Press Releases - Action on Smoking and Health

Regional press releases: Smoking and Poverty

See below for regional press releases on the latest estimates of how many people are being pushed into poverty by tobacco addiction. The national press release can be viewed here, and regional releases are below. Yorkshire and the Humber: Ending smoking in Yorkshire and Humber could lift over 117,000 people out of poverty North West: Ending smoking in […]

Ending smoking in the UK could lift over a million people out of poverty

Analysis of Government data carried out for Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) finds that the deadly addiction of tobacco, and the enormous profits of the tobacco industry, drive over a million (1,011,000) people into poverty in the UK [1]. Seven out of ten adult smokers want to stop smoking, and three quarters regret ever […]

Regional press releases: the cost of smoking to England in 2018

See below for regional press releases on the latest estimates of how much smoking cost England in 2018. The national press release can be viewed here, and regional releases are below. Yorkshire and the Humber: New data shows smoking in Yorkshire and The Humber cost £1.3 billion in 2018 North West: New data shows smoking in the North […]

Smokers develop social care needs a decade earlier than those who’ve never smoked

The average age of smokers with a social care need is 62, compared to 72 for never-smokers, according to a research report published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH).[1] The report, Social care costs: Going up in smoke, also found that the cost of smoking-related social care to local authorities is £720 million […]

In 2019 around half as many Britons now vape as smoke, and the majority are ex-smokers

New data published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows as vaping increases and smoking declines, there are now around half as many vapers as smokers. In 2019 there are an estimated 3.6 million people vaping in Great Britain [1] compared to 7.2 million smokers in the UK in 2018.[2] The proportion of […]

ASH welcomes Government commitment to finish the job and end smoking by 2030

The publication today of the Government’s Prevention Green Paper [1] with a commitment to finish the job and have England smoke-free by 2030 was welcomed by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH). Ending smoking by delivering a smokefree generation by 2030 (defined as prevalence below 5% across society) is achievable, popular and will make the […]

Regional press releases: support for government action to reduce smoking

See below for regional press releases on the latest national smoking prevalence data and ASH’s Smokefree GB Survey of public onion on tobacco control. The national press release can be viewed here, and regional releases are below. Yorkshire and the Humber: Smoking rates in Yorkshire and Humber are the lowest ever recorded at 16.7%: but […]

ASH comment on annual smoking prevalence data 2019

Deborah Arnott chief executive of health charity ASH said: ASH welcomes the continuing decline in adult smoking rates, although the rate of decline has slowed. Worse still the lower headline rate hides a wide disparity across society, with around one in twenty adults smoking in Richmond upon Thames, while in deprived communities like Blackpool it […]

12 years on from England going smokefree, support for the Government to do more to tackle smoking is continuing to grow

12 years on from England going smokefree, support for the Government to do more to tackle smoking is continuing to grow A YouGov poll of over 10,000 adults in England, commissioned by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), found that more than three quarters support activities to limit smoking or think government should do more, […]

Over half a million social housing tenants in poverty due to the cost of smoking

Over half a million social housing tenants are living in poverty due to the cost of smoking 512,000 (or one in seven) social tenants are living in poverty because of the impact of smoking costs on their disposable income. In “The quitting dividend for tenants and landlords” published today, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) […]

In Britain young people vape just to give it a try, not because they think it’s “cool”

New research published today by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) shows vaping remains uncommon among young people, and young people vape mainly just to give it a try (52%) not because they think it looks cool (1%). The findings come from an annual YouGov survey, commissioned by ASH, which examines youth use of e-cigarettes […]

On World No Tobacco Day more people sick from smoking having been given free fags come forward

On World No Tobacco Day more people sick from smoking having been given free fags come forward On World No Tobacco Day more people have come forward who have been made seriously ill by their addiction to smoking, caused by the free cigarettes they were given by their employers. This follows publicity about the case […]

EU introduces revolutionary new tracking system for cigarette packs today

EU introduces revolutionary new tracking system for cigarette packs today From today all cigarette packs manufactured in, or imported into, the EU (including the UK) must be marked with unique codes enabling identification and tracing of any cigarettes which are being sold illegally. [1] There is a 12 month sell-through period during which supplies of […]

Big Tobacco Faces New Legal Threat from Employees Given Free Cigarettes Now Sick from Smoking

British American Tobacco (BAT) and the other tobacco companies face a new legal threat today from former employees who were given free cigarettes so encouraging them to smoke, a practice which ASH has discovered was commonplace. In the early 1980s the tobacco industry employed over 30,000 employees in manufacturing alone.[1] Some, including former salesman Simon […]

Cuts to local funding for smokers requires national Government action

Government cuts to public health budgets mean that only half of local authorities offer all smokers the best support to quit – a new report from Action on Smoking and Health and Cancer Research UK has found. Smoking rates for adults are still falling but they have plateaued for some groups, notably pregnant women, and […]