Govt reveals new ambitious anti-smoking strategy

The Department of Health has announced a new target to halve the number of smokers in the UK, from 21 to ten per cent of the population, over the next decade.

According to the secretary of state for health Andy Burnham, more people will be encouraged to seek support from the NHS with a view to hitting the government's reduction goal by 2020.

Martin Dockrell, director of research and policy at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said: "It's addiction that erodes people's ability to make choices. We know that seven out of ten smokers want to quit.

"It will help those who want to quit and help those who just want to cut down. By using nicotine replacement therapy you have a lower intake of poisons."

Statistics released by the NHS Information Centre in September revealed that in 2007, 21 per cent of adults aged 16 and over in England smoked compared with 22 per cent in 2006 and 39 per cent in 1980.

Smokers are reminded that they are likely to pay higher premiums on their health insurance cover than non-smokers.

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