is why the Liberal Democrats are prioritising public health.