|
|
|
|
Lynton Crosby returns to lead CT Group following CEO departure
Political strategist Sir Lynton Crosby has resumed day-to-day leadership of CT Group after CEO Jon de Jager stepped down. Crosby, a co-founder of the lobbying firm known for advising Conservative parties in several countries, will oversee the company as it aims to expand into new markets, including recent growth in the Middle East and Asia. CT Group’s clients have included tobacco companies, coal traders, and property firms. De Jager, who became the first non-founder CEO in 2024 after joining from EY, resigned as the firm prepares for its next phase of development. Crosby, known for his role in Conservative election campaigns and currently executive chairman, will collaborate with managing directors on permanent leadership arrangements in the coming weeks.
Source: The Telegraph, 22 October 2025
Editorial note: In 2013, when Crosby was an election advisor for the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom (UK), he was at the centre of a controversy over the Government’s abandonment of tobacco plain packaging and minimum alcohol pricing proposals. The Australian branch of his lobbying firm, CT Group reportedly worked for British American Tobacco (BAT) when the tobacco company was challenging plain packaging legislation in Australia, while their UK branch has consulted for Philip Morris International (PMI). Party.
For more info see the Tobacco Tactics page on Lynton Crosby.
|
|
Opinion: The NHS 10-year plan risks overlooking core problems and wider health determinants
In this opinion piece published in the BMJ, intensive care consultant Matt Morgan reviews the new 10-year plan for the NHS, acknowledging its emphasis on prevention, workforce issues, and digital innovation, but suggesting it pays insufficient attention to immediate, practical challenges. He raises concerns that efforts to make healthcare more measurable could fragment services and reduce professional judgement, while a strong reliance on technology risks overlooking the value of direct patient care and functioning infrastructure. Morgan also notes that the pursuit of efficiency often adds strain to staff without tackling fundamental issues such as ageing buildings and outdated IT systems.
Morgan also highlights that many key determinants of health lie outside hospitals, including in housing, education, poverty, and the environment. He points to initiatives such as UK’s Tobacco and Vapes Bill, Cardiff’s violence reduction strategy, and Wales’s 20 mph speed limit, as examples of policies that can deliver significant health improvements. He suggests that a stronger focus on these broader social and environmental factors, alongside practical reforms within the NHS, would make the plan more effective and sustainable.
Source: BMJ, 22 October 2025
|
|
RCP adviser calls for stronger action to deliver NHS prevention goals
Dr Chris Packham of the Royal College of Physicians welcomes the government’s commitment to shift the health system’s focus from treating illness to preventing it but says progress depends on clear delivery plans, measurable outcomes, and accountability. He notes that avoidable ill health continues to drive unsustainable demand on the NHS and that three months after the publication of the 10 Year Health Plan, key details on implementation remain unclear.
The article highlights the need for firm timelines on measures addressing smoking and obesity, including the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, opt-out tobacco dependence treatment, and restrictions on junk food advertising. While expanded access to weight-loss medication is seen as positive, Packham argues that tackling obesity also requires action on food systems, community infrastructure, and public education.
He also emphasises the importance of addressing wider environmental and social factors, including air quality, housing, employment, poverty, and discrimination, which have a major impact on health outcomes. Without a coordinated, cross-government approach to reducing inequalities and tackling the root causes of ill health, Packham warns that the plan’s ambitions will fall short.
Source: EIN Presswire, 22 October 2025
|
|
Unibet operator fined £10 million for failing to protect customers
Platinum Gaming, the operator behind Unibet and uk.bingo.com, has been fined £10 million by the Gambling Commission due to shortcomings in anti-money laundering and social responsibility measures. This follows a previous fine of £2.9 million in 2023. Investigations revealed that customers were allowed to lose significant amounts shortly after registering, with repeated breaches of loss limits and a lack of appropriate intervention for those showing signs of gambling harm. The company is now required to undergo a third-party audit to ensure compliance with safer gambling procedures. The Gambling Commission emphasised the need for stronger oversight and accountability at senior management levels to prevent future failings.
Source: ITV News, 22 October 2025
Editorial note: Media stories covering prevention of ill-health are being included in ASH Daily News because policy change in these areas is indicative of the Government’s position on prevention and their attitudes to harm-causing industries.
|
|
Economic slowdown linked to increased illicit cigarette consumption in Indonesia
Indonesia’s economic slowdown is impacting its tobacco industry, with many smokers reportedly switching to cheaper illicit cigarettes, according to analysts and industry figures. These illegal products, which are not subject to excise taxes, can cost less than their legal counterparts.
Tobacco companies such as Philip Morris-owned Sampoerna and Gudang Garam have reported declines in sales and market share amid reduced consumer purchasing power and a weak labour market.
The government has announced it will not raise tobacco taxes in 2026, due to their concerns about illegal cigarette consumption.
Source: Financial Times, 22 October 2025
Editorial note: Recent research highlights variation in illegal tobacco prevalence across different cities in Indonesia, suggesting that geographical and supply chain factors are a factor. It also highlights that effective solutions will require strong enforcement and a reliable track-and-trace system to tackle this issue. It appears that smokers are also switching to other legal cheaper forms of tobacco and may also be reducing their consumption. It seems unlikely that the declines in sales for some tobacco companies are all as a result of a switch to illegal sales.
For more information about the UK illicit market and policies to address the illicit trade, see the ASH webpage: Illicit tobacco: facts, trends and industry tactics
|
|
Study suggests heated tobacco use in Japan may be linked to fewer heart-related hospitalisations among younger adults
Research from Japan has identified a decline in hospital admissions for acute coronary syndrome among younger adults in regions where heated tobacco products (HTPs) are widely used. Analysis of national cardiovascular data from 2013 to 2022 showed that while overall rates of heart-related hospitalisations remained stable, younger adults and smokers experienced notable reductions, particularly in areas with higher uptake of HTPs. The findings suggest a possible association between changing tobacco use patterns and improved cardiovascular outcomes, though researchers caution that other factors, such as declining smoking rates and public health measures, may also contribute. Further studies are needed to determine whether HTPs directly influence cardiovascular risk.
Source: European Medical Journal, 22 October 2025
Editorial note: This is a population-level study and finds an association but does not prove causation. It may be that other factors outside the population-level use of heated tobacco products are responsible for the differences in cardiovascular outcomes for example access to healthcare.
See also: Iwanaga Y, et al. Heated tobacco product spread and hospitalizations for acute coronary syndrome in Japan. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(10):e2537334 | ASH - Heated tobacco
|
|
Combined cannabis and tobacco use linked to changes in brain chemistry
A study from McGill University has found that people who use both cannabis and tobacco show distinct alterations in brain chemistry compared with those who use cannabis alone. Brain scans from 13 young adults showed higher levels of an enzyme that reduces the brain’s natural mood-regulating molecule, potentially explaining why co-users experience greater anxiety, depression, and difficulty stopping cannabis use.
The findings suggest that the interaction between the two substances may intensify the negative mental health outcomes associated with each drug. Researchers plan to examine whether similar brain changes occur in people who use only tobacco or nicotine, which could help inform future treatments for substance dependence.
Source: McGill University, 23 October 2025
See also: Rabin RA, Farrugia J, Garani R, Mizrahi R, Rusjan P. A preliminary investigation of tobacco co-use on endocannabinoid activity in people with cannabis use. Drug Alcohol Depend Rep. 2025 Sep;16:100369. doi: 10.1016/j.dadr.2025.100369
|
|
Philip Morris shares fall despite rise in Zyn sales
Philip Morris International reported a sharp increase in third-quarter sales of its Zyn nicotine pouch brand, with shipment volumes up 37% year on year in the United States. However, the company’s shares fell by more than 9% after it detailed about $100 million in one-off promotions, price adjustments and other brand support during the quarter. These measures boosted product uptake but weighed on revenue and operating income growth in the Americas.
Analysts say the results raise questions about the long-term cost and sustainability of Zyn’s expansion. Philip Morris slightly lifted the lower end of its annual earnings forecast, while narrowing the range to reflect higher U.S. investment linked to the brand.
Source: Reuters, 21 October 2025
Editorial note: This article has been included to provide insight into market trends and industry developments.
|
|
Written Questions
Asked by Adam Thompson, Labour, Erewash
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help prevent ill health.
Answered by Ashley Dalton, Public Health and Prevention Minister, Labour, West Lancashire
The 10 Year Health Plan announced ambitious measures to prevent ill health by making the healthy choice the easy choice. This includes a moonshot to end the obesity epidemic through mandatory healthy food sales reporting and introducing business targets to increase the healthiness of sales in all communities. The Tobacco and Vapes Bill will deliver a smoke-free UK by gradually ending the sale of tobacco products.
Source: Hansard, 22 October 2025
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
