World Health Organisation Award for North East tobacco campaigner
WORK in the North East to tackle smoking and the harm of tobacco has been recognised internationally after a prestigious award from the World Health Organisation.
Ailsa Rutter, Director of FRESH, has been awarded a WHO World No Tobacco Day medal in recognition of outstanding work in tackling smoking. [1] The Association of North East Councils and Chair of the North East Directors of Public Health network today praised Fresh and Ms Rutter for the award and work across the region.
Ms Rutter with colleagues in the NHS established Fresh – the first regional tobacco control office in the UK in 2005, with NHS colleagues as well as providing guidance on the setting up of similar programmes in the North West and South West. [2] Fresh is funded by the 12 local authorities in the North East through their Public Health grant.
In the first five years of FRESH’s work, smoking rates in the North East fell at twice the national average. In 2005, when Ms Rutter became Director of FRESH, the region had the highest smoking prevalence rate of any region in England. Between 2005-11 the region saw the largest fall in the country. [3]
Work undertaken by Fresh has been highlighted in both the Government’s current National Tobacco Plan – Healthy Lives, Healthy People – and the previous Government’s National Tobacco Strategy A Smokefree Future. The programme has also won the Charles Cully Memorial Medal from the Irish Cancer Society and Gold Medal in the inaugural Chief Medical Officer’s Public Health Awards in 2009. The Fresh Don’t be the 1 campaign also just won the prestigious Grand Prix award at the national Roses Creative Awards in May 2014.
Ms Rutter, leads the small FRESH team which has:
• Developed and managed a complex regional programme in an area of 2.5 million people
• Led the strategic partnership involving the NHS and local authorities in efforts to reduce the harm of smoking in the North East
• Led the original establishment and subsequent development of the North of England Tackling Illicit Tobacco for Better Health Programme, which is regarded internationally as a model of excellence for regional programmes tackling both the demand for and supply of illicit tobacco
• Developed and implemented high quality award winning media campaigns on tobacco control, including everybreath.tv and dontbethe1.tv.
Anna Lynch, DPH for County Durham and chair of the North East Directors of Public Health Network stated ” I am absolutely delighted for Ailsa. This award is certainly well deserved and could not be given to a more passionate and committed person.
“Ailsa and her small expert team have worked with the directors of public health and their tobacco leads over the last five years and helped us to collectively make a real difference to the people of the North East. Her passion and commitment to reducing smoking has never waivered over this time. I know I speak for all North East directors of public health as I congratulate Ailsa on this fantastic achievement “
Ms Rutter said it was vitally important to mention the massive role that many people played behind the scenes in setting up the Fresh office by the North East SHA with support from Primary Care Trusts. Credit must go to Prof Eugene Milne, former Deputy Regional Director of Public Health and current Director of Public Health for Newcastle City Council who had the original vision to set up England’s first regional tobacco control programme, former North East Director of Public Health Prof Stephen Singleton, and many others
She said: “When FRESH was set up in the North East the aim was to stop making headlines for being the worst area in the country for smoking related death and disease and do all we can to tackle our biggest killer.
“This is a tremendous honour, but its also credit to my committed colleagues at FRESH and many partners we work with, particularly within our 12 local authorities who have demonstrated exceptional leadership for many years around tobacco issues.
“FRESH has always been about much more than a small team or programme but about a real sense that addressing smoking is ‘everyone’s business’ and in the north east many people have worked tirelessly together since 2005 to help tackle what were very high smoking rates in the region.
“Although we have achieved a great deal, much more still needs to be done to make smoking history for our children. This is something that I believe the public expect us to do now and our work will not end until we have truly made smoking a thing of the past.”
Cllr Paul Watson, Chair of the Association of North East Councils, said:
“Smoking affects the life chances of every child who grows up to smoke especially in some of our poorest wards. However, thanks to the work of Fresh and its partners the North East has shaken off its image as the worst area for smoking and now other regions look to us for ideas and inspiration. We are proud of the work carried out by Fresh and Ailsa’s award is testament to her commitment and dedication. Councils have agreed that tackling smoking locally and as a region is an ongoing priority.”
Cllr Nick Forbes, chair of the North East Making Smoking History partnership, said: “Fresh and the North East approach of coming together to tackle the harm of smoking has gained not just national acclaim but international recognition.
“This award is a huge affirmation of the tireless work Ailsa Rutter has done. However, smoking and tobacco still take a terrible toll on North East families and public services and a miniscule fraction is spent on prevention and we need to do more.”
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of health charity ASH said:
“Under Ailsa’s leadership, FRESH has had an unparalleled record of success in tackling smoking in the northeast and this award is well deserved. She has set up a model which has been successfully followed elsewhere by Tobacco Free Futures in the North West and Smokefree South West. But there’s more to be done, every region deserves, and needs, a FRESH of its own if we are to create a smokefree future for our children.”