The critics of a controversial scheme to bribe pregnant women in Tayside to quit smoking have been slated by a Perth councillor.
Peter Barrett, convener of Perth and Kinross Council’s housing and health committee, defended the scheme which, as we reported, cost over £62,000 over three years.
The TaxPayers’ Alliance had blasted the scheme, calling for it to be scrapped and branding it an “unquestionable waste of money.”
But the comments have raised the ire of Mr Barrett, who claims the project has been hugely successful.
“The alliance has ignored the bigger picture,” he said. “Smoking in pregnancy increases the risk of the mother having complications and a baby being born too small and too early.
“Low birth weight has been associated with coronary heart disease, type two diabetes, and being overweight in adulthood all of which have long-term impacts and costs to the health service and society.”
He said he found criticism of the scheme “mystifying.”
“Give It Up For Baby wasn’t dreamt up on a whim but aims to reduce smoking among mothers in our most deprived communities and tackle the health inequalities which exist in our country,” he continued.
“Why some people want to lambast the NHS for encouraging mothers to engage in healthier behaviours is beyond me. Many mums find it hard to stop or reduce smoking during pregnancy because, as we know, nicotine in tobacco is extremely addictive.
“Additional incentives and intensive support are proven tools which work.”
Mr Barrett called for critics to celebrate the scheme’s success, adding, “I commend all the women who have given up smoking on their success.”
Photo by Flickr user viZZZual.com.