APPG Marks Smokefree 2030 Ambition Anniversary
The APPG on Smoking and Health Parliamentary has held an event to mark four years since the Smokefree 2030 ambition was announced
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by Dave Cross
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Bob Blackman MP, Chairman of the APPG on Smoking and Health, opened the session and ASH UK combined it with the release of new data showing that the public believe further action is needed to tackle smoking. The charity says that progress on stopping smoking has been stalled and Cancer Research UK estimate it will be missed by 9 years.
ASH UK’s Smokefree GB survey was carried out by YouGov, finding:
- 49% of adults in England think the Government is not doing enough to address smoking
- 28% think the Government is doing about right,
- 7% saying they are ‘doing too much’
- 76% support and 7% oppose a levy on tobacco companies
- 65% support and 13% oppose raising the age of sale to 21
- 83% support and 4% oppose tobacco retail licensing
- 69% support and 9% oppose increasing government investment in public education campaigns
- 66% support and 9% oppose placing inserts in cigarette packs to motivate quitting
Many of these recommendations were included in the independent Khan review published in June 2022. Dr Javed Khan said: “Reaching a smokefree 2030 is achievable but it requires more action than the Government has currently committed to. My 2022 review called for a holistic response that will make smoking obsolete in this country. Without doubt, sustainable and increased funding is needed to support those with the highest rates of smoking, something which could be levied from the tobacco industry. Anything less risks leaving some groups behind and widening the already substantial inequalities caused by smoking.”
In April the Government announced a new ‘swap to stop’ scheme to distribute 1 million vape kits to help adults to quit, a financial incentive scheme for pregnant smokers and pack inserts to promote quitting in cigarette packs.
Public Health Minister Neil O’Brien commented: “Through our new measures, the Government will be supporting many more smokers to quit. One million smokers will be encouraged to ‘swap to stop’, swapping cigarettes for vapes under a new national scheme – the first of its kind in the world. We will offer evidence-based financial incentives for all pregnant women who smoke. We will also shortly be launching a consultation on cigarette pack inserts to provide further information to support smokers to quit. These are important steps on the path to achieving our bold ambition to be Smokefree by 2030.”
ASH UK says that their data shows there is strong public support across the political spectrum for a levy on tobacco manufacturers.
Chairman of the APPG on Smoking and Health, Bob Blackman MP said: “The Government is to be congratulated for the measures to end the tobacco epidemic announced earlier this year. However, while they are a great first step, they’re not nearly enough to deliver our nation’s smokefree 2030 ambition. The public know this, there’s overwhelming popular support for the Government to go further and faster. Ending smoking will protect our health and social care system and improve productivity in the here and now, as well as delivering future generations from the appalling suffering and premature death caused by smoking.”
References:
- Action on Smoking and Health - https://ash.org.uk/
Dave Cross
Journalist at POTVDave is a freelance writer; with articles on music, motorbikes, football, pop-science, vaping and tobacco harm reduction in Sounds, Melody Maker, UBG, AWoL, Bike, When Saturday Comes, Vape News Magazine, and syndicated across the Johnston Press group. He was published in an anthology of “Greatest Football Writing”, but still believes this was a mistake. Dave contributes sketches to comedy shows and used to co-host a radio sketch show. He’s worked with numerous start-ups to develop content for their websites.
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