Huge drop in pregnant women smoking in Tameside

Latest figures have revealed the number of women in Greater Manchester smoking during pregnancy has fallen for the sixth year in a row.

And the biggest discrease has been in Tameside.

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust has seen the biggest reduction in smoking in pregnancy in the city-region.

Smoking rates have fallen from 11.6 per cent in 2022-23 to 6.9 per  cent in 2023-24. 

Experts say quitting smoking is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and to give babies and children the best start in life.

The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Service play a key role in the ambition of making smoking history in Tameside. 

Helping pregnant women and expectant parents to be smokefree supports Tameside’s efforts to reduce harmful exposure to tobacco for unborn babies. 

This is seen as helping to ‘de-normalise’ the habit and prevent youngsters seeing adults puffing away exposing them to second hand smoke.

Residents can also get free stop smoking support through Be Well Tameside, get 24/7 stop smoking support with the Smoke Free app or speak with their GP for stop smoking support.

Tameside Council executive member for Population Health and Well-being, Cllr Eleanor Wills said: “We are very proud to have had the biggest decrease in figures and would like to thank the teams involved in making this happen.

“The Maternity Tobacco Dependency Service’s commitment to supporting expectant mums to have a smokefree pregnancy, not only benefits babies by giving them the best start in life, but also benefits the mum and family.  

“Reducing risk of smoking related ill-health, de-normalising smoking for children and young people and reducing exposure to second-hand smoke to others in the household.

“We know it can take multiple attempts to quit smoking for good and encourage people in Tameside who smoke to explore the range of stop smoking support available to them. Providing stop smoking support to reduce smoking rates and by de-normalising smoking are key steps to working towards a smokefree generation in Tameside.”