Chapter 4: Local communities leading for health

The environment we live in, our social networks, our sense of security, socioeconomic circumstances, facilities and resources in our local neighbourhood can affect individual health. There are unacceptable differences in people’s experience of health between different areas and between different groups of people within the same area. Action by local authorities working with local communities, businesses and voluntary groups to tackle local health issues makes a difference to the opportunities for both adults and children to choose healthier lifestyles. This chapter sets out action to maximise the positive impact of the local community setting with measures that include: local authorities providing local leadership to bring concerted and integrated local action on health; investment and new initiatives in disadvantaged and deprived communities; and promoting partnership between the public and voluntary sectors with business to develop national and local champions for health and extend opportunities for people to take up healthy lifestyles in local communities. Smoking is a major cause of illhealth. Balancing the rights of people who choose to smoke against the interests of the majority who object to being exposed to secondhand smoke at work and in public places was one of the most controversial issues in the consultation. This is an area where campaigns and public demand for change have not done enough to achieve national targets to reduce prevalence in smoking. We therefore intend to shift the balance significantly in favour of smokefree environments. By 2006, all government departments and the NHS will (subject to limited exceptions) be smokefree. We will consult on detailed proposals for regulation with legislation where necessary so that by the end of 2008, all enclosed public places and workplaces will be smokefree except those specifically exempted.

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