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** 26 February 2025
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** UK
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** Tobacco control efforts show progress, but challenges remain (#1)
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** Health secretary reshapes NHS leadership amid major job cuts (#2)
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** High alcohol death rates in Sunderland linked to deprivation and policy gaps (#3)
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** Girl in Thailand hospitalised after illicit vape useand drug use (#4)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Written Questions (#5)
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** UK
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** Tobacco control efforts show progress, but challenges remain

Global tobacco use has declined significantly since the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) came into force 20 years ago, with 118 million fewer tobacco users compared to 2005. Key achievements include widespread adoption of pictorial health warnings, plain packaging, and advertising bans, covering billions of people worldwide.

Despite this progress, 1.3 billion people still use tobacco, contributing to major health burdens, environmental damage, and economic losses, particularly in low-income countries. New threats have emerged, including the rise of heated tobacco products, social media marketing, and illicit trade. In response, the FCTC has introduced updated guidelines to tackle digital advertising and cross-border sales, urging governments to strengthen enforcement.

Political resistance and industry interference remain significant barriers to stronger tobacco control measures. Experts stress the need for greater political will to expand smoke-free laws, increase taxation, and curb the influence of the tobacco industry in policymaking.

Source: Health Policy Watch, 25 February 2025

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** Health secretary reshapes NHS leadership amid major job cuts

Wes Streeting is implementing significant reforms to NHS England, including thousands of job cuts and a shift in power towards the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC). The changes follow the departure of NHS England’s chief executive, Amanda Pritchard, and chair, Richard Meddings. Sir Jim Mackey will take over as interim chief executive, while Dr Penny Dash, known for her strong stance on NHS reform, has been appointed as the new chair.

Streeting aims to streamline NHS operations by reducing duplication between NHS England and the DHSC, with job losses expected to be substantial. Some teams will be merged, including communications departments, and NHS England’s overall role will be diminished. His desire to push through new policies, including a plan to tackle emergency care delays, has reportedly been slowed by internal resistance within NHS England.

While supporters see this restructuring as a necessary step to improve efficiency, critics warn it could weaken NHS England’s independence. Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of the King’s Fund stressed the importance of NHS leaders maintaining operational and clinical autonomy.

Source: The Guardian, 25 February 2025
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** High alcohol death rates in Sunderland linked to deprivation and policy gaps

Sunderland has the highest rate of alcohol-specific deaths in England, with researchers attributing this to severe deprivation and a lack of national policies to curb alcohol-related harm. The North East as a whole has the worst figures in the country, but Sunderland stands out as particularly affected. Experts point to a concentration of cheap alcohol sales in deprived areas, where heavy drinking has become normalised.

Researchers from Newcastle University highlight that those most at risk often face multiple challenges, including poor physical health, unstable housing, and limited social support. While alcohol care teams are in place to provide coordinated support, they cannot address broader systemic issues.

Experts argue that government intervention, such as introducing minimum unit pricing in England, could be a key part of the solution.

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** Girl in Thailand hospitalised after illicit vape and drug use

A 12 year old girl in Thailand has been hospitalised with lung damage, having used vapes for two years. The girl had also been regularly consuming illicit kratom drinks, a mixture of the herbal product kratom, codeine containing cough syrup and a caffeinated beverage which induces an opioid-like effect.

The vapes being used by the child are thought to have been illicit devices and the Thai government has issued a warning about such devices, many of which are sold cheaply and feature popular Japanese anime characters on packaging. The government warned that some of these devices have been found to be laced with powerful sedatives such as Etomidate which can cause low blood pressure and respiratory distress.

Source: The Independent, 26 February 2025

Editorial note: The headline of the article presents vaping as the primary cause of the girl’s illness: ‘12-year-old girl in critical condition after vaping for two years’. However it later clarifies that the child had been using illicit vapes alongside another drug. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the UK will significantly tighten regulation of vapes to reduce youth use and the illicit market.

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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Written Questions

Asked by Joe Robertson, Conservative, Isle of Wight East

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 10 February 2025 to Question 27757 on Department of Health and Social Care: Public Relations, what the purpose of the contract with Mullen Lowe was; which programmes were funded; whether there were key performance indicators; and if he will place a redacted copy of the contract in the House of Commons Library.

Answered by Karin Smyth, Labour, Bristol South

Mullen Lowe holds a contract with the Department for a range of marketing services to support the delivery of campaigns. This includes advertising, creative and production, digital partnerships, and public relations services, among others. In the current financial year, this has included delivery of smoking cessation, adult social care recruitment, vaccinations, and early years campaigns.
Service level agreements and performance monitoring arrangements are detailed in the contract in pages 82 to 87. Regular performance review meetings are held with Mullen Lowe. A redacted version of the contract is stored on the publicly available contract finder.

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**
Asked by Dr Danny Chambers, Liberal Democrat, Winchester

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on the prevention stream of the health mission; and when he plans to publish an update from the mission board.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Labour, West Lancashire

The Government is committed to tackling the United Kingdom\'s biggest killers and building a fairer UK, where everyone lives longer, healthier lives. This is why our Health Mission sets out to shift away from a model geared towards late diagnosis and treatment, to one where there is focus on prevention and more services are delivered in local communities.

We have already acted with the landmark Tobacco and Vapes Bill passing committee stage on 30 January 2025. We are committed to banning junk food advertising to children. A 9pm TV watershed and 24-hour online ban on paid-for advertising of less healthy food and drink products targeting children are on track to come into force across the UK on 1 October 2025. We have also committed to banning the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to young people aged under 16 years old.

Alongside this, we are exploring all interventions that will improve public health across a range of the UK\'s biggest killers and help deliver the shift from treatment to prevention. Further details on our approach will be shared as we move forward.
Mission Boards are Cabinet Committees. It is a long-established precedent that information about the proceedings of the Cabinet or of any committee of the Cabinet is not normally shared publicly; this includes mission boards.

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**
Asked by Richard Holden, Conservative, Basildon and Billericay

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 20 January 2025 to Question 24256 on Electronic Cigarettes: Young People, whether the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will restrict the size of vape tanks.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Labour, West Lancashire

Whilst nicotine vapes are already subject to tank size requirements, the Tobacco and Vapes Bill goes further and covers all types of vapes, both nicotine and non-nicotine, and consumer nicotine products.

As stated in our previous answer, the bill provides powers on product features that allow the Government to regulate the size of a tank or refill container, and the amount of liquid that can be included, as well as powers to standardise the size and shape of vapes, and to further restrict liquid availability.

Subject to consultation, regulation making powers in the Government\'s bill will allow us to amend or place additional requirements and limits on vape tank sizes, and the size of refill tanks. The Government will consider this issue further as part of its secondary legislation programme after Royal Assent.

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**
Asked by Dr Danny Chambers, Liberal Democrat, Winchester

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress his Department has made on providing smoking cessation support to patients who are in hospital receiving care for cardiovascular disease.

Answered by Ashley Dalton, Labour, West Lancashire

As part of the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England has prioritised, and given new funding to integrated care boards (ICBs) for, the rollout of tobacco dependence services in hospital settings. Decisions on the scale and makeup of the services are agreed locally between ICBs and providers, based on local priorities. Where services are available, they will be accessible to people with the greatest need, including those with cardiovascular disease.

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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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