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** 8 January 2026
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UK


** Opinion: Retail can adapt as tobacco regulation tightens (#1)
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** Pregnancy smoking hits record low of 4.8% in Humber and North Yorkshire (#2)
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** BMJ Editorial: Stronger controls needed to protect youth under UK tobacco and vaping laws (#3)
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** Hampshire launches campaign linking quitting smoking with improved wellbeing (#4)
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** Adults in England consuming salt equivalent to 22 bags of crisps a day (#5)
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** International
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** Opinion: Big Tobacco bets on vaping and heated products while cigarettes fade from the spotlight (#6)
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UK


** Opinion: Retail can adapt as tobacco regulation tightens

Writing in The Grocer, Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive at Action on Smoking and Health, explains how retailers have little to fear from the UK’s upcoming tobacco regulations. She notes that while around 56,000 retailers still sell tobacco, only a small number rely on it heavily, as smoking rates have fallen sharply over the past two decades, including among younger people.

Cheeseman outlines how the proposed smokefree generation policy, which will ban tobacco sales to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009, represents an extension of existing regulation rather than a sudden shift. She notes that tobacco remains a large but declining category, with combined sales down by just over £1 billion year on year. Traditional tobacco delivers relatively low margins of around 8.5% for retailers, compared with approximately 37% on vaping products, meaning the category is no longer central to store profitability.

The article emphasises that retailers have already adapted to successive regulatory changes and are well placed to manage the transition with clear guidance, staff training and consistent enforcement. Cheeseman concludes that early engagement with the smokefree generation policy will help retailers remain resilient, while supporting public health and the long-term strength of the high street.

Source: The Grocer, 7 January 2026

See also: ASH - Vapes four times more profitable to convenience stores than tobacco ([link removed]) | Support for stopping the start ([link removed])
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** Pregnancy smoking hits record low of 4.8% in Humber and North Yorkshire

Smoking among pregnant women in Humber and North Yorkshire has fallen to its lowest recorded level, with NHS England data showing a rate of 4.8% between July and September 2025, equivalent to around 155 women. This marks a substantial improvement compared with the same period the previous year.

While welcoming the progress, Scott Crosby from the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence underlines that the issue has not disappeared. He stresses that a significant minority of expectant mothers are still exposed to tobacco, highlighting the ongoing harm smoking causes to families and future generations and the need to maintain momentum rather than become complacent.

The reduction is linked to expanded stop-smoking support within maternity services, introduced through the NHS Long Term Plan, and the Smokefree Pregnancy Incentive Scheme, which offers vouchers to women who remain smokefree during pregnancy following verification.

Source: York Press, 8 January 2026
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** BMJ Editorial: Stronger controls needed to protect youth under UK tobacco and vaping laws

Professors Emily Banks, Andrew Bush, Charlotta Pisinger and research biostatistician Sam Egger are calling for urgent action to shield young people from tobacco and nicotine products as the UK advances toward a “smoke-free generation.” The Tobacco and Vapes Bill, currently progressing through Parliament, includes important measures such as advertising bans, licensing requirements, and enhanced enforcement powers. Crucially, the bill is designed to give the government powers to restrict e-cigarette flavours, packaging, and promotional practices.

The experts stress that these powers must be applied rigorously and highlight the importance of restrictions on availability, higher excise duties, plain packaging, flavours and tighter social media controls to reduce youth vaping. Evidence from multiple countries indicates that restrictions and price increases can effectively lower youth uptake. Experts also emphasise the need for robust enforcement, public reporting, and mandatory manufacturer compliance to ensure the regulations are meaningful in practice.

They highlight that while e-cigarettes remain a tool for adult smoking cessation, protecting children and adolescents from nicotine addiction, industry targeting, and early smoking initiation is central to achieving long-term tobacco control objectives.

Source: BMJ, 6 January 2026
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** Hampshire launches campaign linking quitting smoking with improved wellbeing

A new county-wide initiative in Hampshire is aiming to challenge the perception that smoking helps manage stress by highlighting the mental health benefits of quitting. The Stop Smoking, Feel Happier campaign promotes stopping smoking as a way to improve overall wellbeing, alongside the long-established physical health gains.

The campaign is being led by local public health leaders, who emphasise that giving up smoking can have a positive impact on both mood and quality of life, not just long-term health outcomes. It seeks to reframe quitting as a step towards feeling happier, rather than simply avoiding illness.

Source: Southern Daily Echo, 8 January 2026
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** Adults in England consuming salt equivalent to 22 bags of crisps a day

A new analysis by the British Heart Foundation reveals that adults in England consume an average of 8.4 g of salt daily - around 40% above the government’s recommended maximum of 6 g. This is equivalent to the salt contained in 22 bags of ready salted, lightly salted or sea salt crisps each day, or roughly 155 bags a week.

Most of this salt is hidden in everyday foods such as bread, cereals, sauces and ready meals, making it difficult for people to monitor their intake. Experts warn that excessive salt intake is a major contributor to high blood pressure, a key risk factor for heart attacks, strokes and other cardiovascular diseases, which are estimated to cause at least 5,000 deaths a year in the UK.

Dell Stanford, senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, urged the government to give manufacturers incentives to remove excessive salt from food, emphasising that even small reductions could have a significant impact on heart health. Sonia Pombo, head of impact and research at Action on Salt, called for legally binding salt reduction targets across all food categories, clear timelines, and penalties for non-compliance.

Source: The Guardian, 6 January 2026

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.
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** International
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** Opinion: Big Tobacco bets on vaping and heated products while cigarettes fade from the spotlight

Writing for Monocle, journalist Florian Siebeck discusses Intertabac in Dortmund, the world’s largest tobacco trade fair, where the industry is increasingly presenting a “smoke-free future.” Traditional cigarettes, once the core product, are barely visible on the show floor, while e-cigarettes, heated-tobacco devices, and nicotine pouches dominate.

Siebeck describes how major companies such as British American Tobacco and Philip Morris International showcase gadgets designed to reduce harm or offer personalised nicotine experiences, yet cigarette sales continue alongside them, highlighting the tension between public image and profit. Siebeck highlights that the commercial strategies driving this shift: flavoured products, packaging innovations, and novel delivery formats are emphasised for adult appeal, even as critics warn the same products attract younger users.

Siebeck notes how the fair also highlights enforcement and compliance challenges. Dortmund customs officials reported record tax violations among exhibitors, covering cigarettes, rolling tobacco, e-cigarettes, and liquids.

Siebeck concludes that Intertabac reveals the paradox at the heart of the tobacco industry: where it publicly promotes a smokeless image, but continues to rely on addictive nicotine products, with cigarettes holding the market share in every regions.

Source: Monocle, 8 January 2026

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