AQW 6689/17-22 Written question to the Minister of Health
To ask the Minister of Health how much his Department has spent on smoking cessation services in each financial year from 2011/12 to 2019/20.
Asked by Paula Bradshaw MLA on 10 September 2020
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 10 September 2020
- Answer due by
- 25 September 2020
- Answered
- 23 September 202013 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Health
- Priority question
- No
Answer
In order to meet the targets outlined in the Department’s Ten Year Tobacco Control Strategy, the Public Health Agency (PHA) invests funding received from my Department in a number of Stop Smoking Services across Northern Ireland. The tobacco control budget is in the region of £3.9M per annum.
There are over 650 PHA commissioned Stop Smoking Services across Northern Ireland and these are provided through Health & Social Care Trusts, Community Pharmacies, GP Practices and Community and Voluntary sector partners. These services aim to help smokers to quit and are provided free of charge to the public.
A summary of investments in Stop Smoking Services in each financial year from 2011/12 to 2019/20 is set out below;
| Financial Year | Total Tobacco Control Spend | Cessation Services*(~55%) | Nicotine Replacement Therapy NRT (~37%) |
| 2011-2012 | £ 3,912,532.00 | £ 2,151,892.60 | £ 1,447,636.84 |
| 2012-2013 | £ 4,572,957.00 | £ 2,515,126.35 | £ 1,691,994.09 |
| 2013-2014 | £ 4,229,622.00 | £ 2,326,292.10 | £ 1,564,960.14 |
| 2014-2015 | £ 2,976,343.00 | £ 1,636,988.65 | £ 1,101,246.91 |
| 2015-2016 | £ 3,910,256.00 | £ 2,150,640.80 | £ 1,446,794.72 |
| 2016-2017 | £ 4,039,661.00 | £ 2,221,813.55 | £ 1,494,674.57 |
| 2017-2018 | £ 3,947,420.00 | £ 2,171,081.00 | £ 1,460,545.40 |
| 2018-2019 | £ 3,955,191.00 | £ 2,175,355.05 | £ 1,463,420.67 |
| 2019-2020 | £ 3,912,532.00 | £ 2,151,892.60 | £ 1,447,636.84 |
NB: Smoking Cessation Services and the associated NRT expenditure is demand led and is therefore variable from year to year based on the number of people accessing services.
Approximately 8-10% of the annual budget covers other expenditure including enforcement, data system maintenance, website costs etc.