Smoking

UK Review Recommends Policies to Reach Smoke-Free Society

JUN 9 2022·Updated SEP 20 2022

Story

Image credit: PA Wire [via Independent]

The Facts

An independent tobacco report commissioned by UK Health Secretary Sajid Javid has outlined 15 recommendations to help England reach its smoke-free goal by 2030.
Daily Mail
The review was completed by Dr. Javed Khan, former CEO of children's charity Barnardo's, and found that England will miss its smoke-free target - defined as less than 5% of smokers, compared to the current 15% - by at least seven years without action.
Daily Mail
The report's recommendations include incrementally increasing the legal purchasing age from 18 every year until nobody is able to purchase tobacco, promoting vapes to help people quit smoking, and increasing duties and banning duty-free tobacco, among others.
BBC News
Dr. Khan also suggests that the government set aside £125M per year to establish smoke-free policies and an additional £70M for stop-smoking services.
Independent
There are reportedly roughly 6M smokers in England, and it causes 64k deaths every year. The UK Nations Health Service currently spends £2.4B per year treating smoking-related conditions.
Daily Mail
The government hasn't agreed to the recommendations, but ministers said they will consider the proposals as part of a wider range of measures to improve health and address inequalities.
BBC News

Sources Split

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RIGHT

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The Spin

Narrative A

The simple fact is that smoking tobacco kills people and enough is enough. These newest proposals could present an opportunity to prevent thousands of deaths, and should seriously be considered.

ChronicleLive

Narrative B

The UK is being labeled as a nanny state for its actions to prevent smoking, and rightfully so. While smoking tobacco is bad for your health, the government has no right to tell you how to live.