Our All Together Smokefree programme is proud to announce the launch of the Smokefree Spaces Toolkit – a major step forward in creating healthier environments across Cheshire and Merseyside.

This initiative supports our shared ambition to be smokefree by 2030 and aligns with the national goal of building a smokefree generation.

Launched under our Smoking Ends Here campaign website, the toolkit has been introduced to help Local Authorities and NHS Trusts create healthier environments by promoting smokefree policies, supporting quit attempts, and reducing exposure to second-hand smoke across public spaces.

It is designed to help communicate policies clearly and confidently, with guidance on how to talk about the policy, outlining the key messages, and giving examples to be used or adapted for different communication channels. It also contains vital training and education modules on smoking cessation so that staff can be well informed about the challenges and potential solutions surrounding smoking and vaping in public spaces and the workplace.

Why Smokefree Spaces Matter

Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death and a major driver of health inequalities. It contributes to 16 types of cancer, diabetes, dementia, and two-thirds of the life expectancy gap for people with serious mental illness. Locally, while smoking rates have fallen to 10.4%, there is still more work to do.

Smokefree spaces protect people from the harms of second-hand smoke, reduce smoking visibility, and help shift social norms, making smoking less acceptable and less likely to be taken up by future generations. They also support quit attempts and promote healthier lifestyles for everyone.

The toolkit provides communication materials and guidance on policy development, enforcement strategies, and the introduction of supportive measures as a means of keeping sites smoke free.

Resources are designed to make it easier for hospitals, councils, and community spaces to adopt consistent smokefree standards across the subregion.

Addressing Vaping

While smokefree means air free from tobacco smoke, the toolkit recognises that vaping is different. Vapes do not burn tobacco or produce smoke, and NICE guidance supports vaping as a quit aid for smokers. The campaign encourages organisations to:

  • Clearly distinguish smoking from vaping in policy.
  • Allow vaping in designated outdoor areas (Quit Zones) to support harm reduction and help smokers transition away from tobacco.
  • Ensure these spaces are discreet, away from entrances, and clearly signposted as adult-only areas.

This approach balances public health priorities with practical support for those on a quit journey, while discouraging vaping among non-smokers and protecting children from exposure.

The Smokefree Spaces campaign provides communication materials and guidance on policy development, enforcement strategies, and the introduction of supportive measures.

These resources are designed to make it easier for hospitals, councils, and community spaces to adopt consistent smokefree standards across the subregion.

A Positive Step for Public Health

By promoting smokefree environments in hospitals, parks, civic centres, and other public spaces, we are reducing exposure to second-hand smoke and supporting people on their quit journey. It sends a clear message: tobacco has no place in spaces designed to help people stay well.

Ceriann Tunnah, Associate Director of Population Health for NHS Cheshire and Merseyside, welcomes the launch of the new toolkits, saying:

“The practical resources that will be made available to NHS Trusts to support them in keeping NHS hospital grounds smokefree will ensure we protect and promote the health of everyone using our facilities, whilst also ensuring all smokers (patients, visitors and staff) are supported to manage their nicotine dependency”.

Get Involved

If you are working in Cheshire and Merseyside NHS Trusts or Local Authorities and feel your organisation could benefit from the toolkit, please request access by emailing us at [email protected]

We would also hugely appreciate sharing the message across your network to raise awareness of the Smoking Ends Here brand and shared vision for Smokefree spaces across the subregion.

Together, we can make Cheshire and Merseyside a healthier, smokefree region.