Oxfordshire plan to be first 'smoke-free' county agreed

About 10% of Oxfordshire's residents currently smoke

A plan to make Oxfordshire the first "smoke-free" county in England by 2025 has been approved.

Authorities will look to ensure that less than 5% of its adult population smoke - half of the current total.

When smoking rates fall below 5%, an area is considered to be "smoke free" because it would be deemed unusual.

If successful, Oxfordshire will reach a government target five years earlier than planned.

Eunan O'Neill, a consultant in public health at Oxfordshire County Council, said the policy would "reduce health inequalities and improve health for all residents".

About 10% of people smoke in the county - below the English national average of 14% - but 36% of people with a serious mental illness do.

As part of the strategy, signed off by the county's Health Improvement Partnership Board, work will be done so fewer children take up smoking in the first place.

Other efforts will focus on stopping illicit tobacco, creating more smoke-free environments and supporting smokers to quit.

The council said 2,100 people died in the county between 2015 and 2017 from smoking-related diseases.

As part of its Tobacco Control Plan for England, published in 2017, the Department of Health and Social Care said it wanted to reduce the prevalence of smoking in the population to 5% by 2030.