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** 17 January 2025
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** UK
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** Smoking costs the North East £1.99 billion annually, estimates shows (#1)
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** Smoking costs Humber and North Yorkshire £1.39bn annually (#2)
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** International
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** Canada: Proposed smoke-free generation policy could yield health and economic benefits (#3)
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** Global study highlights benefits of tobacco advertising bans (#4)
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** FDA authorises Zyn nicotine pouches as reduced-risk smoking alternative (#5)
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** Pakistan records highest smoking-related death rate in South Asia (#6)
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** Link of the week
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** Podcast: Health on the Line (#7)
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** Cost Calculator: ASH Ready Reckoner (#8)
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** Cost Calculator: Inequalities dashboard (#9)
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** UK
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** Smoking costs the North East £1.99 billion annually, estimates shows

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has published new estimates that reveal smoking incurs annual costs of £1.99 billion in the North East, including expenses for healthcare, lost productivity, social care, and smoking-related fires. Tax revenue from tobacco products only partially offsets these costs, highlighting the financial burden on public services.

Fresh and ASH representatives emphasised the urgent need for a tobacco industry levy to fund prevention and cessation initiatives. Smoking is identified as a key driver of health inequalities, with over 4,300 deaths yearly in the region and 125,000 since 2000. Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, the regional tobacco control programme operating in the North East, said smoking is the largest cause of cancer and a major barrier to reducing health disparities. Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of ASH, called for decisive measures, stating tobacco has no place in a healthy society.

Source: East Durham News, 16 January 2025

See also: Fresh - New figures show cost of smoking in the North East is £1.99 bn a year ([link removed]) | ASH - New figures show cost of smoking to society in England dwarfs tobacco tax revenue ([link removed]) | ASH- Ready Reckoner ([link removed])
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** Smoking costs Humber and North Yorkshire £1.39bn annually

Smoking costs the Humber and North Yorkshire region £1.39 billion each year, with most of the expense stemming from lost productivity (£834 million), healthcare (£62.7 million), and social care (£477 million). Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) stressed that tobacco taxes, at £225 million, do not come close to covering these costs.

ASH’s Chief Executive, Hazel Cheeseman, called for a levy on tobacco companies to accelerate progress towards a smokefree society, highlighting the significant profits these firms generate while placing strain on public services and the economy.

Source: Yorkshire Coast News, 17 January 2025

See also: Humber and North Yorkshire Health and Care Partnership - Cost of smoking to the region more than five times the amount raised in tobacco taxes ([link removed]) | ASH – Ready Reckoner ([link removed])
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** International
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** Canada: Proposed smoke-free generation policy could yield health and economic benefits

A University of Ottawa study suggests that banning tobacco sales to individuals born after 2009 could significantly improve public health and reduce costs. The "smoke-free generation" concept aims to prevent smoking initiation among youth, which accounts for most lifelong tobacco use. Over 50 years, the policy could save $2.3 billion in health care costs and add nearly 477,000 quality-adjusted life years for Canadians. The study underscores that the long-term value of prioritising health far outweighs economic offsets.

Source: University of Ottawa, 16 January 2025

See also: HPCDP Journal - Implementing a smoke-free generation policy for Canada: estimates of the long-term impacts ([link removed])
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** Global study highlights benefits of tobacco advertising bans

A recent meta-analysis shows that comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship reduce the likelihood of smoking by 20% and the risk of starting by 37%. Researchers highlight that such bans are critical in preventing smoking uptake, especially among young people. Experts emphasise the importance of closing policy gaps to counter industry tactics that undermine public health efforts. Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said that in the UK, comprehensive restrictions on advertising of tobacco products led to significant declines in teenagers smoking. The World Health Organization urges countries to implement stricter, loophole-free advertising bans to combat tobacco use globally.

Source: Euronews, 14 January 2025

See also: Tobacco Control - Effectiveness of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship bans on smoking prevalence, initiation and cessation ([link removed])
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** FDA authorises Zyn nicotine pouches as reduced-risk smoking alternative

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has authorised Zyn nicotine pouches to be sold as a smoking cessation aid in the US. Tobacco-free and smokeless, these pouches have been on sale for over a decade. The FDA emphasised that while nicotine pouches pose fewer risks than smoking, this does not mean they are risk free. It warned that adults who do not use tobacco should not start using them, and youth should avoid all tobacco and nicotine products.

Source: BBC News, 16 January 2025
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** Pakistan records highest smoking-related death rate in South Asia

Pakistan’s smoking-related mortality rate, at 91.1 per 100,000 people, is the highest in South Asia and exceeds the global average, according to a recent report. Despite a 35% decline in smoking-related deaths since 1990, the reduction remains below regional and global benchmarks. Cigarettes are relatively more affordable in Pakistan compared to neighbouring countries, with rising costs still insufficient to deter use. Efforts to implement stricter tobacco control measures remain pending, including legislation aimed at protecting non-smokers.

Source: Dawn, 15 January 2025

See also: IHME - Global Burden of Disease 2021: Findings from the GBD 2021 Study ([link removed])
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** Link of the week
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** Podcast: Health on the Line

This podcast, presented by Mathew Taylor, Chief Executive Officer of NHS Confederation, discusses the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, as well as priorities for the ten-year health plan. Mathew is joined by Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive officer of Action on Smoking and Health, who answers questions on what the Bill does for reducing harms, outlines the importance of cross-party support for the Bill and discusses what more can be done to tackle smoking. This discussion runs from the 00:10 – 12:10.
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Listen Here ([link removed])


** Cost Calculator: ASH Ready Reckoner

The 2025 ASH Ready Reckoner has been released this week. The Ready Reckoner is an easy-to-use cost calculator, allowing you to see the costs of smoking to society. The tangible wider societal costs of smoking in England are £43.7 bn and costs can be broken down by local authorities, combined authorities, regions, and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs). Estimates are also available for parliamentary constituencies.

Costs include productivity, healthcare, social care (local authority paid-for and value of informal care by family and friends and unmet need) and fire costs, but not taxes or social security which are national level public finance impacts.
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** Cost Calculator: Inequalities dashboard

The 2025 Inequalities dashboard has been released this week. This resource, developed by ASH and previously called the Economic and Health Inequalities Dashboard, brings together data and information to illustrate the impact on smoking on health inequalities. The dashboard can be adjusted to show the impact of smoking at national, regional, local, combined authority, ICB and constituency level.
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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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