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ASH

About ASH

Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is a public health charity set up by the Royal College of Physicians to end the harm caused by tobacco.

After 50 years' successful campaigning this goal is within our grasp, but only if the inequalities in smoking across society are addressed.

Media Centre

Latest Press Releases

06 July 2026

New data shows 3.3 million ex-smokers used vapes to quit, but youth regulation still urgently needed, says charity

New data from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows daily vaping among adults has overtaken daily smoking in Britain for the first time, with 3.3 million vape users saying they are ex-smokers. At the same time over a million 11-17 year olds say they have tried vaping. The data highlights both the success of vaping as a quit aid and the urgent need to reduce youth uptake.

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03 July 2026

Smoking pushes 417,000 UK households into poverty, including 137,000 children, new analysis shows

New analysis by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finds that spending on tobacco is driving hundreds of thousands of families into poverty and deepening financial hardship for nearly a million more households already in poverty and struggling to make ends meet.

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