The British government will announce a series of anti-smoking measures on Tuesday, including a cessation subsidy of up to £400 for pregnant women and a crackdown on the sale and illegal sale of e-cigarettes to minors.
The British BBC reported that the British government has pledged to reduce the smoking rate in England to below 5% by 2030, and will launch a consultation campaign to force tobacco manufacturers to include quitting advice on tobacco packaging.
The British government said that nearly one in five smokers in England will receive a quitting kit. It is estimated that 1 million smokers will receive free e-cigarette starter packs to encourage them to quit smoking. This measure, called “swap to stop”, is believed to be the first in the world.
It is said that up to two-thirds of long-term smokers may die from smoking, and cigarettes are also the only commodity on sale that can kill people even if used properly. It is estimated that 9% of women in England will smoke during pregnancy. The British government said that local trials have shown that economic incentives and behavioral support are effective for quitting smoking.
The Department of Health and Social Security (DHSC) said that details of the operation of anti-smoking measures will be announced “in due course”. In addition, local authorities have been invited to join the first batch of free e-cigarette policy pilot programs, which will be rolled out nationwide in the next two years. Officials estimate that this series of measures is expected to cost about 45 million pounds, funded by the health department budget but managed by local governments. Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the health organization Action on Smoking and Health, said the measures were “a welcome step in the right direction.” But she also warned that as the target date of achieving “smoke-free” in 2030 approaches, these measures are “far from enough.”
As early as 2019, the British government promised to reduce the smoking rate to below 5% within 10 years. As of 2021, the smoking rate in England was 13%, the lowest in history. But an assessment of the 2030 “smoke-free” goal released last year warned that if no further action is taken, the goal will be delayed by at least 7 years.
Dr. Javed Khan, the author of the assessment report, called for more new measures, including a ban on smoking in outdoor places such as beaches and pub open-air stalls, and proposed to increase the tobacco sales age from 18 years old by one year each year.
The above report also recommends promoting e-cigarettes as a substitute for tobacco, but also reminds that e-cigarettes are not completely risk-free. Although the British government wants to encourage adult smokers to switch from cigarettes to e-cigarettes, some people are worried that e-cigarettes will become popular among children. According to data released by the NHS last year, 9% of secondary school students use e-cigarettes, including nearly 20% of 15-year-old students. Earlier this week, the British government also announced that it would set up a special action team to combat the illegal sale of e-cigarettes to minors under the age of 18. In addition, a comprehensive consultation on how to stop young people from developing the smoking habit will also be launched on Tuesday.
The article comes from the Internet, collected and shared by Mr. Lighter
