Doctors, scientists and other experts have called on the new U.K. government to reinstate plans to ban tobacco sales for younger people as related cancer case numbers hit an all-time high.
Around 160 cases linked to smoking are diagnosed every day, according to analysis from the charity Cancer Research U.K. That’s an increase of 20 a day compared to two decades ago.
The U.K. has reduced its smoking rates dramatically over the last half century. But the charity estimates around 6.4 million people still smoke in the U.K.
That puts them at increased risk of cancers of the lung, larynx, bladder, cervix, stomach and more.
It’s also a major cost for the public health system. Like most healthcare in the U.K., cancer care is available free at the point of use through the National Health Service.
Charity Action on Smoking and Health estimates smoking cost England £17 billion in 2022, some £2.4 billion of which was in healthcare costs.
Both Cancer Research UK and ASH have urged the government to reinstate plans to increase restrictions on the sale of tobacco products in the country.
It’s currently illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone under the age of 18 in the U.K.
Rishi Sunak’s Conservative government previously planned to progressively extend that ban with a bill that would gradually increase the minimum legal age, effectively preventing many of today’s teenagers from ever legally purchasing cigarettes.
But like many bills yet to be enacted before Sunak announced a snap election last month, what would have been a landmark piece of legislation was effectively thrown out with the dissolution of parliament.
“Right now, six people are diagnosed every hour in the UK with cancer that was caused by smoking,” said Ian Walker, Cancer Research UK’s executive director of policy.
“Raising the age of sale of tobacco products will be one of the biggest public health interventions in living memory.”
Numerous experts have called on Keir Starmer’s new Labour government to reintroduce the bill, or a version of it, in an effort to reduce smoking.
Charity Action on Smoking published an open letter in the British Medical Journal on Monday signed by dozens of prominent doctors, scientists and other health policy figures.
The group asked for the bill, as well as a commitment to publish plans for a ‘smoke free Britain,’ to be included in the upcoming King’s Speech.
Scheduled for July 17, this speech effectively sets out the government’s main legistlative plans for the next year. Although it’s delivered by King Charles, its contents are determined by lawmakers. The monarch plays no role in policymaking.
This gives campaign groups a week to influence ministers on their main priorities for the year ahead.
University College London Hospital doctor and television personality Chris van Tulleken was one of a number of well-known health figures to sign ASH’s letter.
“As a physician and advocate for public health, I firmly believe that phasing out the sale of tobacco to the next generation is a critical step towards a healthier future,” he said in a statement. “The tobacco industry has caused 8 million premature deaths in this country over the last 50 years. Protecting the next generation from these harms will pave the way for a society where the health and wellbeing of our children come first.”
Former national cancer director and letter signatory, Mike Richards, said the new government should “urgently” reinstate the smoking bill as part of a promised focus on preventative health.
“Despite smoking rates halving over the last two decades, tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable premature death, causing 160 new cases of cancer every day,” he said in an emailed statement. “The Labour government’s commitment to embed a focus on prevention in the healthcare system is welcome… However, the best form of prevention is to stop people becoming addicted in the first place.”
Although the bill has support from a wide range of prominent public health figures, it’s not without its critics. Some commentators argue it’s heavy-handed while others have questioned its enforceability.
