Press Releases - Action on Smoking and Health

Supporting smokers to quit can help tackle surge in poor mental health

1 August 2020 Supporting smokers to quit can help tackle surge in poor mental health New findings from the YouGov COVID-19 Tracker [1] indicate that smokers with existing mental health problems are more likely to have quit successfully since the pandemic hit than other smokers (10% of ex-smokers with a mental health problem compared to […]

All Party Group urges Government to keep its foot on the pedal and publish plan to deliver a smokefree future

22 July 2020 All Party Group urges Government to keep its foot on the pedal and publish plan to deliver a smokefree future A year after the Government’s announcement of its smokefree 2030 ambition, a new analysis of child smoking rates shows how the number of children under 16 taking up smoking fell dramatically as […]

ASH response to the LGA statement on banning smoking outside pubs and cafes PLUS polling data

18 July 2020 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) backs calls from local government and parliamentarians to prohibit smoking immediately outside pubs and cafes during the pandemic. ASH, working with YouGov COVID-Tracker [1], has found strong public support for measures to restrict smoking outside in light of the COVID-19 crisis. When asked if they supported […]

Regional press releases: A million people have stopped smoking since the COVID pandemic hit Britain

15 July 2020 See below for the latest estimates of how many people have stopped smoking since the COVID pandemic hit Britain. The national press release can be viewed here, and regional releases are below. North West: In North West over 102,000 smokers have quit since the COVID pandemic hit ] Yorkshire and Humber: In Yorkshire […]

A million people have stopped smoking since the COVID pandemic hit Britain

15 July 2020 A million people have stopped smoking since the COVID pandemic hit Britain On the eve of a new campaign to engage more smokers to quit, new analysis by ASH and UCL finds that over a million people in the UK have stopped smoking since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the country. A further […]

COVID-19 drives ‘astonishing’ quit rate among young smokers: Experts ask if trend will survive loosening lockdown

23 June 2020 COVID-19 drives ‘astonishing’ quit rate among young smokers: Experts ask if trend will survive loosening lockdown Smokers under 30 are more than twice as likely to have stopped smoking because of COVID-19 than those over 50, new research published today shows.[1] This bucks usual trends, which see smokers of all ages quit […]

This World No Tobacco Day, 280 children will start smoking in England – enough to fill over 17 school minibuses

29 May 2020 This World No Tobacco Day, 280 children will start smoking in England – enough to fill over 17 school minibuses Calculations by Cancer Research UK show that 280 children a day start smoking in England,[1] two thirds of whom will go on to become daily smokers.[2] Tobacco kills nearly 100,000 people a […]

Stop smoking services open to smokers thanks to rapid response of local councils

29 May 2020 Stop smoking services open to smokers thanks to rapid response of local councils A new survey [1] by public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) has found that within a month of lockdown, most councils had services in place to help smokers quit, and around a quarter reported an increase […]

Regional press releases: Ban on sale of menthol cigarettes

19 May 2020 See below for regional press releases with the latest estimates of how many children are starting to smoke each day in different areas of England. The national press release can be viewed here, and regional releases are below. Yorkshire and the Humber: As ban on sale of child-friendly menthol cigarettes takes effect ASH reveals […]

ASH warns that the ban on sale of menthol cigarettes is long overdue as 280 children a day take up smoking in England

19th May 2020 ASH warns that the ban on sale of menthol cigarettes is long overdue as 280 children a day take up smoking in England Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) welcomes the introduction of the ban on child-friendly menthol cigarettes on 20th May as an essential next step towards ending the tobacco epidemic.[1] […]

Media Advisory: Ban on menthol flavoured cigarettes comes into force on 20 May 2020

Issued 12th May 2020 ASH Media Advisory: Ban on menthol flavoured cigarettes comes into force on 20 May 2020 From Wednesday 20th May 2020, the sale of menthol flavoured cigarettes will be prohibited. Retailer organisations have complained about the lack of a sell-through period.[1] However, the transition period for ban on the sale of menthol […]

Health Secretary: “It is abundantly clear that smoking makes the impact of a coronavirus worse”

18 March 2020 Health Secretary: “It is abundantly clear that smoking makes the impact of a coronavirus worse” As the Government again highlights the risks to smokers from COVID-19, Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is joining health professionals in calling on smokers to #QuitforCovid. Speaking in the Commons yesterday, in response to a question […]

ASH welcomes tax rises on No Smoking Day but more needed to achieve Government ambition of a Smokefree 2030

11 March 2020 ASH welcomes tax rises on No Smoking Day but more needed to achieve Government ambition of a Smokefree 2030 Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is pleased to see the tax escalator on cigarettes will continue at 2% above inflation (RPI) for the duration of this Parliament. For this year that will […]

What will the Chancellor do for smokers this No Smoking Day?

10 March 2020 What will the Chancellor do for smokers this No Smoking Day? Public health charity calls for the Chancellor to do his bit to help smokers quit in his first Budget which falls on No Smoking Day this year. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is joined by over 10 public health organisations […]

Big tobacco’s attempts to infiltrate UK health policy completely unacceptable

24 February 2020 Big tobacco’s attempts to infiltrate UK health policy completely unacceptable Following revelations today that the makers of Marlboro cigarettes (PMI) is seeking to infiltrate UK health policy, charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) is calling on Government to reaffirm its commitments to protect health policy from tobacco industry interests. The Guardian and […]