The YouGov poll for ASH published on February 28, 2024, has found that 71 per cent of adults support the goal of making Britain a country where no one smokes (12 per cent are opposed). Support is strongest among those who intend to vote for the three main parties in the general election (72 per cent of those intending to vote Conservative, 76 per cent Labour and 76 per cent Lib Dem).
Bob Blackman, chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Smoking and Health, said, “Backbenchers have always led the way on tobacco legislation, from banning advertising, to making public places smokefree and putting tobacco in standard packs. However, this time there is a clock ticking and we need the government to expedite the passage of the Bill to ensure that it passes into law before the general election. He will have the strong support of backbenchers from right across both Houses of Parliament.”
Mary Kelly Foy, a Labour MP and vice chair of the APPG on Smoking and Health, said, “There is a strong consensus right across Parliament that we must end smoking and save lives. That is why Labour will put country before party, lending its votes to the government to get this legislation passed before the next election. There is no more time to waste. It is for the government to set the timetable to ensure this is achieved, and it will have Labour’s support in doing so.”
Lord Rennard, vice chair of the APPG on Smoking and Health, said, “Opponents of this legislation argue that it is not for government to intervene in people’s so-called ‘lifestyle choices’. But smoking is not a ‘lifestyle choice’ it is an addiction and one that is hard to escape. Two-thirds of those people trying just one cigarette, usually as children, go on to become daily smokers, and daily smokers are addicted smokers. That is why this legislation has strong public as well as parliamentary support.”
On February 28, health leaders are briefing parliamentarians on the case for ending cigarette sales to those born on or after January 1, 2009. Their brief, endorsed by over 30 health organisations including medical royal colleges, charities, and public health organisations, rebuts claims that the legislation is unenforceable.
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health, said, “Smoking is the silent killer that hides in plain sight. Ending this scourge on society is long overdue. The pro-smoking lobby protests that raising the age of sale one year every year is unenforceable, exactly what they said about the smoking ban nearly two decades ago. They were wrong then, and they’re wrong now. The public aren’t fooled, they support raising the age of sale, just as they did the smoking ban, because they know it’s needed, wanted and workable.“
Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy, said, “Smoking rates fall with Government action. This legislation will place the UK on the right side of history, leading the world to help end cancers caused by tobacco.
“Smoking kills one person every five minutes in the UK, and is the single biggest cause of health inequalities. Bold action on tobacco will not only save lives, but help to support the NHS and benefit the economy, and importantly, it has strong support from the public.”
Charmaine Griffiths, chief executive at the British Heart Foundation, said, “We welcome the government’s pledge to raise the age of sale for tobacco every year and take action to make vaping less appealing to young people. We know the vast majority of the public back this Bill, and we urge the government to wait no longer before tabling this life-saving legislation.
“It is shocking that today smoking still takes so, so many lives across the UK, and tough measures must be taken to ensure future generations don’t die early because of tobacco.”