10 October 2025

UK

Midwives lead Stoptober efforts to support smoke-free pregnancies

Opinion: Retailers divided as government proposes vape and tobacco licensing scheme

Scottish reform councillor claims Tobacco and Vapes Bill will harm small retailers

Vaping company urges Scottish government to adopt UK vape retailer licensing plan

International

US: Quitting smoking after cancer diagnosis significantly improves survival, study finds

Sweden challenges EU nicotine pouch bans amid rising pressure on Brussels

Saudi Arabia tightens tobacco shop rules to protect public spaces and youth

Links of the Week

Call for evidence: Tobacco and vapes: evidence to support legislation

ASH Webpage: Illicit tobacco: facts, trends and industry tactics

Study: Is the provision of a national opt-out tobacco dependence treatment service in acute hospitals in England equitable? A national cohort study

UK

Midwives lead Stoptober efforts to support smoke-free pregnancies

Wirral University Teaching Hospital is marking this year’s Stoptober campaign by spotlighting its maternity team’s efforts to help expectant parents quit smoking. Central to this work is Jennifer Haddadi, a specialist midwife for smoking cessation who runs a dedicated scan clinic, offering tailored support to around 200 pregnant individuals each year.

The Trust is also reaffirming its smoke-free policy, reminding all visitors, staff, and patients that smoking is not permitted on hospital grounds. Smoking during pregnancy poses serious health risks, including premature birth and low birth weight. Jennifer’s team provides one-to-one support, scans, and referrals to ABL Wirral, the local stop smoking service, which offers free advice and nicotine replacement therapies.

The approach, described as supportive and non-judgemental, often includes partners and families to promote a healthier home environment. 

Source: Birkenhead News, 9 October 2025

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Opinion: Retailers divided as government proposes vape and tobacco licensing scheme

Writing in The Grocer, Alice Leader, senior wholesale and convenience reporter, discusses the UK Government’s plans to introduce a nationwide licensing scheme for retailers selling tobacco, vapes, and nicotine products. The scheme, aimed at cracking down on illegal sellers and shielding young people from targeted marketing, would see shops needing a licence for the first time, with severe penalties for non-compliance.

Leader highlights the support from parts of the retail sector, with many viewing the move as a way to protect compliant businesses from being undercut by illegal traders with the licensing scheme is seen by some as a long-overdue measure to clean up the market.

Despite this, Leader raises concerns from convenience store owners, who fear the additional red tape and potential licence costs could place further strain on already stretched resources. 

Leader concludes that much will depend on the outcome of the government’s consultation process, which will determine key details such as licence fees, eligibility, and how restrictions might affect small, independent retailers.

Source: The Grocer, 9 October 2025

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Scottish reform councillor claims Tobacco and Vapes Bill will harm small retailers

Thomas Kerr, a councillor for Shettleston in Glasgow representing Reform UK has criticised the UK Government’s proposed Tobacco and Vapes Bill, claiming it could affect small convenience shops, particularly in deprived areas. Kerr claims that these changes, combined with other factors, may push many local retailers to closure. 

Source: The Herald, 9 October 2025

Editorial note: 

Independent research commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) found that most small retailers support the UK Government’s proposals in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Of 900 small tobacco retailers surveyed, 51% backed the proposed age of sale legislation - almost twice the number opposed (26%).

The findings reflect a broader shift in the retail landscape. Footfall driven by tobacco purchases has declined significantly, falling by nearly 40% in under a decade. In 2015, tobacco was part of 21% of transactions; by 2022, research from the University of Edinburgh found this had dropped to just 12.8%.

Retailers also benefit little from tobacco sales. While tobacco remains highly profitable for manufacturers, it yields low margins for shop owners - just 8.5% on average, compared to 21% across all products and 37.1% for vaping products. 

Read Here

Vaping company urges Scottish government to adopt UK vape retailer licensing plan

Vaping company VPZ has called on the Scottish government to adopt a licensing system for tobacco and vape retailers as set out in the Tobacco and Vapes Bill. The Bill includes mandatory licencing, enforcement, advertising limits, and restrictions on vape flavours and packaging. 

Source: Talking Retail, 9 October 2025

Editorial note: 

Scotland already has a national Register of Tobacco and Nicotine Vapour Product Retailers. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will devolve powers to the Scottish Government to enable the existing register to be extended to cover all tobacco, nicotine and herbal smoking products. 

This article has been included to provide insight into market trends and industry developments.

Read Here
International

US: Quitting smoking after cancer diagnosis significantly improves survival, study finds

New research from Washington University School of Medicine reveals that cancer patients who quit smoking after their diagnosis experience notably longer survival, especially those with advanced-stage disease. The study tracked over 13,000 patients and found that those who gave up smoking lived substantially longer than those who continued, with the most pronounced benefit seen among those with stage 3 or 4 cancers. 

The smoking cessation programme, integrated directly into patients’ oncology care, used electronic health records to identify smokers and offered them tailored support, including counselling, digital tools and medication. The approach has now been expanded across multiple clinics and is being studied further in a national trial funded by the US National Cancer Institute.

Source: News Medical, 9 October 2025

See also: Tohmasi, S., et al. Smoking Cessation and Mortality Risk in Cancer Survivorship: Real-World Data From a National Cancer Institute–Designated Cancer Center. Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. 2025. doi.org/10.6004/jnccn.2025.7059

Read Here

Sweden challenges EU nicotine pouch bans amid rising pressure on Brussels

Sweden has formally objected to national bans on nicotine pouches imposed by several EU member states, arguing that such restrictions may violate single market rules. The move comes as Stockholm seeks to avoid a repeat of the EU-wide ban on snus, a traditional Swedish tobacco product that remains legal only in Sweden.

Nicotine pouches, which contain no tobacco, have grown in popularity—particularly among young people—prompting bans or restrictions in countries including France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Sweden argues these actions threaten both market unity and public health strategies focused on harm reduction.

Amid increasing regulation across Europe, there is mounting pressure on the European Commission to propose an EU-wide policy, possibly a ban, during the upcoming revision of the Tobacco Products Directive. 

Source: Euractiv, 9 October 2025

Read Here

Saudi Arabia tightens tobacco shop rules to protect public spaces and youth

Saudi Arabia has introduced strict new regulations banning tobacco retailers from operating within 500 metres of schools and mosques, in a move to safeguard public health and promote a safer commercial environment. The rules, issued by the Ministry of Municipalities and Housing, apply to all stores selling tobacco products, including cigarettes, shisha, and e-cigarettes.

To obtain or retain a licence, shops must meet a range of legal, structural, and safety standards — including minimum space requirements, proper ventilation, and fire safety compliance — and must not promote or advertise tobacco products externally. Sales to under-18s are prohibited, with mandatory age verification, and products must meet Saudi Food and Drug Authority standards.

Additional rules include bans on vending machine sales, repackaging of products, promotional offers, and single-cigarette sales. Authorities will enforce compliance through inspections and penalties, reinforcing efforts to curb tobacco use and improve urban planning.

Source: Gulf News, 10 October 2025

Read Here
Links of the Week

Call for evidence: Tobacco and vapes: evidence to support legislation

This government call for evidence is seeking views on the following topics:

  • Substances and ingredients used to create flavours in vapes and nicotine products

  • Levels of nicotine that should be permitted in nicotine-containing products

  • Size and shape of vapes, vape-like devices and tanks, and the role of technology in these devices

  • Proposal to introduce a new licensing scheme for selling tobacco, vaping and nicotine products

  • Proposal to introduce a new product registration scheme in the UK 

Please find the full call for evidence here and a link to respond here. The deadline for responses is 3 December 2025.

The call for evidence will be followed by a separate consultation on introducing smoke-free and vape-free places, restrictions on vape packaging and changing how and where they are displayed in shops, next year.   

Read Here

ASH Webpage: Illicit tobacco: facts, trends and industry tactics

This ASH webpage explains what illicit tobacco is, the current size of the UK illicit tobacco market, and what impact tobacco tax has on illicit trade. The webpage also explores the measures taken by the UK government to tackle this trade, as well as the impact the Tobacco and Vapes Bill will have on illicit sales. Alongside this, the webpage highlights tobacco industry tactics regarding the illicit market, including the industry’s involvement in smuggling and their lobbying practices. 

Read Here

Study: Is the provision of a national opt-out tobacco dependence treatment service in acute hospitals in England equitable? A national cohort study

This article, published in the journal Thorax, explains that people who smoke are significantly more likely to be admitted to hospital than non-smokers, with smoking rates remaining higher in more deprived populations. It highlights how hospital-initiated ‘opt-out’ tobacco dependency treatment by the NHS in England could help reduce these inequalities if access and success rates improve among patients from deprived areas. The underlying data used in this study can be accessed on the NHS Tobacco Dashboard.

Read Here
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