Thousands of smokers will die prematurely if Rishi Sunak fails to keep his promise to ban smoking in the UK, health experts have warned.
This is according to the director of the Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) campaign. I that, given the amount of money they still make from cigarettes, ministers should expect big tobacco companies to lobby against the proposed ban.
Although the number of smokers has fallen steadily over the past two decades, around 6.4 million people still smoke cigarettes, according to the latest Office for National Statistics estimates.
ASH managing director Deborah Arnott said: “Selling cigarettes is extremely profitable; On average, the four large multinational tobacco companies, which account for more than 95 percent of the UK cigarette market, earn net operating profits of 50 percent, compared with less than 10 percent of UK cigarette production. Although the immediate impact on sales will be small, in the long term it will end cigarette sales once and for all.
“Of course, the tobacco companies are doing everything they can to stop the government from continuing to operate, but they will not succeed. The Prime Minister has made it very clear that he wants the Smoke-Free Energy Act passed before the next election, and he has the support of the official opposition, so it’s a done deal.”
If the Prime Minister’s policy is approved by Parliament, the age at which people can buy tobacco products (currently 18) will rise by one year each year. This means that a person aged 14 will never be able to legally buy a cigarette.
The UK Lung Cancer Coalition, a group of leading lung cancer experts, senior NHS experts, charities and healthcare companies, said it was concerned that industry lobbying to raise the smoking age from 18 to 21 rather than a complete ban. may prove fruitful.
Chairman Professor Mick Peake said: “We are concerned that the government is considering abandoning its proposals to create a smoke-free generation.”
“UKLCC has tirelessly supported the cancer community’s efforts to campaign for stronger tobacco laws, achieving major breakthroughs such as a ban on public smoking and cigarette advertising, and a campaign for plain packaging.”
“Together with the recent introduction of targeted lung cancer screening in England for people aged 55–74 with a history of smoking, this phase-out of cigarette sales will not only lead to a reduction in the number of people smoking, but could also save thousands of lives.” .
“However, the government must continue to invest in public health initiatives to raise awareness of the dangers of smoking, as well as smoking cessation services, which have declined significantly in recent years.”
The UKLCC is calling for radical improvements in lung cancer treatment in the UK to increase five-year survival rates to 25 per cent by 2025. Currently this share is 16 percent.
Source: I News
I’m Raymond Molina, a professional writer and journalist with over 5 years of experience in the media industry. I currently work for 24 News Reporters, where I write for the health section of their news website. In my role, I am responsible for researching and writing stories on current health trends and issues. My articles are often seen as thought-provoking pieces that provide valuable insight into the state of society’s wellbeing.