Bolton is set to spend a grant of more than £400,000 on stop smoking services alongside continued action against illicit tobacco sales. This comes after a recent report found that smoking costs the borough an average of a staggering £95m a year in health services and lost productivity. In response, the council has signed off on a plan to spend a £438,537 grant from the government on a range of extra local stop smoking services over the next five years.
At a town hall meeting, council cabinet member for adults, health and wellbeing, Cllr Sean Fielding, said: “It’s £95m spent on tobacco harm that could be spend on other preventative public services or other public services in general. “So it's obviously welcome that we’ve got some more money to invest in helping people stop smoking.” A large haul of illegal tobacco seized by Bolton Council back in 2021 (Image: Bolton Council) He added: “We want to be spending as much of this as possible on services to help people and not just on paying salaries at town hall.
” Cllr Fielding thanked council officers for the work they had done in preparing the report on smoking in Bolton and in promoting services to help people quit. The report said that the borough received a total of £438,537 from the government to fund extra local stop smoking services for the next five years. The council will now give £339,537 of funding for the ABL Locally Commissioned Stop Smoking Service with £50,000 for The Allen Carr Easyway Method wh.