An article on Better Retailing reported that packets of cigarettes cost as little as £4.50, which is less than half the price of the cheapest legally available cigarettes. While 50g packs of roll your own tobacco cost as little as £5, which equates to less than a fifth of the price of the legal product.
The results were reported to Trading Standards, who used the evidence to review store licences and hearings which took place in March 2021, led to nine store licences being reviewed. Finally the Licencing Sub Committee decided to revoke three of the licences and suspend five others, while one store decided to give up its licence prior to the hearing.These actions are part of continuing enforcement efforts in the area.
A few years back, Bolton Stop Smoking services had to be reduced to supporting solely pregnant women seeking to quit. These cuts were prompted by the fact that the government’s Public Health sector needed to save £785,000 between 2017 and 2019.
At the time a spokesperson for Bolton Council spoke about the required savings that prompted these cuts. “Increasing Government cuts have meant that we have had to change the way we deliver some health services. Public Health must make savings of £785,000 in 2017/19 and has therefore had to reduce or decommission some services.”
