UK GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES PLAN TO ELIMINATE SMOKING BY 2030 Leave a comment

A green paper published by the UK government has outlined an ambitious plan for the UK to be “smoke-free” by 2030. The goal is part of a larger effort to help address health inequalities and tackle major challenges like obesity and mental health.
The document states that, though only 14% of British adults smoke cigarettes – one of the lowest rates in Europe – for those who do smoke, it remains the primary risk to their health and the leading cause of early death. Worryingly, smokers are particularly situated in areas of disproportionately high deprivation. One instance quoted is that one in four pregnant women in Blackpool smoke. This compares with one in fifty in Westminster. The Government are said to be considering that tobacco companies should be required to help fund some of the cost of quitting. As is the case in France and the U.S.
This Polluter pays approach would be combines with an active ambition for England to be smoke free by 2030. This includes an ultimatum for industry to make smoked tobacco obsolete by that year. With smokers quitting or moving to the less harmful e-cigarettes.
Strong links between cigarette smoking and an increased risk of tooth loss, heart disease, pneumonia and cancer have been established in numerous studies. Awareness of these links has continued to grow in the UK, and consequently, smoking rates have declined. In 1974, 45.6% of British adults smoked cigarettes, according to the Office for National Statistics. This figure has dropped significantly over subsequent decades.