New ambitions to
tackle the substantial public health harms from tobacco were
announced today on No Smoking Day by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley.
The Government has published Healthy Lives, Healthy
People: A Tobacco Control Plan for England which
sets out how tobacco control will be delivered over the next five
years.
Local communities will take a leading role in reducing smoking
rates. The plan confirms action to end eye catching tobacco
displays in shops which encourage young people to start smoking.
Andrew Lansley said:
“Smoking is undeniably one of the biggest and most stubborn
challenges in public health. Over eight million people in England
still smoke and it causes more than 80,000 deaths each year.
“Smoking affects the health of smokers and their families. My
ambition is to reduce smoking rates faster over the next five
years than has been achieved in the past five years.
“We want to do everything we can to help people to choose to stop
smoking and encourage young people not to start smoking in the
first place. We will help local communities to take a
comprehensive approach to reducing smoking so we can change social
attitudes to smoking.”
The Tobacco Control Plan has three national ambitions to reduce
smoking rates in England by the end of 2015:
From 21.2 per cent to 18.5 per cent or less among adults; From
15 per cent to 12 per cent or less among 15 year olds; and From 14
per cent to 11 per cent or less among pregnant mothers.
These ambitions represent reductions in smoking rates that exceed
the reductions we have seen in the past five years. The Government
has set out key actions in the following six areas:
stopping the promotion of tobacco; making tobacco less
affordable;effective regulation of tobacco products;helping
tobacco users to quit;reducing exposure to secondhand smoke; and
effective communications for tobacco control.
Within the plan, the Government sets out actions to maximise the
use of information and intelligence to support tobacco control
activities. It also explains how tobacco control policies will be
protected from vested interests.
Legislation to end the display of tobacco in shops will be
implemented. While preserving the expected health benefits, the
implementation of the legislation will be delayed and amended to
reduce the impact on retailers, especially small businesses.
The amended regulations will mean that:
The display of tobacco products in shops will end. Tobacco
products will need to be out of sight in shops, except for
temporary displays in certain limited circumstances;Shopkeepers
will have greater flexibility so that they can more easily carry
out the day to day running of their businesses without breaching
the law – for example, being able to undertake stock-taking or
maintenance work while there are customers in the shop;The size of
the display allowed while serving customers or carrying out the
other authorised activities will increase from 0.75 to 1.5 square
metres; andRetailers will have additional time to prepare –
particularly small shops. The regulations will commence on 6 April
2012 for large stores and 6 April 2015 for all other shops.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Chief Medical
Officer for England, said:
“Nearly all adult smokers started smoking before they turned 18
and every year, over 300,000 children under 16 try smoking.
“I strongly support the ending of tobacco displays in shops. We
cannot ignore the targeting of young people through these displays
that encourage and recruit them to start smoking at an age when
they are less able to make an informed choice.
“I also welcome the commitment by the Government to look further
at tobacco packaging and to consider whether a requirement for
plain packaging might bring additional public health benefits, all
of which keep up the essential momentum needed to create a truly
smokefree future.
“The measures announced today will help reduce smoking rates,
protect children from being tempted to start smoking and help
adults who are trying to quit.”
On plain packaging, the Government has an open mind and wants to
hear views. The Government will consult on options to reduce the
promotional impact of tobacco packaging, including plain
packaging, and an assessment of the impact of these options,
before the end of 2011.
Notes to Editors
Healthy Lives, Healthy People: A Tobacco Control Plan for
England is available at:
http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Healthyliveshealthypeople/index.htm
The MHRA is also today publishing the Government’s response to the
consultation on the regulation of nicotine-containing products.
They will co-ordinate a period of further scientific and market
research to inform decisions about the regulation of
nicotine-containing products.
http://www.mhra.gov.uk/Publications/Consultations/Medicinesconsultations/MLXs/CON065617
Contacts:
Department of Health
Phone: 020 7210 5221
NDS.DH@coi.gsi.gov.uk