Posted on: 24 July 2024
Health experts across Yorkshire and the Humber welcome government plans to reintroduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill following the King’s Speech on Wednesday 17 July 2024.
The Bill is going to ensure that anyone born after 1 January 2009 will never be legally sold lethal tobacco products and this policy has strong cross-party and public support. In Yorkshire and the Humber, 68% of people support raising the age of sale of tobacco and 75% support a smokefree generation [1].
Tobacco is the single most important entirely preventable cause of ill health, disability and death in the country, responsible for 64,000 deaths in England a year. No other consumer product kills up to two-thirds of its long term users, most of whom start as teenagers.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, smoking is responsible for 7,500 deaths [2] and more than 53,891 hospital admissions [3] to treat smoking related illnesses.
It also costs the region £4.52 billion [4] a year in medical, health and social care, lost earnings and smoking-related unemployment.
Scott Crosby, Chair of Breathe, said: “Smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and death in England, killing two out of three smokers, so it is hugely encouraging that the government is prioritising ending smoking.
“Now that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has been reintroduced to parliament, we’re urging the government to progress it quickly in order to protect people from the harms of this uniquely lethal product.
“We’re now calling on the government to take decisive and bold action by publishing the Roadmap to a Smoke-free Britain to outline plans on how it is going to make smoking obsolete.
“We are committed to creating a smokefree Yorkshire and the Humber to stop the start of young smokers and create a better life free of addiction for our children.”
Rachel Spencer-Henshall from the Association of Directors of Public Health Yorkshire and the Humber said: “We know that most smokers start young, regret ever starting and then struggle to quit. This is why it is vital to prevent our children and young people becoming addicted to this lethal product.
“In Yorkshire and the Humber too many communities are suffering from the harms of tobacco and people want to see an end to health inequalities, so we need to take action to reduce preventable illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, COPD and cardiovascular disease to help everyone live longer, healthier lives.
“We are committed to tackling the harms caused by tobacco and want to see a healthier, smokefree future for everyone. Smoking is a cross-party issue and measures to end the harms of tobacco are wanted by the public in Yorkshire and the Humber.”
References
[1] ASH 2023 Smokefree GB survey carried out by YouGov. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 3,533 adults of which 372 were from Yorkshire and the Humber. Fieldwork was undertaken between 15th - 17th November 2023. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all adults in England (aged 18+).
[2] ASH 2023 Economic and health inequalities dashboard https://
[3] 2019/20 OHID Smoking Profile - Data - OHID (phe.org.uk)
[4] The ASH Ready Reckoner is a cost calculator showing the costs of smoking to society at national, regional, and local authority levels https://