In an attempt to “improve the health of the nation” and “cut smoking rates”, almost one in five of all smokers in England will be handed vape starter kits for free.
The UK Government is to give one million smokers a free vape starter kit in a bid to get them to swap their cigarettes for vapes.
They’ll also be given free behavioural support to help them quit as part of the series of new measures intended to help meet the country’s ambition of being smoke-free by 2030.
These new measures will work to deliver the Government’s three aims, which are to help more adults quit smoking, stop children and non-smokers from taking up vaping, and using vaping as a tool for established adult smokers to quit.
🆕 We’re taking action to help people quit smoking & prevent youth vaping.
New measures will help one million adult smokers switch to vaping & a specialist team will tackle illegal and underage vape sales.
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) April 11, 2023
On top of the free vape starter kits, the Government is also set to offer pregnant women financial incentives to help them stop smoking – which comes after the success of several local trial schemes, and will involve offering them vouchers and behavioural support in exchange for the promise that they’ll stop smoking by the end of next year.
Additionally, there is also to be a “crackdown” on illicit vape sales as part of measures to stop children and non-smokers taking up the habit.
It’s hoped that all these new measures will eventually reduce smoking rates to 5% or less.
The Government says it’s also keen to cut smoking rates so that the number of smoking-related illnesses needing to be treated is reduced, which, in turn, relieves pressure on the NHS and helps to deliver on its priority of cutting NHS waiting lists.
Image: Unsplash
The new measures have been informed and set out following an independent smoking review led by Javed Khan.
“Up to two out of three lifelong smokers will die from smoking,” said Health Minister Neil O’Brien.
“Cigarettes are the only product on sale which will kill you if used correctly, so we will offer a million smokers new help to quit.
“We will fund a new national ‘swap to stop’ scheme, which the first of its kind in the world, and we will work with councils and others to offer a million smokers across England a free vaping starter kit.”
It's fantastic news for our city as Leeds has been crowned one of the best cities in the UK for foodies.
It's news that we've been pretty certain of for some time, but it's still nice to be recognised isn't it?
It comes from a new study carried out by credit card brand Aqua who analysed 30 major UK cities across a range of dining and social media metrics, including cuisine variety, restaurant availability, meal affordability, Michelin recognition and TikTok hashtag volumes.
Coming in at number on was, of course, London.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
With 47 cuisines, 22.5 restaurants per 10,000 residents and 81 Michelin-starred establishments, the capital unsurprisingly continues to dominate the UK’s culinary scene.
But in at number two was our glorious city of Leeds, supported by the highest restaurant density in the study, with 38.5 establishments per 10,000 people, and strong affordability compared with cities in the south.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
We will absolutely take that.
Other northern spots to feature on the list include Sheffield and Bradford in sixth and eighth place.
The top ten UK cities for foodies are:
London
Leeds
Nottingham
Edinburgh
Wolverhampton / Leicester
Sheffield
Birmingham / Glasgow
Bradford / Swansea
Preston
Milton Keynes
Here in Leeds we've got so many fabulous food spots, with new openings cropping up every month it's hard to keep track.
From the multi award-winning Bavette Bistro in Horsforth to the highly acclaimed indie Bundobust that started off in Leeds - you certainly won't find yourself hungry or at a loss for somewhere to eat here.
Sheffield amongst nine areas to be long listed for UK City of Culture 2029
Clementine Hall
It's big news for Sheffield as the city has officially been long listed to become the UK City of Culture in 2029.
It’s one of just nine places across the country to make the cut, alongside the likes of Blackpool, Portsmouth and Wrexham.
Winning the title could bring huge investment to Sheffield, thousands of visitors, and a massive spotlight on everything that makes our city special - and let’s be honest, Sheffield’s got plenty to shout about.
From music and film to art and grassroots creativity, culture runs right through this city, and it would be a huge achievement to receive this title.
So, what happens now? Each arena will now receive £60,000 to develop a full application with the aim to build a vibrant cultural programme by 2028.
The nine confirmed long listed locations are: Blackpool, Inverness-Highland, Ipswich, Middlesbrough, Milton Keynes, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Swindon and Wrexham.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said: "For far too long, opportunity has not been shared equally across the country. The UK City of Culture and new UK Town of Culture competitions recognise the enormous contributions made by communities all over the UK who are all part of the story of who we are as a nation.
"I look forward to seeing what the nine long listed places have in store as they progress in the competition. I also urge any towns thinking about entering the UK Town of Culture competition to seize this opportunity and get involved. It’s a chance to show the country what makes them unique and shine a spotlight on their cultural offer, enriching the lives of local people."
Go on Sheffield, we're rooting for you big time. We can't think of a city more worthy.
Emily Sergeant -
12th April 2023 
