Tobacco Control

Your chance to reduce the damage caused by smoking to the nation’s health

As you may well have read in the news, the Department of Health is currently asking for people to send in their views about the future of tobacco control.

The proposals that have been put forward include making it illegal to sell tobacco products from vending machines, ending displays of tobacco products behind shop counters and introducing plain packaging for tobacco products.

The British Lung Foundation is calling on the Government to implement measures to reduce the amount of people who start smoking and also to provide better support to people who are trying to quit. If we can reduce the amount of people who smoke in the UK then we will save many people from developing a lung condition in later life.

If you would like to put forward your opinions about how to reduce the damage caused by smoking in a quick and easy way then we recommend that you use the e-response which has been designed by Smoke Free Action. It only takes a couple of minutes to contribute to the consultation by filling in a few details and ticking which proposals you support. To get involved please visit :-
http://www.smokefreeaction.org.uk/consultation_response/eresponse.html

Breathe Easy Forum - Llanarthny

On Friday 15th August several Breathe Easy group officers and members from South Wales, met at Llanarthny Village Hall near Carmarthen. This was run by Chris Mulholland and Shan Evans, Dr Emrys Evans the Wales BLF chair and Kay Byrne (Our temporary press officer) were also there.

The session was started with a 'report back' regarding the years events from all groups. Much discussion and exchange of ideas for speakers etc. ensued.

Chris then gave us an overview of the NHS in Wales in it's current form and her thoughts on some of the possible changes. She then took us through an ideal 'Patient' journey with an explanation of what our expectations should be at the various stages.
She then addressed BLF and local campaigning themes. She asked that each group concentrate on its own particular individual local campaigns for the coming year. To assist that aim she issued a list of Assembly members applicable to each group and a list of members of the 'Health, Wellbeing and Local Government Committee.

Continuing with the campaigning theme Kay then gave us an insight into methods of gaining publicity for our cause, whether in newspapers, radio or TV. With her experience we collectively hope to raise our profile in all these mediums, I'm sure she has many useful contacts and will help us to move onwards and upwards.

It is still a sad fact that so few people with lung conditions know we even exist.

All in all an informative and interesting day, it was a pity that more members of all the groups were unable to attend.