A TOBACCO dependency service has been extended to cater for Barnsley children as young as TWELVE - after health bosses issued a warning over rising cases of hospital admissions.
The decision has been taken to offer the service in order to protect children from the harms of tobacco which can occur through either smoking or exposure to second-hand smoke.
About 400,000 11 to 15-year-olds in England have tried smoking at some point and about 100,000 smoke now.
More than three 15-year-olds out of one hundred smokes more than once a week.
Children with parents who smoke are about three times more likely to start smoking themselves, health bosses warned, and youngsters are also more likely to smoke if they have brothers, sisters or friends who smoke.
Dr Ceryl Harwood, Barnsley Hospital’s consultant in public health, said: “Helping someone to stop smoking is one of the most important health interventions we can provide.
“Since treating tobacco dependency has become part of standard care at Barnsley Hospital, we’ve supported thousands of patients to be smoke-free during their admission by providing expert support and early treatment to prevent cravings.
“Being smoke-free also helps people recover more quickly from illness and injury and many will then go on to stop smoking long-term, helped by post-discharge support from our excellent local community services.
“We know that most adult smokers first tried cigarettes as a child, and that children with parents who smoke are more likely to start themselves.”
From July to December 2024, more than 1,800 people were admitted to Barnsley Hospital were recorded as having smoked in the previous two weeks, 82 per cent of whom received specialist care from tobacco dependency advisors during their admission.
Lyndsay Fletcher, matron for children’s services, added: “Second-hand smoke lingers for up to five hours, contributing to higher rates of asthma attacks, chest infections and other respiratory issues in babies and children.
“There is no safe level of exposure to tobacco or second-hand smoke, especially for babies and children whose lungs and immune system are not fully developed.
“We are really pleased the service is now helping patients and families avoid the significant harms to health from tobacco.”
Smoking claims around 80,000 lives a year in the UK, putting huge pressure on the NHS, taking up appointments, scans and operations, and costing taxpayers £3.1bn a year.
The cost of smoking to the economy is even greater, with £18bn lost in productivity every year, as smokers are a third more likely to be off work sick./
Tobacco is a uniquely harmful product, responsible for one in four of all cancer deaths and killing up to two-thirds of its long-term users.
Smoking also substantially increases the risk of many major health conditions throughout people’s lives, such as strokes, diabetes, heart disease, stillbirth, dementia and asthma.
Dr Richard Jenkins, chief executive officer of Barnsley Hospital, said: “The programme extension is part of Barnsley’s broader efforts to ‘make smoking invisible,’ ensuring smoke-free environments for people of all ages.
“By working with partners like the integrated care board (ICB) and learning from programmes like Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust’s QUIT initiative,
“Barnsley Hospital is taking another step toward a healthier, smoke-free future.”
