Health charity calls for increased funding for smokefree policies

A year on from the publication of Javed Khan’s independent report, setting out his recommendations for how to make smoking obsolete, campaigners said the government has found less than a quarter of the investment Khan said was critical, and only partially implemented his recommendations.

The report, published by the government on this day last year, suggested to urgently increase comprehensive investment in smokefree 2030 policies by an additional £125 million per year. The report added that, if government could not find the funding needed, the tobacco manufacturers should be made to pay.

Results from a survey of over 12,000 adults in Britain published today by the health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) showed that the public support more action on tobacco and more than three quarters (77%) think that the tobacco manufacturers should be made to pay (6% oppose). This includes the overwhelming majority of those surveyed who voted for the three largest political parties at the 2019 general election (Conservative 75%, Labour 82%, Liberal Democrats 87%).

There is overwhelming public support, and little opposition, for a wide range of policies, including licences for businesses selling tobacco (83%) putting health warnings on cigarettes (66% support 10% oppose) and banning smoking in all cars (66% support, 16% oppose).

Nearly two thirds (64%) support raising the age of sale from 18 to 21 (65% Conservative, 66% Labour and 67% Liberal Democrat voters surveyed). Half all adults support Khan’s preferred option of raising the age of sale one year every year (50%) with a quarter (25%) opposed.

Three quarters of the public support the smokefree 2030 ambition (75%, 7% oppose). However, updated analysis by Cancer Research UK shows that since the Khan review was published last June we’ve slipped another two years of track, and England won’t be smokefree until 2039.

“The overwhelming majority of the public support the Smokefree 2030 ambition. Making the tobacco manufacturers pay for the measures needed to deliver is just as popular, including supporters of all the main British political parties (75% of those who voted Conservative at the last election, 82% who voted Labour and 87% Liberal Democrat),” Deborah Arnott, ASH chief executive said.

“It is time for politicians to listen to the public, and deliver what the voters want.”