World No Tobacco Day is observed around the world every year on 31 May with the aim to inform the public of the dangers associated with using tobacco.

Tobacco poses significant dangers to health, affecting both people that smoke and non-smokers exposed to second-hand smoke. Understanding the dangers of tobacco empowers individuals to make informed choices and seek support to quit smoking.

Smoking is a leading cause of preventable illness and death. It is a major risk factor for conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and multiple cancers (especially lung cancer, cancers of the larynx and mouth, bladder cancer, and pancreatic cancer). In 2019/20 there were 506,100 hospital admissions due to smoking with 74,800 deaths attributed to smoking among adults aged 35 and over.

The impact of second-hand smoke, is dangerous and can cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including coronary heart disease and lung cancer. Around 1.3 million non-smokers die prematurely each year due to exposure to second-hand smoke.

While the primary focus is to assist patients in quitting smoking, the longer-term aim is to promote abstinence during hospital stays and reduce harm to the patient themselves, their baby and the wider community.

The services in Lincolnshire are available at Lincolnshire Community Health Services NHS Trust, Lincolnshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust to ensure:

• patients admitted to hospital and pregnant women have smoking status captured.

• automatic opt-out referrals are made to the specialist Tobacco Dependency Service.

• identified patients that smoke have access to free pharmacotherapy / NRT.

• personalised plans are developed to support harm reduction and aid quit attempts.

Upon discharge from NHS services, patients will be offered an onward referral to both Local Authority Stop Smoking Services (One You Lincolnshire) and community pharmacy services.