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London councillors call on Secretary of State for Health to publish Tobacco Control plan and reignite smokefree 2030 ambition
London councillors have written to the new Secretary of State for Health, Steve Barclay, to demand action on tobacco’s grip on the capital. Setting out concerns London’s almost one million smokers they are calling for the government to publish its Tobacco Control Plan, implement a levy on tobacco companies and raise the age of sale from 18 to 21 to protect young people.
The letter, sent from the London Tobacco Alliance, which launched in October, cites the support that these policies already have in London saying: “Prevention works. The evidence for preventative measures is strong, as is public support. Over two thirds of Londoners support a levy on tobacco companies and 58% support raising the age of sale to 21. If we work together, we can secure a smokefree future for Londoners and the wider country.”
Jim Dickson, Joint Cabinet Member for Healthier Communities at Lambeth Council and Chair of Lambeth’s Health and Wellbeing Board said: “Tobacco products are having a big impact on the poorest in our boroughs. We would like the government to refocus on its smokefree ambitions and Publish a Tobacco Control Plan without delay, giving due consideration to the recommendations made by the Khan Review. We’d also like to see a levy placed on tobacco companies to fund the support smokers need to stop, and to prevent children in London from taking up smoking. We are also calling for consultation on raising the age of sale for tobacco products from 18 to 21, to protect young people from a lifetime of tobacco addiction.”
Hazel Cheeseman, Deputy Chief Executive for Smoking on Action and Health (ASH) said: “Smoking places an immense burden on London’s economy, costing the health and social care systems around £3bn every single year. This represents a burden to the taxpayer but as importantly is a health burden disproportionately felt by poorer communities where smoking is most common, and smokers more heavily addicted. This is not inevitable. Government commissioned The Khan Review to find out what was needed to meet its goal of a smokefree England by 2030. It reported in June, Government must now act. Delivering a smokefree 2030 will protect the NHS, improving health and economic prosperity for the poorest people in London. The funding to do this can be levied from an industry that makes excess profits from people’s addictions. Why would you not do it?”
Source: London Post, 8 November 2022
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The London MP who wants cigarettes banned from being sold until people are 21
London MP, Bob Blackman, is pushing for the minimum age for sales of tobacco to be raised from 18 to 21 in a major shake-up of cigarette laws. It comes after a new report by ASH found that a majority of tobacco retailers support existing tobacco laws and also tougher regulations in future including a levy on tobacco manufacturers to pay for measures to help smokers quit, and raising the age of sale to 21.
The Conservative Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health, secured the first backbench debate under the new government last week on the subject, and is moving forward with backbench legislation today, 9 November.
Mr Blackman said: “The main argument used by tobacco manufacturers’ against tobacco laws with politicians like me is that they harm small shops. But a survey of nearly 1,000 shopkeepers shows us that shopkeepers don’t think that’s true. The majority support existing regulations and want the government to go further including by raising the age of sale for tobacco to 21.”
“I will be calling on the government to publish a Tobacco Control Plan to deliver the smoke-free 2030 ambition without further delay. I’ll be urging the government to listen to retailers who want government to implement tougher regulations, that’s what they think will be good for business, not de-regulation.”
Deborah Arnott, Chief Executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said: “To achieve a smoke-free 2030, the government needs to ratchet up regulations to support smokers to quit and to prevent young people starting to smoke."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told MyLondon: “The government continues to enforce strong regulations around the sale of cigarettes which help smokers to quit, and protect future generations from starting this lethal habit. We are currently considering the wide range of independent recommendations as set out in the Khan Review, which includes further regulation. We will provide a further update in due course.”
Source: My London, 8 November 2022
See also: ASH - Regulation is not a dirty word: Local retailers’ views of proposals for new tobacco laws
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Isle of Man to ban sale of vapes to those aged under 18
Laws to ban the sale of vaping products and e-cigarettes to young people on the Isle of Man are being worked up, the cabinet office minister has said. Their sale is currently legal to people on the island under the age of 18.
Kate Lord-Brennan said a bill will be introduced by Easter next year to implement the ban after "growing concerns" about their use in schools. The island had "fallen behind" the UK where age restrictions were introduced in 2016, she added.
The legislation is intended to restrict the sale of vaping products and control their display by retailers, with a public consultation planned before the end of the year.
Source: BBC News, 9 November 2022
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Australia has potential to reduce lung cancer deaths, major international clinical trials show
A new study, published in the British Journal of Cancer, has strengthened the economic case for a targeted lung cancer screening program in Australia.
The study updates cost-effectiveness estimates in an Australian context based on the findings of two major international trials of lung cancer screening, the Dutch-Belgian NELSON trial and the US National Lung Screening Trial.
One of the study’s authors, Professor Marianne Weber, said the study showed that if trial results were adapted into the Australian health system, lung cancer screening for Australians with a history of heavy smoking would have a favorable cost-effectiveness ratio given new evidence from the NELSON trial published in 2020.
Weber said the results helped inform the recommendation to government from the independent Medical Services Advisory Committee (MSAC) supporting the implementation of a targeted national lung cancer screening program, announced earlier this month.
Source: Medical Xpress, 8 November 2022
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Parliamentary Questions
PQ1: Smoking
Asked by Peter Dowd, Labour, Bootle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the progress in meeting the Government’s smokefree targets; and whether he plans to retain those targets.
Answered by Neil O'Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
We are on schedule to achieve or exceed our targets on youth and adult smoking, including reducing the number of 15 year olds who regularly smoke from 8% to 3% or less. The most recent data available shows that smoking rates in the population are currently 13.5%. No decisions on the retention of these targets have been made.
Source: Hansard, 3 November 2022
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PQ2: Electronic Cigarettes
Asked by Peter Dowd, Labour, Bootle
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update, published on 29 September 2022 by the Office of Health Improvement and Disparities, whether he has held discussions with that Office on the steps that could be taken to encourage adult smokers to switch to less harmful alternatives.
Answered by Neil O'Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
Since 2014, we have provided evidence-based information and guidance for clinicians and healthcare professionals on vaping. This includes guidance from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, online training and printed advice, blogs, videos and the publication of ‘Nicotine vaping in England: 2022 evidence update main findings’ in September 2022. We also recently published online information on the benefits of smokers switching to vaping, which is available at the following link:
https://www.nhs.uk/better-health/quit-smoking/vaping-to-quit-smoking
The Office of Health Improvement and Disparities is based within the Department of Health and Social Care. The Department is currently considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete’, including those related to vaping. This includes encouraging adult smokers to switch to vaping.
Source: Hansard, 3 November 2022
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PQ3: Smoking – Health Services
Asked by Andrew Gwynne, Labour, Denton and Reddish
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will commit to publishing a smoking action plan.
Answered by Neil O'Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
We are currently considering the wide range of recommendations set out in the independent Khan Review, published in June. No decisions have been taken on the publication of a new Tobacco Control Plan.
Source: Hansard, 3 November 2022
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PQ4: Tobacco
Asked by Dan Carden, Labour, Liverpool, Walton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when her department will publish the Tobacco Control Plan.
Answered by Neil O'Brien, Minister for Primary Care and Public Health
We are currently considering the recommendations made in ‘The Khan review: making smoking obsolete', published in June. Further information will be available in due course.
Source: Hansard, 3 November 2022
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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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