Cancer Research UK Responds to Government’s Free Vaping Quit-Smoking Plan: A Step in the Right Direc

Today, on April 12, news reports indicate that earlier today, Neil O'Brien MP, the UK Minister of Public Health and Primary Care, delivered a speech in response to the independent review of tobacco control led by Dr. Javed Khan OBE.

Cancer Research UK commented that the government has taken a small step in the right direction, but more action is needed.

While this is a positive first step, the UK government has missed a critical opportunity to get back on track to achieve a smoke-free 2030 and to reinforce the UK's historical position as a leader in tobacco control.

Smoking still causes about 150 cancers every day—these are preventable cancers. This means that since Khan's comments (made in June last year), at least 40,000 people in the UK have had their lives forever changed due to cancer diagnoses caused by smoking.

This sobering statistic highlights how important the government's response to the review is for Cancer Research UK's goal of preventing more people from getting cancer.

In addition to preventing cancer, we also know that reducing smoking rates will help alleviate pressure on the NHS and promote economic growth.

Today, the minister announced which of the 15 recommendations from Khan he believes are key—he indicated that four of them will actually be adopted by this government.

Michelle Mitchell, CEO of Cancer Research UK, stated:

"If the government wants to achieve its smoke-free England goal by 2030 and alleviate pressure on the NHS, it needs to go further and faster. While today's announcement is a small step in the right direction, the government has missed a key opportunity by only substantively implementing one of the four important recommendations made in the independent smoking review."

"Since Khan's review was published in June 2022, at least 40,000 lives have been forever changed due to cancer diagnoses caused by smoking. To help reduce these numbers, the government should follow the evidence by raising the tobacco sales age and investing more funds to help people quit smoking."

"Bold action is needed to protect future generations from the suffering caused by smoking addiction—we urge the government to take further action."

Welcoming the Commitment

Currently, about 5.4 million adults in England smoke—so we are pleased that today's speech adopted some of the recommendations from Javed Khan to help people quit smoking.

Electronic cigarettes are the most popular smoking cessation tool in the UK. While we do not know their long-term effects, the evidence so far suggests that the harms of electronic cigarettes are far less than those of smoking and can effectively help people quit.

Today's announcement commits to implementing a world-first national quit-smoking plan that will provide 1 million smokers with electronic cigarette starter kits and behavioral support to help them quit within two years. This plan—aligned with one of Khan's four key recommendations—will be overseen by local authorities, who will be able to tailor it to the needs of their specific populations.

Smoking is the biggest driver of health inequalities, with cancer cases caused by smoking in the most deprived areas nearly double those in the least deprived areas. Providing free electronic cigarettes to those wanting to quit may help eliminate the main economic barrier to switching to electronic cigarettes.

We also know that remaining smoke-free during pregnancy can reduce the risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and low birth weight or health issues in infants.

This is why the minister announced that by the end of this year, all smoking pregnant women will be offered financial incentives and behavioral support to quit smoking. This announcement follows the success of local programs, informed by research funded in part by Cancer Research UK and recommended by NICE clinical guidelines.

The speech also confirmed that the UK government will consult on introducing mandatory packaging information in cigarette packaging, which will include positive messages and information to help people quit smoking. This is a measure we have long called for the UK government to explore, so we are pleased to see it being advanced.

Measures to combat the illegal sale of tobacco and electronic cigarettes were also announced. For tobacco, this includes a new strategy to be launched later this year by HMRC and the Border Force. This will clarify how they will continue to target, capture, and punish those involved in the illegal tobacco market.

To reduce youth use of electronic cigarettes, the UK government also announced £3 million in new funding to establish a dedicated enforcement team to combat illegal electronic cigarettes and the sale of electronic cigarettes to children under 18. A call for evidence has also been launched to explore ways to restrict young people's access to electronic cigarettes while ensuring that electronic cigarettes remain a cessation tool for adult smokers.

While the harms of electronic cigarettes are far less than those of tobacco, they are not without risks, and we do not know their long-term effects. Therefore, it is important to prevent never-smokers from using electronic cigarettes, especially young people.

We welcome the UK government's balanced approach to electronic cigarettes, maximizing their potential to help people quit smoking while minimizing the risks of young people using them.

More Action Needed

However, according to our models, these announcements alone are insufficient to achieve a smoke-free 2030—this requires a 70% reduction in smoking rates compared to current projections. The burden of smoking is not equal—we know that certain groups are more likely to smoke than others and that more work is needed to help those who need it most.

While the measures mentioned above do include some new funding for tobacco control, it is significantly below the minimum £125 million increase in investment requested by Javed Khan as his first key recommendation. In particular, today's announcement notably lacks the proposed £70 million investment for local stop-smoking services and the £15 million for mass media campaigns.

As our #SmokefreeUK campaign has consistently emphasized—we need more funding to help people quit smoking for good. Stop-smoking services provide the best chance for smokers to quit—but unfortunately, these services are not universally available across the country, primarily due to funding cuts.

The UK government could have made this investment without costing taxpayers—by using the smoke-free fund to make the tobacco industry pay for the damage it has caused. This would use industry funds to help cover the costs of tobacco control without industry interference.

Our campaign has also consistently called for the UK government to stop smoking—by consulting on raising the tobacco sales age. While it is positive to see the UK government taking action to reduce youth use of electronic cigarettes, this does not address the issue of cigarette use—despite the undeniable harms of tobacco. When used exactly as recommended by manufacturers, cigarettes are a legal consumer product that kills most users—two out of three smokers will die from smoking.

Almost nine out of ten smokers report that they started smoking before the age of 21. Therefore, raising the tobacco sales age to 21 or increasing it by one year each year (as in New Zealand) could help prevent people from starting to smoke in the first place.

These measures would not only help alleviate pressure on the NHS, develop the economy, and save lives—but we also know they have public support. A YouGov poll by Cancer Research UK shows that 75% of people agree to raise the age for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, and 61% support increasing it by one year each year (the so-called New Zealand model). We have a responsibility to protect young people and future generations from a lifetime of unhealthiness, so it is very disappointing not to see an announcement to raise the sales age.

Overall, today is a small step in the right direction, but the UK government has much work to do. If we are truly to achieve a smoke-free future and meet our smoke-free goals, we need to act swiftly. We know what needs to be done—together with your help through our #SmokefreeUK campaign, we can turn these small steps into giant leaps to tackle the smoking issue—the biggest carcinogen in this country.