South Shields cancer survivor to speak in Parliament calling for Government to take action against smoking

South Shields resident Sue Mountain has joined North East health leaders in urging the Government to deliver on its ambition to be smokefree by 2030.

The mum-of-three will speak at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Smoking meeting on Wednesday, July 22 - which is being attended by both the Public Health Minister Jo Churchill MP and Shadow Public Health Minister Alex Norris MP.

Sue, 54, started smoking at the age of 11.

In 2012 her life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer.

Despite initially giving up smoking and getting the all clear, Sue started smoking again due to stress and her cancer returned - twice.

Sue finally quit smoking for good in 2017 and is now cancer-free and working with Fresh – the UK’s first dedicated regional programme for tobacco control.

"I started smoking at school to fit in, it felt like most children smoked when I was young,” she said.

"It’s good that far fewer children smoke now, but just one child starting is one too many.

"I know from personal experience how easy it is to start smoking and how difficult it is to stop.”

The Government first announced its ambition for England to be smokefree by 2030 in July 2019, but a year on and they have not announced what planned action they will take.

According to Fresh, since last July over 102,000 children under 16 have started smoking in England – enough to fill both St James’ Park and the Stadium of Light.

And Figures from Action on Smoking and Health show that every day over 15 people die from smoking in the North East.

On Wednesday, MPs will hear from experts what measures are needed to deliver the smokefree ambition – including increasing the age of sale to 21 – and how legislation could be implemented to levy a charge on the tobacco industry to finance them.

Sue added: “I’m delighted the government has set an ambition for a smokefree generation by 2030, but words on their own are not enough.

"Action is needed to prevent future generations ending up like me, with a constant worry that the cancer will come back because of my smoking. And I am one of the lucky ones, I’ve survived.”

Recent data has revealed that the region has seen an increase in quitting activity during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fresh says it is vital that further action is taken to continue to drive down smoking rates across all population groups.

Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh, commented: “In the North East we have suffered the most with heavier smoking rates and an appalling rate of smoking related diseases.

"Tobacco companies make huge profits – at least £1 billion a year in the UK alone - from an addiction which not only robs smokers of many years of life but also costs communities, families, every GP surgery, every local authority, every hospital and is a major driver of poverty. They should be made to pay for prevention.”

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