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King Charles announces tobacco ban in plans to create 'smoke-free generation'
The King confirmed the Tobacco and Vapes Bill during his first King's Speech to Parliament on Tuesday, which means children born after 2009 will never legally be able to purchase tobacco in England.
Speaking to Parliament, Charles said: “My Government will introduce legislation to create a smoke-free generation by restricting the sale of tobacco so that children currently aged fourteen or younger can never be sold cigarettes, and restricting the sale and marketing of e-cigarettes to children.”
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the move would mean “a 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette and that they and their generation can grow up smoke-free”.
This policy would mean that anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 would never be able to purchase tobacco in a bid to phase out the products for the next generation.
Mr Sunak has said that smoking will not be criminalised under the ban.
It is hoped the Bill will see up to 1.7 million fewer people smoking by 2075, and potentially even wipe out smoking completely among young people by 2040.
Today’s Bill will also aim to crack down on vaping and e-cigarettes among the younger generation.
“Smoking rates fall when leaders take decisive action: that’s why we support the UK Government’s commitment to changing the age of sale of tobacco announced in the King’s Speech today,” Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell said.
“The Government should move to bring this legislation before Parliament in early 2024, and we call on MPs from all parties to support it.
“I’ve never met anyone who wants their child to take up smoking. Cancer Research UK estimates that there are around 885,000 16–24-year-olds smoking in the UK today.”
Source: LBC, 7 November 2023
See also: DHSC - Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know
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Why more than three quarters of North East people back plans to phase out smoking
More than three quarters of people in the North East back creating a "smokefree generation" by 2030.
That's according to a YouGov poll and comes as the UK Government looks set to bring in measures which will see the legal age to purchase tobacco products rise by one year, every year. This will see those born after January 1, 2009 never able to legally buy cigarettes or anything similar.
The plans were announced at Conservative Party Conference by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and are expected to form part of Tuesday's King's Speech, which will lay out the Government's plans for the coming year. The idea of banning the purchase of tobacco has been broadly welcomed by North East health bosses, who have previously spoken of how smoking has a huge £1bn impact on the North East economy.
In a YouGov-run poll for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), 78% of people in the North East backed measures to reduce smoking levels so that by 2030 less than 5% of people partake in the habit. North East campaign group Fresh has also, in several pop-up events in Ashington, Blyth and Seaton Carew.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh said: “Nobody wants their children or grandchildren to smoke, whether they smoke or not. My own dad Stewart died from smoking far too young at the age of just 61. Bold action across the UK is not only needed but it is wanted.
“This shows the first priority from people all over our region is to protect children from the biggest cause of cancer and most lethal addiction ever created. The North East has made huge progress with the biggest fall in smoking in England since 2005 – but it is time to give our next generation a better life with decisive and bold action across the UK"
Source: Chronicle Live, 7 November 2023
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FWD urges wholesalers to be exempt from generational smoking ban
The Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD) has called on the government to make the wholesale sector exempt from legislation that would introduce a generational smoking ban.
Expected to be part of the King’s Speech, due to take place Tuesday 7 November, the proposed generational smoking ban would increase the legal age to buy cigarettes in England by one year every year meaning anyone born after January 2009 will never be able to legally buy tobacco. It was announced as priority for the government by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the recent Conservative Party Conference.
Chief executive of FWD, James Bielby, said: “There must be an exemption to allow retailers to purchase tobacco from their wholesalers, whatever their age. There is a precedent for a wholesale exemption on displays and packaging – both of which are permitted in wholesale depots. These successes on tobacco policy, won by FWD, need to be replicated in the legislation.”
Source: Convenience Store, 6 November 2023
See also: Tobacco Tactics - Federation of Wholesale Distributors
DHSC - Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: what you need to know
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United States: Scientists name eight measures that can slow ageing by up to six years
Scientists have named eight health measures that can slow the body’s ageing process by six years.
Keeping body weight, blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure in check while maintaining healthy sleep and eating regimes, doing regular physical activity and not smoking may slow the ageing process by around six years, US experts say.
A study suggests that following these measures promotes good heart health, which in turn may slow the pace of biological ageing by up to six years.
The findings, based on data from more than 6,500 adults with an average age of 47, are being presented at the American Heart Association (AHA) Scientific Sessions conference in Philadelphia.
“These findings help us understand the link between chronological age and biological age and how following healthy lifestyle habits can help us live longer,” said Donald Lloyd-Jones, the chair of the writing group for Life’s Essential 8, the AHA’s health assessment tool.
“Everyone wants to live longer, yet more importantly, we want to live healthier longer so we can really enjoy and have good quality of life for as many years as possible,” said Lloyd-Jones, a past volunteer president of the AHA.
Life’s Essential 8 aims to define heart health based on four modifiable lifestyle measures and four modifiable health markers.
Source: The Guardian, 6 November 2023
See also: American Heart Association - Life's Essential 8
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South Korea: Private eye: Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum
This issue of Private Eye reports on the latest Global Tobacco and Nicotine Forum in Seoul, South Korea, where David Maddox, political editor of the Daily Express, and Benjamin Butterworth, senior reporter on the i paper, were asked to advise delegates on how to improve tobacco sales.
In attendance were Philip Morris International, Imperial Brands, British American Tobacco and e-cigarette maker Juul, as well as Adam Afriyie, Conservative MP for Windsor.
Maddox told the audience "Your perspective has become marginalised and demonised... There's an assumption that the tobacco industry are the bad guys...
"For too long we have left the reporting of tobacco and the debates around tobacco to health journalists, and health journalists are almost inevitably tied up with the medical profession, people like the World Health Organization and so forth, and will just take their view as gospel."
Butterworth then spoke about the prevalence of young people on TikTok and how if they wanted to reach a younger audience, gaining a presence on the platform would be the “ideal format” to push their message.
Former staffer at the Institute of Economic Affairs, Angela Harbutt advised "investing in relationships with journalists who are just going into the business. Start now and it's going to take five, six, seven, eight years and you'll have people who are then at the news desk who know and trust you."
Source: Private Eye, 3 November 2023
See also: Tobacco Tactics - Institute of Economic Affairs
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.
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