UK plans to include warning inserts in cigarette packs in 2024 to help smokers quit

According to the UK government website gov.uk, the UK government has recently launched a new consultation to explore adding warning inserts inside tobacco product packs to encourage more smokers to quit.
These in-pack prompts will include information such as the health benefits of quitting, including better breathing within days and a 50% reduction in heart attack risk within a year. They will also tell smokers how much money they could save by quitting — on average, more than £2,000 per person per year.
Although smoking rates in the UK are at a historic low, smoking remains the leading preventable cause of illness and death in the country. Statistics show that smoking accounts for nearly 4% of all hospital admissions each year, equivalent to almost 450,000 admissions. At the same time, tobacco-related harm is estimated to cost taxpayers £21 billion annually, including £2 billion for the National Health Service (NHS).
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Smoking places a huge burden on the NHS, the economy and individuals. The measures we are taking to reduce smoking rates and pursue a smoke-free target by 2030 will ease pressure on the NHS and help people live healthier lives.”
The consultation builds on a recent series of measures aimed at achieving the government’s smoke-free goal by 2030, meaning reducing smoking prevalence to 5% or below. These measures include:
- Funding a new national “swap to stop” program — the world’s first of its kind — offering 1 million smokers across England free vaping starter kits along with expert support
- Launching an economic incentive scheme — in the form of vouchers and behavioral support — to help pregnant women quit smoking, with the goal of reaching all pregnant smokers by the end of next year
- A new strategy to tackle illicit tobacco, outlining efforts to catch and punish those involved in the illegal market
In addition, the UK government has released the initial report of its “major diseases strategy,” covering six major disease groups that account for 60% of all illness and early death in England.
In England, one in four people has two or more major long-term conditions, and the initial report provides strategic direction for these disease groups, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disease, mental illness, dementia and chronic respiratory disease.
The UK’s smoking rate has now fallen to a record low of 13.3%. But in the UK, 1 in 7 adults still smokes, around 6.6 million people, with a significant impact on the NHS and the economy. Tobacco also costs England’s economy around £14 billion each year through lost income, unemployment and premature death. The average smoker who quits can save about £2,000 per year.
Background: The consultation on adding warning inserts was published on Gov.uk on August 14 and will run until October 10. The initial report on the major diseases strategy was also published on Gov.uk on August 14, and the final strategy will be released in 2024.