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Party manifesto commitments on smoking, vaping and public health
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Labour promises to ban smoking for younger generations
Britain's opposition Labour Party said it would stop the next generation from legally buying cigarettes if it wins a national election on July 4.
Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak had wanted to bring in some of the world's strictest anti-smoking rules by banning anyone aged 15 and under from ever buying cigarettes, but his plan failed to become law before he called an election, throwing the policy into doubt.
Labour leader Keir Starmer, whose party is far ahead in opinion polls ahead of the vote, published its planned policies on Thursday, vowing to provide political and economic stability, and to improve health outcomes.
"We must take preventative public health measures to tackle the biggest killers and support people to live longer, healthier lives. That starts with smoking," the manifesto document said.
"Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes ... Labour will ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine."
Source: Reuters, 13 June 2024
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Sarah finds her smile again after ditching 60 a day habit
South Oxfordshire based Sarah, who is in her sixties, kicked her 60 a day habit two decades ago but is still reaping the benefits of making the change today. Now she is encouraging other local people to ditch the addiction with the help of Oxfordshire County Council.
“I was very much into the pub and club scene when growing up and smoking went hand in hand with drinking and dancing, and there were no bans in public places as there are now, so it was easy to get hooked,” she explained.
Although it was initially the desire to be fitter that motivated her to cut down, it wasn’t until a visit to her dentist in her forties that she realised the full extent of damage smoking had done.
Sarah said: “Ironically, I was also very much into my fitness at that time and regularly attended aerobic classes and gym sessions. I was starting to get a bit wheezy while using some of the cardiac equipment and thought it would be helpful if I cut down.
“But the main reason I quit was because I lost most of my top teeth due to gum disease. My dentist told me this was because I was starving my mouth of oxygen and smoking was a key factor in this. My teeth were literally falling out one by one when I would just bite on something even as soft as a roll or a piece of cheese.”
Eventually she lost all her top teeth, and after some failed attempts with dentures, she decided to take the plunge and invest in dental implants to regain her smile.
Quitting smoking not only gave her back her smile, but she noticed a big difference in other ways too.
Sarah admits going cold turkey was almost impossible so used multiple therapies to aid her in quitting for good, including patches, gum and lozenges, and recommends Oxfordshire County Council’s Stop for Life Oxon support services for anybody who would like to quit themselves.
Ansaf Azhar, Oxfordshire County Council’s Director for Public Health, said: “Oral health is just one thing that can be massively impacted by smoking. People that smoke are at a higher risk of gum disease, staining, tooth loss – like Sarah suffered – and mouth cancer.
“We know how daunting it can be for people to give up smoking. So that’s why there are tools and aids to support everyone in their journey to a smoke free life. Our Stop for Life Oxon service provides free support, which is proven to help people who want to quit smoking in Oxfordshire.”
Source: Oxfordshire County Council, 11 June 2024
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Council expanding 'free vapes' scheme to help residents quit smoking
Knowsley Council aims to increase the availability of free vapes in an attempt to reduce the number of people smoking.
In April last year, the government introduced the 'Swap to Stop' scheme which aimed to help one million adults to quit smoking. The scheme made provision for the distribution of free vapes in the hope people would 'swap' their smoking habits and stop using cigarettes.
Although vaping is not recommended - the ideal is for people to stop smoking and vaping - data suggests vapes are less harmful than smoking and have proved to be an effective tool to quit smoking. A recent evidence review published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) indicated short and medium term vape use posed a significantly smaller fraction of the risks than those attributed to smoking.
Knowsley’s Local Stop Smoking service has been ‘vape friendly’ since 2023 and offers free vapes as a quit aid option for smokers who have unsuccessfully tried to quit using methods such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy. Along with behavioural support, vapes have been shown to be a valuable quit aid tool, with smokers being nearly twice as likely to stop smoking cigarettes when they use vapes.
Smoking prevalence increases in poorer areas and Knowsley has some of the most deprived populations in the country - almost half of the borough is classed in the 10% most deprived locations. Although the number of smokers in Knowsley has decreased in the last few years, the statistics around people smoking in the borough are stark.
Knowsley currently has a much bigger percentage of adult smokers than the national average and ranks highest for Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality rates and holds the second highest mortality rates from lung cancer and oral cancer. Additionally, more female adults die of respiratory disease in Knowsley than anywhere else in the country.
However, there is data showing people are increasing concerned by the risks of vaping with 39% of smokers in Great Britain believing vapes to be more harmful than smoking. Knowsley Council said these beliefs are based on 'myths and misinformation' and can prove to be a barrier to people swapping cigarettes for vapes. The local authority plans work to dispel these 'myths' and hope this will increase take up of vapes amongst local residents who currently smoke.
Source: Liverpool Echo, 13 June 2024
See also: OHID & NCSCT - Incorporating nicotine vaping products (e-cigarettes) into Stop Smoking Services: Making the case and addressing concerns
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Illegal vapes and tobacco seized in Stowmarket raid
A large number of illegal products including "counterfeit tobacco" and "prohibited vaping products" were seized in a raid of a Suffolk convenience store this week.
Suffolk police and Suffolk Trading Standards carried out a joint visit to a convenience store in Stowmarket yesterday (June 11).
At around 10.30am on Tuesday, officers entered the store and seized illegal items including prohibited vaping products, counterfeit tobacco and cigarettes.
A spokesperson for the police said: "If you suspect non-compliant vapes, counterfeit tobacco being sold or have concerns regarding these being sold or have concerns regarding the retailer selling to children, then please report to Trading Standards or to the police."
Source: East Anglian Daily Times, 12 June 2024
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How can the next government take prevention from rhetoric to reality?
The Health Foundation have released an analysis of the rise in preventable health conditions and inequalities in the UK and how it is the responsibility of the next government to “set a goal to improve the nation’s health” and “adopt a prevention-led approach”.
They set out how a prevention-led approach to healthcare will not only save lives and reduce long term conditions, but save the economy billions, stating “recent UK estimates put the cost of obesity to the NHS at £11bn in 2021.”
The Health Foundation provides guidance on how a government would adopt a prevention-led approach saying the “government will need to implement evidence-based policies to prevent the early onset of ill health and slow the progress of diagnosed conditions” and “address critical gaps in the building blocks of health, particularly in more deprived parts of the UK, with urgent action needed to tackle poverty”.
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Party manifesto commitments on smoking, vaping and public health
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Labour Party manifesto
The Labour Party manifesto was launched on Thursday and pledges that the next generation will never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care. Their health commitments include:
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Labour will ensure the next generation can never legally buy cigarettes and ensure all hospitals integrate ‘opt-out’ smoking cessation interventions into routine care.
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Ban vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children to stop the next generation from becoming hooked on nicotine.
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Ban advertising of junk food to children along with the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to under-16s.
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Labour will tackle the social determinants of health, halving the gap in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions in England. Never again will women’s health be neglected.
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Labour will prioritise women’s health as we reform the NHS.
You can read their full manifesto here.
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Conservative Manifesto
The Conservative manifesto was launched on Tuesday and pledges to reintroduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Their health commitments include:
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Bring forward Tobacco and Vapes Bill in first King’s speech.
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Continue to tackle childhood and adult obesity.
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Legislate to restrict the advertising of products high in fat, salt and sugar.
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Gather new evidence on the impact of ultra processed food to support people to make healthier choices
You can read their full manifesto here.
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Liberal Democrat manifesto
The Liberal Democrat manifesto was launched on Monday and pledges to introduce a new levy on tobacco company profits to help fund healthcare and smoking cessation services. Their health commitments include:
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Increasing the Public Health Grant, with a proportion of the extra funding set aside for those experiencing the worst health inequalities to co-produce plans for their communities.
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Establishing a ‘Health Creation Unit’ in the Cabinet Office to lead work across government to improve the nation’s health and tackle health inequalities.
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Introducing regulations to halt the dangerous use of vapes by children while recognising their role in smoking cessation for adults, and banning the sale of single-use vapes.
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Introducing a new levy on tobacco company profits to help fund healthcare and smoking cessation services.
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Protecting children from exposure to junk food by supporting local authorities to restrict outdoor advertising and restricting TV advertising to post-watershed.
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Extending the soft drinks levy to juice-based and milk-based drinks that are high in added sugar.
You can read their full manifesto here.
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Green Party manifesto
The Green Party manifesto was launched on Wednesday and pledges to properly fund smoking cessation, drug and alcohol treatment and sexual health services. Their health commitments include:
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Increasing the allocation of funding to primary medical care, with additional annual spending reaching £1.5bn by 2030.
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Restoring public health budgets to 2015/16 levels with an immediate annual increase of £1.5bn. Smoking cessation, drug and alcohol treatment and sexual health services all need to be properly funded.
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A National Commission to agree an evidenced-based approach to reform of the UK’s counter-productive drugs laws.
You can read their full manifesto here.
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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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