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** 14 March 2024
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** UK
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** Opinion: Sunak’s smoking ban has the backing of the vast majority of Conservative voters (#1)
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** Cancer death rates in middle-age Brits 'have fallen by a third since the early 90s'- but cases could rise with growing obesity levels (#2)
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** NHS staff attend House of Commons No Smoking Day event (#3)
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** UK
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** Opinion: Sunak’s smoking ban has the backing of the vast majority of Conservative voters

Writing for Conservative Home, Steve Brine, Chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee and MP for Winchester discusses the broad public support that the Smokefree Generation legislation has.

Brine begins by stating just how addictive and harmful smoking is. He points to new statistics that find every day 350 people between the ages of 18-25 take up smoking, once they start it is often very difficult to quit taking on average 30 attempts to stop and two thirds of those who are not able to quit will die early.

Brine also counters some of the arguments used as to why this legislation wont work. Referring to the narrative that it would result in a dramatic increase in an illicit market, Brine says that previous legislation that increased the age of sale had no effect on the illicit market. There are also claims that the legislation would be almost impossible to enforce in practice. Brine points out that this argument has been put forward by “tobacco transnationals” or those working on their behalf for every tobacco control measure including the ban on smoking in public places but has always been proved wrong, with high rates of support and compliance.

Brine asserts that in a publicly funded healthcare system, a government has both the right and duty to implement system wide public health prevention measures and that tobacco control measures are a good example of this.

Brine concludes by saying that there is strong support for measures that would bring about an end to the “tobacco epidemic” because the public and parliamentarians appreciate that the Smokefree Generation legislation will save lives and boost the economy.

Source: Conservative Home, 11 March 2024
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** Cancer death rates in middle-age Brits 'have fallen by a third since the early 90s'- but cases could rise with growing obesity levels

The number of people dying of cancer in middle age has fallen by a third in 25 years, new research shows.

Death rates from the disease among 35 to 69-year-olds have plummeted as a result of screening, better treatments and the fall in smoking rates.

But while deaths among this age group are falling, experts warned there is a worrying rise in cases fuelled by new health issues such as obesity.

The study from Cancer Research UK found improvements in survival are slowing down, while cancer cases are rising, with a 57 per cent jump in men and a 48 per cent jump in women over the last quarter of a century.

In 1993, some 55,014 cancer cases were registered in men, but this rose to 86,297 in 2018, while in women the rise was from 60,187 to 88,970, according to the findings published in the British Medical Journal (BMJ).

Cancer Research UK said that, if action is taken against smoking, being overweight and obesity and alcohol, nearly 37,000 cancer cases could be prevented by 2040.

Cancer Research UK's chief executive Michelle Mitchell said: ‘This major study brings to life improvements that have been made to tackle cancer in recent decades.

‘If we take lung cancer, for example, we can clearly see that reducing smoking prevalence saves lives.

‘The UK Government can build on this success by raising the age of sale of tobacco and continuing to fund a world-leading programme of measures to help people who smoke quit.

‘But cancer is still a defining health issue in the UK that impacts nearly one in two people.

‘People face long waits for vital tests and treatment and cancer cases are on the rise.

‘Cancer patients won't feel the full benefits of advances in research breakthroughs and innovation, including new cancer treatments, without a long-term plan and funding from the UK Government.’

Source: Daily Mail, 13 March 2024

See also: BMJ - 25 year trends in cancer incidence and mortality among adults aged 35-69 years in the UK, 1993-2018: retrospective secondary analysis ([link removed])
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** NHS staff attend House of Commons No Smoking Day event

Specialist tobacco dependence service lead, Kerry Apedaile, and acting associate nurse director/community matron, Gayle Wilkinson, attended the event.

They represented NHS mental health services at a component event in collaboration with Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and the All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health.

Nominated by ASH, the pair spoke with lords, ministers, and other parliamentarians, communicating on the proposed law to support a smoke-free generation.

On being selected, Ms Apedaile said: "I can’t believe I will be going to parliament.

"I’m excited to have this opportunity and I also feel very proud to be representing CNTW and mental health services."

Ms Wilkinson too shared her own experience.

She said: "Being a smoker at such a young age wasn’t outside of the norm where I grew up.

"I lost my mother to a smoking-related disease.

"My husband and I have both overcome a cancer diagnosis because of smoking.

"I’m incredibly pleased to say we have both successfully quit after over 30 years of being addicted.

"If sharing my story can add to the conversation and have a positive impact towards creating a smokefree generation, I’ll be there."

Source: News & Star, 13 March 2024

See also: ASH - On the 40th anniversary of No Smoking Day young people and those damaged by smoking unite to call for a smokefree generation ([link removed])
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For more information email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk
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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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