Exclusive by Nick Griffiths

Last updated at 12:00, Saturday, 06 December 2008

They live less than 10 miles apart – but a baby brought up in Botcherby can expect to die nine years earlier than one growing up in Burgh-by-Sands.

Jane Key, husband Richard and daughter Samantha Allington

In purely environmental and social terms, the divide between the two electoral wards where these children will grow is obvious.

Burgh’s catchment area, just outside Carlisle, features country cottages, picture book villages and probably one of the most enviable lifestyles in north Cumbria.

An official report divides its residents into statistical buzz-word categories such as “wealthy executives”, “affluent greys” and “secure and flourishing families”.

Botcherby, however, includes a built-up city estate that has had more than its fair share of problems over the years with crime, drug addiction and unemployment.

More than 45 per cent of people in the ward are described as “struggling families”, followed percentage-wise by “burdened singles” and those with “blue collar roots”.

The contrast between the two, both in a glance at their statistical make-up and in the life expectancy of its residents – nearly 75 years in Botcherby, almost 84 in Burgh – is among the biggest health and social gaps within the wider boundaries of Carlisle, including outlying towns and villages.

This life expectancy postcode lottery was highlighted as Cumbria’s director of public health John Ashton admitted at a conference this week that the city “has some serious problems.”

But how serious and far-reaching they are is revealed in a bid, backed by Mr Ashton, to ensure health is central to any developments in Carlisle.

Most people probably realise they could live life a bit better, lose a bit of weight, drink less, perhaps exercise more or cut out cigarettes.

But they might be surprised by the sheer horror of the impact those unhealthy choices are having on themselves and others across Carlisle.

A city council document on efforts to gain Healthy City status for Carlisle throws up some startling results on life, death and disease in the city.

• Three of its wards, Morton, Currock and Denton Holme, have a cancer mortality rate “significantly higher” than the national average.

• In Denton Holme, the death rate from cancer is 52 per cent higher than the national average.

• Only 42 per cent of city residents are a healthy weight and more than 40 per cent of men are overweight, compared to 29 per cent of women.

• Less than 54 per cent do enough exercise.

• Under 17 per cent of us eat the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables a day, while nearly 30 per cent of men drink more than is recommended.

• 39 per cent of people in Botcherby smoke, compared to 19 per cent in Stanwix.

• The wards of Botcherby, Castle, Belle Vue, Morton, Upperby, Denton Holme, Currock, Harraby, Longtown and Rockcliffe, St Aidans and Brampton all have a life expectancy below the Cumbria average of 78.6 years.

And the main cause of early death in Carlisle? Heart disease.

Of the 1,000 or so people who die in the city every year, between 200 and 300 deaths are believed to be linked to this condition.

Professor Ashton said some of the factors affecting our lives were in play even before we were born.

“What we are seeing is the result of influences on people’s health and wellbeing that start even before birth and continue throughout their lifespan,” he said.

“If you are born to younger parents who are not ready to provide a secure home then disadvantage starts at that point.

“In Carlisle we have a high level of teenage pregnancy.

“Things like smoking during pregnancy affects the size of a baby and even whether you are likely to get heart disease during middle age. It starts in the womb.

“The second thing is the circumstances in which people are born and spend their early years. People who grow up with low self esteem are more likely to get into trouble with drugs and so on.

“Working class boys are six times more likely to die in accidents than boys of professional parents. We spend a lot of money producing healthy babies and then by the age of 18 between 10 and 20 per cent are in trouble in one way or another.

“They may be overweight, they may be abusing drink or drugs.”

On the cancer rates in Morton, Currock and Denton Holme, he added: “It is likely a big part of that will be smoking.

“That is the difference now. People in middle class areas have pretty much stopped smoking now.

“After that we are talking about diet. Bowel cancer is the second most common cancer in men.

“They may not be eating five a day and have a diet high in fat. With heart disease, a big factor is smoking.”

Smokers Richard and Jane Key own the Denton Street Cafe in Denton Holme.

Mr Key, 43, said: “I’ve smoked for about 20 years and I started because most of my family smoke so I just followed.

“I have tried to give up but it’s just not that easy. I’ve always gone back to them.

“I enjoy a fag but I don’t enjoy standing outside to smoke.”

Mr Key said he did not believe that smoking was entirely the cause of cancer, adding: “One of my grandparents died of lung cancer and they never smoked.

“They wouldn’t allow smoking in their house and they never went in a pub. As for diet, I don’t think Denton Holme is any more unhealthy than other parts of Carlisle.

“In our cafe we use fresh produce because it’s better for you and cheaper than tinned products.”

Mrs Key, 38, started smoking when she was 11.

“I started at school and I’ve smoked ever since,” she added. “My daughter Samantha is always trying to get me to give up.”

Samantha, 19, added: “I want both my stepdad Richard and my mum to give up because I’ve got a six-month-old baby girl – but they won’t stop.”

The Healthy City programme Carlisle aims to ensure public health is a top priority for politicians, local authorities and other agencies. This could see cycle paths and parks made a priority when opportunities to redesign city areas, such as those currently being looked at with Carlisle Renaissance, come along.

“We need to think of the city as a habitat for humans,” said Professor Ashton. It is all about the city functioning properly.

“It is basically saying we have in some ways become distracted over the last 30 years in thinking health services are the most important thing. It is actually only part of the story.

“People have started thinking it is all about lifestyle but we need to create environments which support healthy choices.

“We need to make it easier for people to work and cycle, to give up smoking.

“When we are doing different things with the city, redesigning the city, we need to do that with one eye on the impact on health.

“Doctors and nurses can only do so much.

“The health service should be there for when things go wrong and increasingly the health service is going to be about supporting people in their later years.

“We want everybody to be 85 without much disability – to have a good crack at a healthy old age.”

First published at 09:01, Saturday, 06 December 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk