Government Launches Landmark Reviews
You Khan do it, says the New Nicotine Alliance, as Javed Khan OBE calls for vapers’ views in helping with the #TobaccoIndependentReview
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by Dave Cross
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“Plans to enable people across the country to live longer, healthier lives are moving forward with the government’s announcement of leads for 2 significant independent reviews to tackle health disparities,” says the Department of Health and Social Care.
“Javed Khan OBE, former CEO of children’s charity Barnardo’s, will lead an independent review of the government’s bold ambition to make England smoke free by 2030. While the government has made good long-term progress in reducing smoking rates to their lowest ever level, there are an estimated 6 million smokers in England and smoking is still one of the largest drivers of health disparities.”
The findings from the review will feed into the Tobacco Control Plan to be released later in the year.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said: “Javed Khan OBE [has] vast experience in tackling health inequalities, and I look forward to the outcome of [his] review so we can continue to level up across society and make sure everyone – no matter where they live or come from – can live a long, healthy life.”
Javed Khan OBE, added: “I am very pleased to be leading this review into such an important area of public health. My independent findings will help highlight key interventions which can help the government achieve its ambitions to be smoke-free by 2030 and tackle health disparities.”
Writing on Twitter, Mr Khan said: “I want to hear your views and what we can do to support current smokers to quit, and to stop people taking up smoking. Use the hashtag #TobaccoIndependentReview.”
He added that vapers can email him their views at the following email address: [email protected]
He asked:
- How do we stop people, especially children and young people, from starting smoking in the first place?
- Have you quit smoking for good? What worked? What do you think could work better?
- Changing behaviour is key. What changed your mindset on smoking? Have you been persuaded by what you see in the media?
- What is your view on e-cigarettes? We know they are effective at helping people to quit smoking. How can we stop children and non-smokers from using them?
- Have you ever used a Stop Smoking Service to quit smoking? Or spoken to your GP about it? What was your experience?
New Nicotine Alliance chair Louise Ross commented: “Here is an amazing opportunity. Please be constructive, polite and concise!”
Louise has written directly to Javed Khan on behalf of the NNA. She wrote: “I would like to congratulate you on being chosen to lead the government’s independent review and wish you every success in your endeavours. I am writing on behalf of the New Nicotine Alliance, a consumer association and educational charity which represents consumers of low-risk alternatives to cigarettes such as vaping products, nicotine pouches, smokeless and heated tobacco products. As consumers, members have a direct interest in the regulation of these products and the personal and public health consequences of policy choices made by the government.
“We believe the government’s Smokefree 2030 goal can only be achieved by accelerating the switch from smoked tobacco to less harmful alternatives. With this in mind, we wrote to the Department of Health and Social Care in 2021 to put forward a number of policy proposals which we strongly believe would help accelerate smoking cessation to the level which would be required for the Smokefree 2030 target.
“The NNA was formed by consumers for whom reduced risk products worked as a means of breaking the dependence on extremely harmful combustible tobacco, and we advocate for the further potential these products could have for the proportion of the UK public who still smoke. It is our belief that a range of smoke-free products (vaping, heated tobacco, snus and oral nicotine products) will work as effective alternatives to smoking products if they are promoted and marketed appropriately to smokers.
“We would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, as part of your review, to discuss the role that safer nicotine alternatives can play in achieving the government’s smokefree ambition. I look forward to your reply.”
References:
- The New Nicotine Alliance - https://nnalliance.org/
- Sign up as a supporter of the NNA for free - https://nnalliance.org/supporters/supporters-sign-up
- Make a donation to help the NNA campaign for vapers - https://nnalliance.org/supporters/donate
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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