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Cancer Research UK responds to the government's offer of free e-cigarettes to quit smoking: a small step in the right direction, but not enough

Cancer Research UK responds to the government's offer of free e-cigarettes to quit smoking: a small step in the right direction, but not enough

2023-04-13

April 13, 2013 - Earlier today, Neil O'Brien MP, the UK Minister for Public Health and Primary Care, reportedly gave a speech that finally responded to the independent review of tobacco control led by Dr Javed Khan OBE.


Commenting on the move, Cancer Research UK said the government had taken a small step in the right direction, but more action was needed.


While this is a positive first step, the UK government has missed a key opportunity to get us back on track to go smoke-free by 2030 and cement the UK's historic position as a world leader in tobacco control.


Smoking still causes about 150 cancers a day -- cancers that could be prevented. This means that since Khan's review, which was published in June last year, at least 40,000 people in the UK have had their lives forever changed by a smoking-related cancer diagnosis.


This sobering statistic shows just how important the UK government's response to the review is to Cancer Research UK's aim of preventing more people from developing cancer.


As well as preventing cancer, we know that reducing smoking rates will help reduce pressure on the NHS and boost economic growth.


Today, the minister revealed which of Khan's 15 recommendations - four of which he believes are critical - will actually be adopted by this government.


Michelle Mitchell, Cancer Research UK's chief executive, said:


"The government needs to go further and faster if it is to achieve its own goal of a smoke-free England by 2030 and reduce pressure on the NHS. While today's announcement is a small step in the right direction, the government has missed a key opportunity by substantially implementing only one of the four important recommendations made by the independent Smoking review."


"Since the Khan review was published in June 2022, at least 40,000 people in the UK have had their lives forever changed by a smoking-related cancer diagnosis. To help reduce these numbers, the government should follow the evidence by raising the age at which tobacco can be sold and investing more money to help people quit."


"Bold action is needed if future generations are to be protected from the suffering caused by smoking addiction - and we urge the government to go further."


Welcome commitment


Around 5.4 million adults currently smoke in England - so we're pleased that today's speech has taken on board some of Javed Khan's advice to help people quit.


E-cigarettes are the most popular smoking cessation tool in the UK. While we don't know their long-term effects, the evidence so far suggests that e-cigarettes are far less harmful than smoking and can be effective in helping people quit.


Today's announcement promises to implement the world's first national smoking cessation program, which will provide one million smokers with access to e-cigarette starter kits over two years, as well as behavioral support to help them quit. The scheme - in line with one of Khan's four key recommendations - will be overseen by local authorities, who will be able to tailor it to the needs of their particular populations.


Smoking is the biggest driver of health inequalities, causing almost twice as many cancer cases in the most deprived areas of England compared to the most deprived areas. Offering free e-cigarettes to people who want to quit smoking could help remove a major financial barrier to switching.


We also know that staying smoke-free during pregnancy reduces the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and babies born with low birth weight or health problems.


That is why the minister has been very positive in announcing that by the end of this year, all pregnant women who smoke will be offered financial incentives to quit, as well as behavioural support. The announcement follows the success of local schemes, recommended by NICE clinical guidelines and informed in part by research funded by Cancer Research UK.


The speech also confirmed that the UK government will consult on introducing mandatory packaging instructions in cigarette packs, which will include positive messages and information to help people quit. This is a measure we have been calling on the UK government to explore, so it is good to see it go ahead.


Measures were also announced to crack down on the illegal sale of tobacco and e-cigarettes. For tobacco, this includes a new strategy to be launched by HMRC and the Border Force later this year. This will clarify how they continue to target, capture and punish those involved in the illicit tobacco market.


In an effort to reduce youth use of e-cigarettes, the UK government also announced £3m of new funding to set up a dedicated illegal vape enforcement team to crack down on illegal e-cigarettes and the sale of e-cigarettes to under-18s. A call for evidence has also been launched to look at ways to restrict young people's use of e-cigarettes - while ensuring they remain a smoking cessation tool for adults who smoke.


While e-cigarettes are far less harmful than tobacco, they are not without risk, and we don't know their long-term effects. It is therefore important that we prevent e-cigarette use by people who have never smoked, especially young people.


We welcome the UK government's balanced approach to e-cigarettes, which maximises their potential to help people quit smoking while minimising the risk of young people taking them.


More action is needed


However, according to our model, these announcements alone are not enough to achieve smoke-free 2030 - which would require smoking rates to fall by 70 per cent from the current projected rate. The burden of smoking is not equal - we know that certain groups are more likely to smoke than others, and more needs to be done to help those most in need.


While the above measures do include some new money for tobacco control, it falls well short of the minimum £125m increase in investment that Javed Khan called for as his first key recommendation. In particular, the £70m proposed investment to fund local smoking cessation services and £15m for mass media campaigns were conspicuously absent from today's announcement.


As our #SmokefreeUK campaign has been highlighting -- we need more money to help people quit for good. Smoking cessation services offer smokers the best chance to quit - but unfortunately these services are not universally available across the country, largely due to funding cuts.


The UK government could have made this investment at no cost to the taxpayer - by making the tobacco industry pay for the damage it causes through smoke-free funds. This would use industry funds to help pay for tobacco control without industry intervention.


Our campaign has also been calling on the UK government to stop smoking - by consulting on raising the age at which tobacco can be sold. While it is positive to see the UK government taking action to reduce e-cigarette use among young people, it does not address cigarette use - although the dangers of tobacco are indisputable. When used exactly as the manufacturer recommends, cigarettes are a legal consumer product that will kill most of its users - two out of every three smokers will die from smoking.


Almost nine out of 10 smokers reported that they started smoking before the age of 21. So raising the age of tobacco sales to 21 or one year per year (for example in New Zealand) could help prevent people from starting to smoke.


Not only do these measures help reduce pressure on the NHS, grow the economy and save lives - but we also know they have public support. The YouGov poll for Cancer Research UK shows that 75% agree with raising the age to buy tobacco products from 18 to 21, and 61% support raising it by one year each year (the so-called New Zealand model) *. We have a duty to protect young people and the next generation from a lifetime of ill health, so it is very disappointing not to see an announcement to raise the age of sale.


Overall, today is a small step in the right direction, but the UK government has a lot of work to do and we need to act quickly if we are serious about quitting smoking for good and achieving smoke-free targets. We know what needs to be done - and with your help, through our #SmokefreeUK campaign, we can turn these small steps into giant leaps to tackle smoking - the country's biggest cause of cancer.


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