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Industry trade bodies, the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS) and the Federation of Wholesale Distributors (FWD), have written a joint letter to Financial Secretary to the Treasury Jesse Norman MP, calling for urgent clarity on the status of tobacco forestalling restrictions.
The tobacco forestalling regulations ensure that retailers do not stockpile products and take advantage of lower duty rates. However, as there is no formal Budget statement planned this year and no planned duty increase, there is confusion over the status of the regulations.
In the letter, ACS and FWD urged the government to lift the pre-Budget allocation rules on the stock to ensure that businesses can obtain enough supply to meet demand from customers, and has raised concerns that stock shortages could lead to an increase in the illicit market.
Source: Convenience Store, 8 October 2020
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Over 1,200 packs of illegal cigarettes and tobacco were seized from three shops in Bacup and Haslingden this week as trading standards officers tackle illicit sales.
The illegal products, which would have been worth over £14,000, were found hidden in cavities behind electronically operated sliding wall panels in two shops with more located inside a vehicle outside a third shop. This latest discovery comes following a 12-month period in which there have been 20 convictions in cases brought by trading standards at local courts for the supply of illicit tobacco.
County Councillor Albert Atkinson said: “…Cheap illicit tobacco is readily available to young people and encourages them to smoke and become addicted. The sale and manufacture of illegal tobacco have a negative impact ... on our communities and young people. We are determined to tackle this type of crime.”
Source: Lancashire Telegraph, 8 October 2020
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Tobacco farmers, manufacturers and other organisations in the industry have pleaded with the government to freeze proposed tax increases on tobacco products announced in the 2020 Budget, due to the impact of COVID-19 and a sharp increase in the sale of illegal products.
Finance Minister, Tito Mboweni, announced plans for a tax increases on cigarettes which would result in consumers paying up to 74 cents more for a packet, as well as a new tax on heated tobacco products at a rate of 75% of the cigarette excise rate, and a new tax on vaping products.
The South Africa Informal Traders' Association said in its written submission that taxing less harmful tobacco products would close the door for consumers and informal traders hoping to switch to these products.
Source: IOL, 8 October 2020
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PQ1: Health Education: Public Bodies
Asked by Lord Bradley
To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the establishment of the National Institute for Health Protection, which public body will be responsible for the delivery of prevention and early intervention programmes (1) to tackle obesity, (2) to encourage smoking cessation, and (3) to address health inequalities.
Answered by Lord Bethell, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
Prevention of ill-health remains a top priority. The Government will continue its focus on health improvement and preventing ill-health, with support from the expert teams who currently sit in Public Health England (PHE), who will continue their excellent work. We are not envisaging any changes to where those responsibilities will sit until spring 2021. We will be consulting with staff and engaging with an external stakeholder advisory group on where PHE’s health improvement functions would be best placed in order to support the public health system in our aim to increase healthy life expectancy.
Source: Hansard, 8 October 2020
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Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has published a new report which quantifies the health and economic impact of GPs delivering smoking cessation support to patients who smoke in the UK. The report compares usual practice to three interventions: delivering very brief advice (VBA) on smoking and either:
1. Referring patients to stop smoking services
2. Prescribing them pharmacotherapy
3. Delivering the Ottawa Model for Smoking Cessation in primary care
The report finds that that across all three intervention scenarios, improving GP delivery of smoking cessation interventions across the UK would, by 2039:
• Prevent 400,000 cases of smoking-related disease, over 700,000 hospitalisations and
around 90,000 premature deaths.
• Prevent around £10 billion worth of smoking-related treatment costs on the health service,
of which over £650 million can be attributed to primary care costs. This could otherwise
fund over 20 million GP appointments over the 20-year period.
• Prevent over £15 billion worth of costs to wider society.
• Reduce smoking rates faster and bring the UK closer to “smokefree” ambitions.
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Linda Bauld's, Professor of public health at University of Edinburgh and Director of the SPECTRUM research consortium gave a short presentation where she outlines the enduring importance of public health and health improvement throughout and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
The video clip is taken from a webinar hosted by ASH and Fresh on the role of public health (covering tobacco, obesity and alcohol) in supporting recovery from COVID-19.
View Professor Bauld’s presentation here.
View Webinar.
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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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