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** 26 June 2025
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** UK
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** Alcohol advertising restrictions considered in NHS 10-year plan (#1)
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** International
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** Cigarettes increasingly affordable in EU as tax measures lag, WHO finds (#2)
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** AI plays growing role in curbing tobacco industry’s digital influence on youth (#3)
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** Study links illicit American disposable vapes to elevated metal exposure (#4)
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** UK
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** Alcohol advertising restrictions considered in NHS 10-year plan

The UK government is weighing a possible ban on alcohol advertising as part of a forthcoming ten-year NHS strategy. Health Secretary Wes Streeting is leading efforts to shift from treatment to prevention to reduce long-term illness and NHS costs, supported by a recent £30 billion funding boost.

Campaigners have welcomed the advertising proposal, with Jem Roberts of the Institute of Alcohol Studies emphasising that reducing alcohol harm requires a combined approach including pricing measures and restrictions on availability. Alcohol is responsible for more than 10,000 deaths annually in the UK and costs the NHS at least £3.5 billion each year.

Source: The Times, 25 June 2025
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** International
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** Cigarettes increasingly affordable in EU as tax measures lag, WHO finds

A new WHO report finds that cigarettes have become more affordable in 14 of 27 EU countries between 2014 and 2024, based on the proportion of per capita GDP needed to purchase 2,000 cigarettes. While 21 EU member states currently meet the WHO's recommended minimum tobacco tax level of 75% of the retail price, Germany remains the lowest at 61.4%. The European Commission is proposing to raise the minimum tax on cigarettes from €90 to €215 per 1,000 units, and increase rolling tobacco tax by 258%. An EU assessment attributes 40% of the decline in smoking over the past decade to taxation, underscoring the call for stronger fiscal measures to curb tobacco use.

Source: POLITICO, 23 June 2025

See also: WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2025: warning about the dangers of tobacco ([link removed])
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** AI plays growing role in curbing tobacco industry’s digital influence on youth

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used to monitor and disrupt tobacco industry marketing efforts aimed at young people, especially on social media platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram. At the World Conference on Tobacco Control, experts highlighted how AI is helping low- and middle-income countries track covert advertising and enforce existing tobacco control laws more effectively. Digital tools such as Canary are being deployed in countries like India, Indonesia, and Mexico to identify and report illegal content. AI-driven interventions have also shown promise in supporting smoking cessation, with personalised mobile health tools doubling quit rates in clinical trials.

Source: SciDev.Net, 25 June 2025
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** Study links illicit American disposable vapes to elevated metal exposure

New research from the University of California, Davis, suggests that some disposable vapes may expose users to greater levels of toxic metals than traditional cigarettes. The study analysed seven devices from three brands that remain popular in the US and found that inhalation after 500 puffs could exceed established health risk thresholds for metals like lead, nickel, and antimony.

Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) UK, responded by emphasising that while the results appear concerning, the tested products were US-based and are unlikely to reflect those legally sold in the UK. She added that tobacco smoke contains lots of other harmful chemicals, in addition to toxic metals. Cheeseman reaffirmed that vaping regulated products remains less harmful than smoking conventional cigarettes.

Source: The Times, 25 June 2025

See also: Salazar, M. et al. Elevated Toxic Element Emissions from Popular Disposable E-Cigarettes: Sources, Life Cycle, and Health Risks. ([link removed]) 2025

Editorial note:

This study uses single-use vapes which are illegal in America and have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These products may well be quite different to legal products on sale in the UK. Evidence reviews by the UK Office for Health Improvement and Disparities ([link removed]) and the Royal College of Physicians ([link removed]) concluded that vapes expose users to significantly lower levels of harmful substances than smoking, although the evidence on toxic metals was inconclusive. People who vape should purchase legal vapes which have been notified to the MHRA. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will introduce new powers to make these products meet even higher standards in the future, providing UK vapers with further assurance.

ASH CE Hazel Cheeseman’s full quote is available below:

“On the face of it this is highly alarming but it must be remembered that these were illegal products and that only some of the many harmful chemicals found in tobacco smoke were identified. UK vapers who use legal products should be reassured that vaping is less harmful than smoking. Cigarettes remain the most lethal consumer nicotine product.”

You can find our vaping myth buster, here ([link removed]) .
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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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