Brent Council has become the first local authority in London to sign a Declaration on Tobacco Control, which aims to reduce the number of smokers in the Borough.

The Local Government Declaration signed by the borough’s chief executive and director of public health commits the council to take greater steps in reducing tobacco consumption, including membership of the Smokefree Action Coalition.

Cllr Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “This declaration is about taking effective action against the real and insidious threat from tobacco and from smoking.

“Tobacco remains one of the single greatest causes of preventable deaths our borough, killing hundreds of Brent residents every year.”

All councils took over responsibility for public health from the NHS in April this year.

Since then, Brent has identified smoking as one of the key areas it wants to focus on to help improve the health of local residents.

Even before it signed the pledge, the council has been working to educate people on the dangers of smoking Shisha pipes, as there has been a significant increase in Shisha café’s in the borough.

“In the context of our public health responsibilities for the people of Brent, smoking is one of the greatest challenges facing us today,” Cllr Butt added.