The Smokefree Action Coalition (SFAC) is a group of over 300 organisations across the UK committed to ending smoking. The coalition is coordinated by ASH. The SFAC includes our sister organisations ASH Scotland, ASH Wales and ASH Northern Ireland. Internationally we work with the Smokefree Partnership and the Global Alliance for Tobacco Control (previously the FCA) to support implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
The SFAC’s geographical remit is England for devolved matters such as health, and UK-wide for reserved matters such as tax and illegal tobacco.
Our ambition
A UK where no one is harmed by tobacco, where children grow up free from tobacco addiction, and where support to quit is provided in every community.
Our campaign
The SFAC played a central role in campaigning for the Tobacco and Vapes Act. The key measure in the Act is the generational sales ban which will protect future generations from tobacco addiction by prohibiting the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008.
However, there are still over 5 million people in the UK who smoke and will not be affected by the generational sales ban – many of whom are at risk of being left behind unless they are given targeted support to help them quit.
Our objectives
We support action to reduce UK smoking prevalence to less than 1% by 2040. This means ensuring that:
- No one starts: Future generations are protected from the harms of tobacco through a generational sales ban and strong prevention policies.
- Everyone stops and no one is left behind: Smokers across all communities try to quit more often and have access to the support they need to succeed.
- Protecting tobacco control work from the commercial and vested interests of the tobacco industry, in line with Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control.
- Working collaboratively across Government, the NHS and third sector to accelerate progress towards a smokefree future.
- Taking a comprehensive approach to ending the health, environment and economic harms from tobacco in line with the evidence