Plan for Oxfordshire to be first 'smoke-free' county by 2025
- Published
Oxfordshire could become England's first "smoke-free" county by 2025 under a plan unveiled by its county council.
It wants to cut the proportion of people smoking to below 5% - half of the total currently.
When smoking rates fall below 5%, an area is considered to be "smoke free" because the habit would be deemed unusual.
A consultation on an "ambitious" strategy will be launched by the council in March.
Ansaf Azhar, the council's director of public health, said the Oxfordshire Tobacco Control Strategy would be a "step change" in how smoking was treated in the county.
Mr Azhar said the strategy would include introducing more smoke-free environments, supporting smokers to quit, regulating tobacco products and continuing existing prevention work,
The council said smoking remains the "single greatest cause of premature death" in Oxfordshire.
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