Anti-smoking campaign group ASH sets out wish list for a smoke free UK by 2030
A CROSS party group of MPs and House of Lords Peers – with support from anti-smoking campaign group ASH – has released a wish list of tobacco control measures in a bid to eradicate smoking in the UK by 2030.
Recommendations made by the group include legislating to make tobacco manufacturers pay for a “Smokefree 2030 fund”; legislating to put health warnings on individual cigarettes, as well as quit messaging on pack inserts; and consulting on raising the age of sale for tobacco from 18 to 21.
The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) hopes the measures will be included in the government’s next Tobacco Control Plan.
Bob Blackman MP, the Conservative chairman of the APPG, said: “Our report sets out measures which will put us on track to achieve the Government’s ambition to end smoking by 2030, but they can’t be delivered without funding.
“Tobacco manufacturers make extreme profits selling highly addictive, lethal products, while government coffers are bare because of Covid-19. The manufacturers have the money, they should be made to pay to end the epidemic.”
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of ASH, said: “We all applauded when the government announced its ambition for a Smokefree 2030. But that was two years ago, the time has now come to deliver.
“Currently smoking rates are not declining nearly fast enough. If, as called for by the APPG, the recommendations in its report are implemented by 2022 we can get on track to make smoking obsolete by 2030.”
