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** 20 November 2024
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** UK
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** Smoking cessation pilot integrates vaping to support quitting efforts (#1)
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** NHS reintroduces smoking cessation pill to boost quit success rates (#2)
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** Tobacco boss downplays financial impact of smoking restrictions in outdoor areas (#3)
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** Trading standards dog helps uncover illegal goods in Wolverhampton (#4)
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** Parliamentary activity
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** Written questions (#5)
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** UK
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** Smoking cessation pilot integrates vaping to support quitting efforts

A new smoking cessation pilot in Medway, Kent, is incorporating e-cigarettes as a short-term aid to help smokers quit, with community pharmacies at the forefront of the initiative. The programme, which provides vouchers for starter kits and a four-week vape liquid supply, aims to accelerate quit rates and address health inequalities, supporting England's goal of becoming smoke-free. Caroline Cerny, Deputy Chief Executive at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), emphasised the efficacy of e-cigarettes when used in structured stop smoking services, underscoring their role in achieving better outcomes than traditional nicotine replacement therapies. Advocates are also calling for expanded access to cessation services nationwide.

Source: The Pharmaceutical Journal, 19 November 2024

See also: Community Pharmacy England - Service case study: Medway vape pilot ([link removed]) | Cochrane Library - Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta‐analyses ([link removed])

Editorial note: ASH recommends that people should be supported to use a vape for as long as necessary to maintain a quit attempt and prevent relapse to smoking.
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** NHS reintroduces smoking cessation pill to boost quit success rates

Varenicline, a highly effective smoking cessation medication, will once again be available on the NHS following its withdrawal in 2021 due to safety concerns over impurities. Newly approved by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the drug blocks nicotine’s pleasurable effects in the brain while reducing withdrawal symptoms, significantly improving chances of quitting. Varenicline has shown to be one of the most successful cessation methods, potentially doubling or tripling the likelihood of stopping smoking.

NHS England anticipates the reintroduction of varenicline could help over 85,000 smokers quit annually, preventing thousands of smoking-related deaths. Though the drug may cause mild side effects like nausea or sleep disturbances, its benefits are substantial for reducing the health risks associated with smoking. This renewed option complements existing cessation aids, with combined approaches, including counselling, being most effective.

Source: The Conversation, 19 November 2024

See also: Cochrane Library - Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta‐analyses ([link removed]) | NCSCT - Varenicline ([link removed])
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** Tobacco boss downplays financial impact of smoking restrictions in outdoor areas

Stefan Bomhard, CEO of Imperial Brands, has expressed doubt that proposed outdoor smoking restrictions will significantly reduce smoking rates. He argued that most smokers are considerate and would likely comply with the new regulations. The government’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to introduce bans on smoking outside schools, playgrounds, and hospitals, and proposes to increase the age of sale for tobacco to create a smoke-free generation. In response, Imperial plans to engage with the government during the consultation phase.

Imperial’s operating profit is up by 4.5% to £3.6 billion, partly due to increased tobacco prices.

Source: The Times, 19 November 2024

Editorial note:

Smokefree hospital grounds

Quitting smoking, at any time, is beneficial to your health. Tobacco industry funded organisations like Forest make the argument that smoking outside hospitals is a source of relief to patients. However, the evidence is clear that the opposite is true, with smoking trapping people in a cycle of addiction and withdrawal and worsening ([link removed]) mental health and wellbeing. Quitting smoking is linked with improvements ([link removed]) in mental health and wellbeing comparable to anti-depressants. Quitting also improves the range of treatment outcomes, in addition to reducing the risk of serious diseases like cancer and heart disease. Research has shown that smokers are more likely to suffer a range of complications before, during and after surgery. Quitting smoking improves surgical outcomes
([link removed]) through reducing risk and complications. Similarly, those who have quit smoking after lung cancer diagnosis can improve ([link removed]) their chance of recovery and reduce the likelihood of the cancer returning or worsening. Smoking exacerbates nearly all long-term conditions and quitting smoking significantly reduces the risk of cancer.

Tobacco industry lobbying

The tobacco industry has a long track record of lobbying against measures to protect public health. One of the key arguments the industry makes is that regulation doesn’t work. Not only is this incorrect (regulation has been key to reducing smoking rates over the last two decades, particularly among children) but it also begs the question why tobacco companies work so hard to block tobacco control policies if they aren’t effective. ASH has developed a briefing on tobacco industry efforts to lobby against the Tobacco and Vapes Bill here ([link removed]) .

Tobacco industry pricing strategies

Tobacco companies utilise pricing strategies which allow them to maintain or grow their profits while minimising the impact of tax rises on smoking behaviour. In the UK, tobacco companies typically respond to tobacco tax rises by increasing prices on premium brands so that the burden of the tax increase (and more) falls on consumers (overshifting), while absorbing some the cost of tax rises on ‘budget’ brands to keep these products cheaper (undershifting). This results in an increasing price gap between premium and budget products. For further info about how tobacco companies use pricing strategies to undermine tobacco taxation and maintain their profits see the Tobacco Tactics page on Tobacco Industry Pricing Strategies. ([link removed])
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** Trading standards dog helps uncover illegal goods in Wolverhampton

A trading standards dog named Griff has played a key role in uncovering illegal items during recent shop inspections in Wolverhampton. In a week-long operation, police seized a significant number of illegal vapes and cigarettes from a shop in Wednesfield.

Source: BBC News, 19 November 2024
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** Parliamentary activity
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** Written questions

Asked by Sir John Hayes, Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate her Department has made of the value of the counterfeit cigarette market.

Answered by James Murray, Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury), Labour, Ealing North

HMRC estimated that the illicit tobacco market cost £2.2bn in lost excise duty and VAT for the year 2022/23. Cigarettes account for £0.7bn of this amount. We do not have an estimate relating to specifically counterfeit cigarettes. Further details can be found in the Measuring Tax Gaps 2024 publication.

Source: Hansard, 19 November 2024
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** Asked by Sir John Hayes, Conservative, South Holland and The Deepings

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what estimate her Department has made of how many illegal cigarettes were smuggled into the UK in 2023.

Answered by Seema Malhotra, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Home Office), Labour, Feltham and Heston

The transparency data showing the total amount of illegal cigarettes seized by Border Force in 2023 is available at the following page: Border Force Transparency 2023.

Qty of Cigarettes (sticks)

Q1 156,104,848

Q2 197,641,347

Q3 259,625,932

Q4 210,205,139

Total 823,577,266

Source: Hansard, 19 November 2024
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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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