ASH Poll Backs Bans

• Support in Great Britain averaged 69%, and ranged between 57% and 74% for individual constituencies 
• Two thirds of 11–15-year-olds also back the ban – the first generation to whom the sale of tobacco will be banned 

The MRP analysis was carried out using a national survey of over 13,000 respondents, and was funded by Cancer Research UK. The analysis based on the constituencies in the forthcoming general election found levels of support ranging between 57% and 74%, showing the extent to which this policy cuts across political and social lines.

ASH says: “The highest level of support, 74%, was found in Keir Starmer’s constituency of Holborn and St Pancras. The constituencies of other party leaders also showed strong support, with 72% of Rishi Sunak’s constituents in Richmond and Northallerton supporting the policy and 71% of constituents in Liberal Democrat leader, Ed Davey’s constituency of Kingston and Surbiton. All three leaders have backed the legislation. In SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn’s constituency of Aberdeen South 67% support the legislation and in Dwyfor Meirionnydd, Plaid Cymru Westminster group leader Liz Saville Roberts’ constituency, 67% are supportive.

“Two-thirds of children aged 11-15 (67%) also supported the policy. This will be the first generation to be affected by the policy, which is planned to come into effect from 1 January 2027 so tobacco can never legally be sold to anyone aged 15 or under in 2024. In Spring 2023, before the policy was announced by the Prime Minister, there was already majority support for the idea in principle (57% support; 14% oppose). Support in 2024 for the specific proposals put forward by the government was ten points higher (67%), with opposition eight points lower (6%).

“Among adults opposition is also limited. Even in the constituency with the lowest level of support, Northeast Cambridgeshire with 57%, opposition was only 14% (the remaining 29% answered Don’t Know/Neither support nor oppose).

“The average for the whole of Great Britain was 69% support, 12% oppose (19% DK/Neither support nor oppose). Support for the policy is high among voters of all parties, people from all social backgrounds and ages, and a majority of smokers also support the policy (52% support, 24% oppose).”

ASH says it has created a tool so people can look up the support in their parliamentary constituency: https://ashresources.shinyapps.io/mrp_constituencies/

Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive at ASH said: “Whether red, blue, yellow or green, the public support for the ban on sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008 is black and white. This enormously popular public health measure could put our country in pole position to be the first nation to end smoking.

“This legislation is vital for the future of our children, as it will protect them from vaping as well as smoking. The incoming government, whoever they are, must commit to bringing it back as a priority when they announce their legislative programme in the King’s speech.”

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “Public support to raise the age of sale for tobacco is strong. All political parties must commit to introducing the new law in their manifestos. At the first King’s Speech, whoever wins the election must re-introduce the bill, pass it swiftly through parliament, and implement it so that we can start to reap the benefits of a smokefree future.

“The message from people affected by cancer, health professionals and campaigners is loud and clear: we must take action to prevent future generations from a potential lifetime of addiction and disease and reduce cancer deaths.”

ASH’s current approach to vaping can, at best, be said to be confused; on one hand the charity wants misinformation to stop while on the other it supports a diabolical ban on flavours, taxing vapes and putting them in plain packs like cigarettes.

Photo Credit:

• Photo by Arnaud Jaegers on Unsplash

Dave Cross

Journalist at POTV

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Dave 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.