|
|
|
|
Cytisine overlooked as a smoking cessation aid despite growing evidence
In this opinion piece originally published in The Conversation, researchers Jonathan Livingstone-Banks, Dimitra Kale and Lion Shahab explore why cytisine remains underused in the UK.
Cytisine has been licensed in the UK since January 2024, and evidence suggests it may be as effective as varenicline to help people stop smoking. Despite this, cytisine has seen almost no increase in use since 2024, with prescription rates remaining extremely low.
The authors suggest several reasons for this lack of uptake: its more complex dosing schedule, a lack of awareness among GPs, pharmacists and patients, and higher cost compared to some other pharmacotherapies. They also note that attention has increasingly shifted towards vaping as a quit aid, potentially overshadowing prescription options.
With smoking still the UK’s leading cause of preventable death, the authors argue that greater awareness of cytisine and a broader range of accessible treatment options are urgently needed.
Source: The Independent, 18 October 2025
See also: Two of the best stop smoking medications have been available in the UK since 2024 – so why is no one using them? – The Conversation | Webinar: Varenicline and cytisine - ASH
|
|
Oxfordshire pilot scheme helps long-term smoker quit after decades
A woman from Henley has successfully quit smoking after 40 years with the help of a stop smoking pilot run by Oxfordshire County Council. Having started smoking as a teenager, she had made several unsuccessful attempts to quit over the years using various methods. However, she finally succeeded through the council's Allen Carr’s Easyway (ACE) programme, which focuses on changing a person's mindset around addiction rather than relying solely on nicotine replacement.
The council is currently evaluating the outcomes of the ACE pilot, which is one of several options offered through its wider stop smoking service, Smoke Free Oxon.
Source: Oxford Mail, 20 October 2025
|
|
French app criticised for promoting cross-border cigarette buying
A new French carpooling app is enabling users to arrange shared trips to neighbouring European countries in order to purchase cheaper tobacco and alcohol. The platform, named Carklop, connects travellers from France or Belgium with destinations such as Germany, Spain and Italy, where such goods are less expensive due to lower taxes.
The service has drawn criticism from French tobacconists, who warn it undermines public health policies and harms small businesses already facing pressure from falling sales.
Source: The Connexion, 17 October 2025
|
|
New national taskforce announced to tackle Australia's illicit tobacco trade
The Australian government has announced the creation of a new multi-agency taskforce aimed at disrupting the country’s growing illegal tobacco market. The group, to be led by the Australian Border Force, will coordinate across various departments and law enforcement bodies, targeting the networks responsible for the import, distribution and sale of illicit tobacco products. Authorities say the illegal trade has become intertwined with broader organised crime and national security threats, including arson, drug trafficking, and financial crime. The initiative is part of a broader enforcement strategy funded by over $350 million since early 2024. The taskforce will also explore regulatory reforms to strengthen the response to illicit sales and associated criminal activity.
Source: ABC News, 19th October 2025
|
|
Australian ex-border official warns UK over risks of illicit tobacco surge
In this opinion piece in Spiked, former Australian Border Force officer Rohan Pike warns that the UK’s increasingly strict anti-smoking measures could unintentionally fuel organised crime and violence, mirroring Australia’s experience. He claims that high tobacco taxes and vape restrictions in Australia have driven a booming black market, contributing to gang violence, including the firebombing of small shops.
Pike argues that similar conditions are emerging in the UK, where tobacco taxes remain among the highest globally and a generational smoking ban is due in 2027. He suggests that such policies, while well-meaning, risk empowering criminal networks, eroding high streets, and overwhelming under-resourced enforcement agencies. Citing New Zealand’s recent reversal of its own smoking ban, he calls for a more pragmatic approach focused on harm reduction rather than prohibition.
Source: Spiked, 19 October 2025
See also: Illicit tobacco: facts, trends and industry tactics - ASH
Editorial note: According to the World Bank and the WHO, tobacco taxes are the single most effective measure for reducing smoking prevalence. The evidence shows that tax increases do not have a significant impact on the illicit market, provided that they are accompanied by a comprehensive enforcement strategy and supply chain controls. Tobacco taxation has played a key role in reducing smoking prevalence in the UK since the 1990s. The number of illicit cigarettes consumed in the UK has fallen by almost 90% since the turn of the century, while the price of an average pack of cigarettes has more than tripled.
The UK’s generational ban will have a gradual impact over time, so is unlikely to significantly impact the illicit market. When the tobacco age of sale increased from 16 to 18 in 2007 it had no impact on black market sales – the number of illicit cigarettes consumed actually declined by 25% following the age of sale rise. Strong enforcement is crucial for addressing the black market.
The UK has a long-running anti-smuggling strategy bringing together Border Force, HMRC and Trading Standards. The latest 5-year UK illicit tobacco strategy was published in 2024 and is supported by over £100 million in new funding, with an additional £10 million a year for illicit tobacco and vapes enforcement led by Trading Standards. This approach has been highly effective for tackling illicit trade in the UK.
In contrast, Australia has a much more fragmented approach to enforcement, with different laws, enforcement powers, and funding across states and territories. Read more about this here: Policy incoherence: Leadership needed to combat illicit tobacco and end tobacco oversupply. In addition, the type of criminality seen associated with the illicit trade in Australia does not seem widespread in the UK. Despite the challenges faced in Australia, high tobacco taxes and other public health measures have been effective at reducing smoking prevalence to around 11% as of 2022-23.
|
|
Written questions
Asked by Katie Lam, Weald of Kent, Conservative
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent steps she has taken to disrupt organised crime groups engaged in the supply of illicit tobacco products.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury), Chipping Barnet, Labour
The actions we are taking to tackle illicit tobacco are set out in the illicit tobacco strategy(opens in a new tab). Our recent results can be found here(opens in a new tab), including criminal and civil sanctions as well as seizures.
Source: Hansard, 15 October 2025
|
|
Asked by Lee Anderson, Ashfield, Reform UK
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of the current tobacco excise regime on the budgets of lower-income households.
Answered by Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury), Chipping Barnet, Labour
At Autumn Budget 2024, the Government renewed the commitment to a tobacco duty escalator, which increases duty by 2 per cent above RPI inflation at each Budget, until the end of the current Parliament. This is part of the Government’s focus on health prevention and to continue our drive to reduce smoking prevalence.
Tax changes are accompanied by a Tax Information and Impact Note which sets out the expected impacts on various groups.
Source: Hansard, 15 October 2025
|
|
Asked by: Lee Anderson, Ashfield, Reform UK
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of illegal tobacco revenues on organised crime networks; and what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the current tobacco excise regime on organised crime.
Asked by: Lee Anderson, Ashfield, Reform UK
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of illegal tobacco revenues on organised crime networks; and what discussions she has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the potential impact of the current tobacco excise regime on organised crime.
Asked by: Lee Anderson, Ashfield, Reform UK
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if she will make an assessment of the impact of the current tobacco excise duty regime on the levels of illegal tobacco consumption.
Answered by: Dan Tomlinson, Exchequer Secretary (HM Treasury), Chipping Barnet, Labour
Strong enforcement is essential in tackling the illicit tobacco market. HM Revenue and Customs and Border Force have had illicit tobacco strategies in place since 2000. Our latest strategy, “Stubbing out the problem”, was published in January 2024. The Department continues to investigate how the illicit tobacco market is evolving, including through its compliance activity, and the extent to which that may affect overall tax receipts seen.
The illicit tobacco market is dominated by organised crime groups that make money by smuggling and selling illicit tobacco products in the UK. Our latest estimate is that illicit tobacco costs the UK £1.8bn in lost revenue per year. HMRC recently published an updated version of their Measuring Tax Gaps publication(opens in a new tab) which now includes tax gap estimates up to 2023/24. The illicit market volume for cigarettes is shown in Table 3.13 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.12. The illicit market for hand rolling tobacco is shown in Table 3.17 and the total consumption volume is shown in Table 3.16.
Whilst tobacco duty has been progressively increased over time, successive illicit tobacco strategies have proven effective in tackling the size of the illicit tobacco market, reducing the tobacco duty tax gap from 21.7% in 2005/6 to 13.8% in 2023/24.
Tobacco duty raised almost £8 billion in 2024/25. High duty rates, making tobacco less affordable, have helped reduce smoking prevalence. ‘Cancer in the UK: Overview 2025’ published by Cancer Research cites an Office for National Statistics Adult Smoking Habits publication which shows that the percentage of adult smokers in the UK decreased from 20.2% in 2011 to 11.9% in 2023. The ONS smoking prevalence data shows the percentage of adults in the UK who smoke cigarettes but does not give any indication of how much or how often these adults smoke.
Source: Hansard, 15 October 2025
See also: Tobacco: Excise Duties - Question for Treasury| Tobacco: Sales - Question for Treasury
|
|
Have you been forwarded this email? Subscribe to ASH Daily News here.
For more information email [email protected] or visit www.ash.org.uk
@ASHorguk
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
