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Tobacco and Vapes Bill aim to introduce indoor vape-free spaces
The government has reiterated that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill would give ministers the power to extend smoke-free laws to include vaping, with plans to consult on applying the rules to indoor settings, including pubs and other hospitality venues, some of which already do so voluntarily.
Ashley Dalton, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, said the bill would allow most smoke-free places and workplaces to become vape-free and that a public consultation will be held before any decisions are made, allowing stakeholders to provide input on implementation.
Source: Manchester Evening News, 19 January 2026
See also: Written questions - Electronic Cigarettes: Public Houses | ASH – The Tobacco and Vapes Bill
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Enforcement drive steps up action on illegal tobacco
A joint crackdown by National Trading Standards, local Trading Standards services, Scottish Trading Standards and HM Revenue and Customs has resulted in more than £1.4m in penalties for the sale of illicit tobacco, with totals rising rapidly since late 2025 under strengthened enforcement powers.
Lord Bichard, chair of National Trading Standards, said the sanctions demonstrate firm action against illegal tobacco, which damages communities and legitimate retailers while fuelling organised crime. Alexandra Connell, chair of the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland, highlighted the growing use of the new sanctions regime, with hundreds of referrals made to HMRC by local teams.
Rachel Nixon, HMRC director for indirect tax, said closer collaboration has enabled tougher financial penalties of up to £10,000, disrupting criminal supply chains and tackling significant tax losses. The work forms part of Operation CeCe, a UK-wide initiative to remove illegal tobacco from sale and protect lawful businesses.
Source: Talking Retail, 19 January 2026
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Expert opinion: priorities for the next national cancer plan
Sarah Woolnough, chief executive of The King’s Fund, calls for a stronger focus on cancer prevention and reducing inequalities, with clear targets on key risk factors. She highlights the Tobacco and Vapes Bill as a crucial tool for cutting smoking rates, alongside action on alcohol, obesity, air pollution, and physical inactivity, and stresses improving diagnostics, treatment, patient experience, and wraparound care.
Dr Hilary Williams, clinical vice president at the Royal College of Physicians, warns that workforce shortages, especially in deprived areas, are the main barrier to timely cancer care. She supports the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, broader prevention efforts, more community-based care, recovery support, and investment in clinical and academic research.
Sarah Scobie, deputy director of research at the Nuffield Trust, emphasises the gap between cancer targets and current NHS performance. She calls for a realistic, well-funded plan with investment in staff, diagnostics, infrastructure, and digital tools, while tackling inequalities and acknowledging resource constraints.
Source: Prospect, 20 January 2026
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Smoke Free app reaches one million successful quitters
In an interview, David Crane, CEO of the UK quit-smoking app Smoke Free, said the app has helped one million people quit smoking and generated multi-million-pound revenues since its 2013 launch. He highlighted that Smoke Free has been downloaded nine million times globally and is used in over 200 countries each month, with 83% of downloads occurring organically.
Crane explained that the app supports users with evidence-based behavioural techniques, personalised quit plans, progress tracking, and motivational features such as a “wall of fame” and money-saved tracker. He noted that users typically need four to five attempts to quit, down from the historical norm of around 30, demonstrating the app’s impact on smoking cessation.
He also said Smoke Free currently works with 80 local authorities and NHS trusts in the UK and is available on prescription in Germany, where it has one million users.
Source: Yahoo Finance, 19 January 2026
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Liverpool City Region considers ban on junk food and vape adverts
The Liverpool City Region is exploring a ban on advertising for junk food, sugary drinks, and vapes across publicly owned transport assets, including trains, ferries, and buses. Mayor Steve Rotheram said the move aims to prioritise public health and reduce exposure to harmful products, particularly in disadvantaged areas where junk food adverts appear six times more often.
Rotheram highlighted that children in the most deprived parts of the city region are 40–50% more likely to have excess weight than their peers and called for public assets to promote healthier choices rather than normalising harmful products. The initiative follows local actions in Sefton and aligns with the #AdEnough campaign supported by chefs including Jamie Oliver.
Source: BBC News, 20 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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Written question – The Scottish Parliament
Asked by Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42569 by Jenni Minto on 29 December 2025, what the total number of individual respondents from Scotland was to the (a) 2024 and (b) 2025 Action on Smoking and Health Smokefree GB Youth Survey, and whether it considers the number to be sufficiently robust and representative of young people living across the entire spectrum of the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) in comparison to the 21,559 S2 and S4 pupils who responded to the Scottish School Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) in 2018 and 25,411 S2 and S4 pupils who replied to the 2021-22 Health and Wellbeing Census.
Answered by Jenni Minto, Minister for Public Health and Women’s Health, MSP for Argyll and Bute, SNP
The total number of Scottish participants in the ASH SmokeFree GB Youth survey was:
(a) 760 (677 aged 11-17) in 2024
(b) 856 (755 aged 11-17) in 2025
Information on the Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) is not available for this sample. Data are collected on social grade and grouped into ABC1 and C2DE categories, which are not directly comparable with SIMD. The sample is unlikely to be representative in terms of deprivation as it leans towards higher social grades. The data are not weighted to account for this, and this limitation should be considered when interpreting the results.
The aim of the booster sample is to enable monitoring of progress against key indicators 4(i) and 4(ii) of the Tobacco and Vaping Framework (i.e. smoking and vaping behaviours in children and young people), while balancing cost, analytical value, and timeliness.
Information on the methodology (including sample size) and results for 2024 and 2025 are available on the Scottish Government website.
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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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