Making Britain smoke free
Smoking is one of the biggest causes of preventable illness and death in the UK, is estimated to cause 1 in 4 cancer deaths and it causes many lung conditions. The government has recently announced plans to make Britain smoke free by 2030. Laura from our Policy team talks us through the new proposals and what they could mean for lung health in the UK.
Stopping smoking is one of the best things you can do for your health. It’s great news that the government are aiming to make Britain ‘smoke free’ by 2030, which means they want smoking rates to be at 5% or lower. However, we are currently on track to miss this target, and last week’s announcement towards reaching this goal do not go far enough.
What the government are planning
A new “swap to stop” scheme where 1 million smokers will be offered vaping kits to help them quit cigarettes.
Pregnant women will be offered up to £400 to help them stop smoking.
Funding will be given to a new “illicit vapes enforcement squad” to stop underage vaping.
Digital resources will be made available to help people with mental health problems stop smoking.
A consultation will be launched about putting stop smoking advice on cigarette packets and into what other measures could be done to prevent under 18’s vaping.
To make Britain smoke free, we need to do more
We welcome the government’s plans to help Britain stop smoking. However, these plans are not enough. Much more is needed to hit the goal of being smoke free by 2030.
Last year an independent review found that the government were going to miss their 2030 Smokefree ambition by 7 years and recommended a strong package of measures to turn this around. This included measures such as raising the age of sale of tobacco by one year, every year, until no one can buy a tobacco product. The new proposals from the government fall very short of these recommendations.
E-cigarettes are less harmful than tobacco and are effective as a tool to help smokers quit smoking, so the “swap to stop” scheme may help people to give up smoking. However, this is most effective when smokers trying to quit are also supported by professional stop smoking services. Since 2014 the amount of money that local authorities spent on stop smoking services has almost halved and the number of people using this support has dropped by 60%. What smokers need is better funded stop smoking services so that they have a fighting chance to quit this deadly addiction. While vaping is less harmful than tobacco, it isn't risk-free, and we recommend that smokers only use e-cigarettes when they are trying to quit tobacco.
Protecting our children’s future
Worryingly, more young people are using vapes, The ‘fun’ flavours, brightly coloured designs, and low prices make these products accessible and desirable to young people. While an “illicit vapes enforcement squad” is welcome, it does not deal with the appeal of vapes to young people. Regulating these issues is likely to have a much greater impact in stopping young people vaping and we want to see action on this.
Incentives during pregnancy are proven to work. They will save babies’ lives and make people healthier throughout their lifetime. But the funding for these incentives outlined in the smokefree action plan falls short of the amount recommended in last year’s Independent Review. This should be increased so that it’s available to everyone who needs it, not just some pregnant women who smoke.
What is needed to make Britain smoke free
Raising the age of sale of cigarettes and using a levy on the tobacco industry to raise funds for stop smoking services so that they are properly funded were all recommended by the recent independent review. We urge the government to consider adding these into their plans. Without this the 2030 Smokefree Target will not be hit, and millions more will become addicted to smoking and left to deal with poor lung health as a result.
By focusing on personal responsibility to stop smoking and ignoring broader, more effective measures, the government is failing to fulfil its responsibility for public health.
Helping you stop smoking
If you already have a lung condition, stopping smoking is the best step you can take for your health. It will help you cope with your symptoms and stop your condition getting worse. It is never too late to stop smoking.
We’ve got loads of practical information on our website that will help you if you want to stop smoking.