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** 24 May 2024
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** UK
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** Smoking ban in doubt after exclusion from Commons schedule (#3)
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** Disposable e-cigarettes lead to tripling of vaping in young adults (#7)
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** BBC Radio 5 Live interview – Deborah Arnott (#2)
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** Links of the week
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** Update on creating a smokefree generation (#1)
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** Labour remains committed to Sunak’s smoking ban (#6)
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** Energy secretary Claire Coutinho commits to bringing Tobacco and Vapes Bill back if Conservatives are re-elected (#8)
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** UK
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** Smoking ban in doubt after exclusion from Commons schedule

Rishi Sunak’s landmark law to ban smoking for future generations looks likely to be dropped after it was not included in the set of bills being rushed through before the next general election.

The government did not put forward the tobacco and vapes bill – which was in its early stages of becoming law – as part of the legislation to be passed in the “wash-up” period before parliament dissolves.

Sunak had highlighted the smoking ban in his speech when he announced the election on Wednesday, saying: “We will ensure that the next generation grows up smoke free.”

But the Commons leader, Penny Mordaunt, did not on Thursday include the bill when she laid out legislation for the wash-up.

Barring any last-minute changes it means that the smoking ban, which would have made it illegal for anyone born in 2009 or later to buy tobacco products in the UK, will not be implemented by Sunak’s government before the election.

Ministers could yet resuscitate the bill at the last minute with an emergency statement before Friday afternoon but otherwise it will be up to the next government to re-introduce the smoking ban in a fresh bill. The Labour party is committed to the policy and could include it in its manifesto.

One Labour source said Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, was approached by a health minister on Thursday and asked to support the bill. “Our position hasn’t changed so if it doesn’t come through, then we will look at putting it in the manifesto and introducing a bill,” the source said.

The government’s decision not to push forward with the legislation caused confusion, given it had been viewed as a core part of Sunak’s legacy as prime minister. It was voted through by the Commons last month but made no further progress.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “While the tobacco and vapes bill appears to be a victim of a snap election, all is not lost. This bill has the strong support of the chief medical officers of all four nations in the UK as well as the overwhelming majority of the public.

“The powers contained in the bill are vital for the health and wellbeing of our children as well as improving the productivity of our economy. We are confident that whoever forms the next government, this bill will return and its passage will be expedited.”

Source: The Guardian, 23 May 2024
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** Disposable e-cigarettes lead to tripling of vaping in young adults

Disposable e-cigarettes have led to a tripling of vaping in young adults and reversed a historic fall in nicotine use, a new study shows.

Researchers at University College London found that 29 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 in England used vapes in May 2023, up from 9 per cent in May 2021.

This surge coincided with the arrival of single-use e-cigarettes, such as Elf Bars, which are cheap and often come in bright colours and fruity flavours.

Although smoking rates have declined, the popularity of disposable vapes mean that overall nicotine use has increased among young adults — many of whom who would “otherwise have avoided nicotine entirely”.

The new study, published in The Lancet, looked at data from 132,252 adults in England to examine changes in smoking habits before and after disposable vapes became popular in June 2021.

Before their arrival smoking and vaping had been stable or declining across all age groups. “However, since disposable vaping started to become popular, vaping has been increasing across all age groups — especially younger adults,” it said.

The tripling in use of e-cigarettes among 18 to 24-year-olds means the overall number using nicotine products increased from 28 per cent to 35 per cent between 2021 and 2023, despite smoking in this age group declining from 25 per cent to 21 per cent.

Dr Sarah Jackson, a senior author, from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology & Health Care, added: “While action is needed to counter the rise in vaping among young people who otherwise would not use nicotine, policies should avoid signalling that e-cigarettes are a worse alternative to smoking tobacco. Vaping may not be risk-free but smoking is uniquely lethal.

“Measures that target vaping products’ appearance, packaging, and marketing rather than their flavours and nicotine content may be most effective in striking this balance.”

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill would make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after January 1, 2009, and also aims to cut youth vaping through tighter controls such as limiting flavours.

However, on Thursday it emerged that the flagship legislation will not make it through parliament before the general election, leading to disappointment from health charities.

Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, said: “If the government confirms the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will not make it through wash-up, this will be a disheartening day for people affected by cancer, health professionals and campaigners who have worked tirelessly on the legislation.

“Preventing cancer and saving lives should transcend party politics. It’s vital that all parties commit in their manifestos to bring this bill back in the first King’s Speech after the general election. Let’s prioritise this world-leading legislation and help cancers caused by smoking become a thing of the past.”

Source: The Times, 23 May 2024

See also: Harry Tattan-Birch, Jamie Brown, Lion Shahab, Emma Beard, Sarah E. Jackson. Trends in vaping and smoking following the rise of disposable e-cigarettes: a repeat cross-sectional study in England between 2016 and 2023 ([link removed](24)00091-7/fulltext) . The Lancet. 2024
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** BBC Radio 5 Live interview – Deborah Arnott

During the Radio 5 Live Drive programme, Clare McDonnell and Chris Warburton interviewed Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of ASH about the recent election announcement and the Tobacco and Vapes Bill.

Arnott discussed the unlikelihood of the passing of the Tobacco and Vapes Bill during the washup period before parliament is dissolved for the general election. However, Arnott was optimistic saying “this bill is supported by so many parliamentarians and the vast majority of the public…so if we don’t get it over the line this time, we expect to in an incoming parliament”.

Arnott went on to say that ASH had had conversations with Labour and that they were “keen to push it through” and that she is “firmly of the opinion that [the Bill] will be in their manifesto” and that she believes she will “see the end of smoking in her lifetime”.

Listen to the full interview by clicking here ([link removed]) and listening from 2:26:50
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** Links of the week
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** Update on creating a smokefree generation

The Tobacco and Vapes Bill didn’t pass due to the snap election but we are confident it will return in the next parliament. This is in no small measure due to the strength of the public health community and our effectiveness at building cross party support for tobacco control, such that it is not a party political issue. The measures in the Bill are overwhelmingly popular ([link removed]) with the public, including a majority of smokers.

See below for our tweet on the Bill [link removed] (any of you on social media please do retweet).

The Tobacco & Vapes Bill is vital for the health and wellbeing of our children and is supported by the overwhelming majority of the public. Over 300 Smokefree Action Coalition members urge all Parties to make bringing back the bill a manifesto commitment #SmokefreeGeneration
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** Labour remains committed to Sunak’s smoking ban

In an interview on BBC Breakfast, Labour lead Sir Keir Starmer was asked about the smoking ban for people born after 2009 - which is not likely to make its way through Parliament in time for the election. Will he reinstate it?

Starmer says the ban is important and supports it - suggesting there was more Labour support than Tory.

"We are committed to it," he says, adding that he hopes there will be a cross-party consensus after the election.

Alongside that, Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor with the Times reports ([link removed]) that Wes Streeting, shadow health secretary, promises to bring back smoking ban after the election.
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** Energy secretary Claire Coutinho commits to bringing Tobacco and Vapes Bill back if Conservatives are re-elected

Speaking on the Today programme, Claire Coutinho, the energy secretary, was challenged about Rishi Sunak’s failure to pass the legislation to ban future generations from buying cigarettes that he has promoted as a flagship measure.

When it was put to her that not being able to pass the bill showed weakness, Coutinho claimed he had “won the argument”. She said:

“If you look at these smoke-free generation, he took a very bold decision to do something … It was controversial in certain quarters.”

When it was put to her that he had not got this through, she went on:

“I think what he’s done is won the argument on it. And that is exactly what Rishi Sunak is like as a politician. I’ve known him a long time, and the whole time I’ve known him he’s been the kind of person who does take on big arguments.”

Coutinho also said that, if the Tories were re-elected, Sunak would bring the bill back.

See the full clip on X here ([link removed]) .
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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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