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Doctors call on Government to address poverty after rise in preventable illnesses attributable to social factors
A new survey by the Royal College of Physicians reveals widespread concern among doctors about the impact of poverty and poor living conditions on patient health. Nearly nine in ten doctors surveyed reported that social factors such as inadequate housing, air pollution, poor nutrition, and limited access to healthcare are driving an increase in illnesses—some associated with the Victorian era, including scabies and hypothermia.
Almost half of the respondents said that social determinants contribute to at least half of their workload. Doctors are urging the government to clarify how its public health strategy will address these deep-rooted issues, amid forecasts that millions more in England will be living with major illnesses by 2040. The Department of Health responded with a pledge to prioritise prevention and reduce health inequalities.
Source: The Guardian, 3 April 2025
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Blog: Levy on Big Tobacco profits would fund measures to improve health and economic recovery
Mark Lloyd, head of policy at the RSA, argues that the UK government should implement a new levy targeting the excessive profits of tobacco companies to support the NHS and achieve public health goals. While the Chancellor has signalled an aversion to new taxes, Lloyd highlights that cutting essential services is a risky alternative when an opportunity exists to generate £700 million annually from a profit-based levy on tobacco manufacturers, not working people.
Tobacco companies, despite already high duties, continue to extract unusually high profit margins—around 50%—by raising wholesale prices above inflation. This creates a gap between production costs and retailer charges, all while avoiding meaningful corporation tax contributions. The broader economic cost of smoking is vast, estimated at £43 billion annually, with £16.5 billion in direct costs to the public sector.
Lloyd proposes a two-part solution: fixing wholesale tobacco prices using a five-year rolling average to eliminate incentives for introducing cheaper down-market brands, and introducing a levy on excess profits. This would not affect consumer prices or existing duty revenues but would reduce harmful profit extraction from a heavily regulated and socially damaging industry.
He concludes that this bold step would not only reduce smoking rates—particularly among working-age adults—but also create new jobs and stimulate economic growth if consumer spending is redirected to more productive areas. Though the Spring Statement missed the opportunity to launch a consultation, Lloyd insists there is still time to act before the next Budget.
Source: Social Market Foundation Blog, 3 April 2025
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Major haul of illegal tobacco and vapes uncovered in Grimsby and Cleethorpes
A large-scale enforcement operation in Grimsby and Cleethorpes led to the seizure of over £140,000 worth of illegal tobacco and vaping products. Trading Standards officers, supported by Humberside Police and specialist detection dogs, uncovered hidden compartments activated by electromagnets in several local shops. These raids were part of national efforts under Operations CeCe and Joseph, which target the illicit sale of counterfeit cigarettes and non-compliant vapes.
The confiscated items included tens of thousands of cigarettes, nearly 24kg of tobacco, and thousands of oversized vapes that breached legal safety limits. Authorities stressed the dangers posed by these unregulated products, both to individual health and community safety, and encouraged smokers to seek professional help to quit.
Source: WECB News, 2 April 2025
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Wrexham store shut down over illegal vape and tobacco sales
A convenience shop in Wrexham city centre has been ordered to close for three months following repeated offences involving the sale of illegal tobacco and oversized, high-strength vapes. The action, taken by Wrexham Council's Trading Standards team, is part of an ongoing clampdown on unregulated nicotine products. The business did not contest the court order, and the case adds to a growing list of local closures linked to similar violations. Officials warn that these illicit goods not only endanger public health—particularly among young people—but also contribute to wider social and environmental harm, including increased fire risks from discarded disposable vapes.
Source: Wrexham.com, 20 March 2025
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US public health services hit hard by mass government layoffs
A major downsizing initiative within the US Department of Health and Human Services has resulted in the dismissal of thousands of employees, significantly disrupting programmes related to mine safety, reproductive health, environmental hazards, and tobacco regulation. The abrupt implementation of the cuts left officials and experts scrambling to assess the full scope of the damage, which has affected not only federal staff but also critical public services across the country. Critics argue that the reductions contradict previously stated government health priorities and could undermine efforts to combat chronic illness, environmental threats, and future disease outbreaks.
Source: The Guardian, 2 April 2025
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Written answers
Asked by Clive Jones MP, Liberal Democrat, Wokingham
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people living in the most deprived areas receive earlier cancer diagnoses.
Answered by Ashley Dalton MP, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Labour, West Lancashire
We recognise that there are challenges for several different populations, particularly for people living in the most deprived areas of the country, and that this impacts early diagnosis rates. The National Health Service’s wider Core20Plus5 approach to reducing healthcare inequalities includes early cancer diagnosis as a specific priority.
To ensure that people living in the most deprived areas receive earlier cancer diagnoses, we are directly targeting our activity in areas we know will make a difference. This includes awareness-raising campaigns such as the NHS Help Us, Help You campaign, to increase awareness of cancer symptoms and encourage people to get checked.
We know that some cancers disproportionately impact those living in deprived areas, notably lung cancer. People living in deprived areas are four times more likely to smoke, and smoking causes 72% of lung cancers. Through the lung cancer screening programme, early diagnosis rates have increased for all deprivation quintiles, with biggest gains among those living in most deprived areas. When fully rolled out, the programme is expected to detect approximately 9,000 cancers earlier each year.
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Asked by Kevin Hollinrake MP, Thirsk and Malton, Conservative
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2025 to Question 37218 on Byelaws, whether her Department has provided guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden.
Answered by Jim McMahon MP, Minister for Local Government and English Devolution, Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, Labour
Government provides guidance on the byelaw making process for local authorities. The department has not provided specific guidance on the application of byelaws which would ban (a) smoking and (b) vaping (i) in parks, (ii) on a highway, (iii) within the curtilage of a licensed premises’ pavement licence and (iv) in a pub garden.
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Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to introduce restrictions on the flavours and packaging of nicotine pouches.
Answered by Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health
Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. The Government is concerned that these products, just like vapes, are being branded and marketed to appeal to children through colourful packaging and flavours. There is currently no set nicotine limit for nicotine pouches, and nicotine strengths vary from two milligrams per pouch to as high as 150 milligrams per pouch.
That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to people aged 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.
These powers will also allow the Government to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch, as well as ban any other ingredient that might be harmful in a pouch. We will therefore be able to regulate, subject to consultation, to ensure that nicotine pouches are limited to an appropriate strength.
We will consult on these regulations as soon as possible once the bill has received Royal Assent.
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Asked by The Lord Bishop of St Albans
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to tackle the rise in illegal high-strength nicotine pouches.
Answered by Baroness Merron, Minister for Patient Safety, Women’s Health and Mental Health
Data from August 2024 by ASH suggests that 1.2% of children aged between 11 and 18 years old currently use nicotine pouches. The Government is concerned that these products, just like vapes, are being branded and marketed to appeal to children through colourful packaging and flavours. There is currently no set nicotine limit for nicotine pouches, and nicotine strengths vary from two milligrams per pouch to as high as 150 milligrams per pouch.
That is why, through the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, we are banning the advertisement and sponsorship of these products, introducing age of sale restrictions to people aged 18 years old for nicotine pouches, banning free samples, and providing powers to restrict packaging, flavours, and point of sale displays.
These powers will also allow the Government to limit the amount of nicotine in a pouch, as well as ban any other ingredient that might be harmful in a pouch. We will therefore be able to regulate, subject to consultation, to ensure that nicotine pouches are limited to an appropriate strength.
We will consult on these regulations as soon as possible once the bill has received Royal Assent.
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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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