Press Releases - Action on Smoking and Health

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 […]

Chancellor urged to raise taxes for cigarillos to equal cigarettes in Budget

7 February 2020 Chancellor urged to raise taxes for cigarillos to equal cigarettes in Budget Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, and Cancer Research UK are calling on the Chancellor to raise taxes on cigarillos to discourage youth uptake. Yesterday, the organisations met with the […]

Every day in England 280 children start smoking while Government action on its Smokefree 2030 pledge is awaited

3 February 2020 The clock is ticking – every day in England 280 children start smoking and over 200 adults die from smoking while Government action on its Smokefree 2030 pledge is awaited Ex-smoker and cancer survivor Sue calls on Government to make the tobacco manufacturers pay to end the smoking epidemic 280 children a […]

New survey shows funding shortages for local tobacco control could put smokefree 2030 target at risk

14 January 2020 New survey shows funding shortages for local tobacco control could put smokefree 2030 target at risk A new survey [1] from Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) and Cancer Research UK finds that achieving the Government’s target of reaching a smokefree England by 2030 [2] is threatened by a lack of funding […]

Smokers with mental health conditions who successfully quit call on health professionals to do more to help others do the same

7 January 2020 Smokers with mental health conditions who successfully quit call on health professionals to do more to help others do the same This new year, five people who use mental health services shared their inspiring quit smoking journey, to show that stopping smoking while experiencing a mental health condition can be done. The […]

More must be done to help smokers with mental health conditions quit

6 November 2019 New report finds 1 in 5 mental health trusts still do not have a comprehensive smokefree policy in place, despite the Government deadline for implementation having passed last year Smoking prevalence amongst people with mental health conditions remains around 50% higher than among those without Staff behaviour often enables smoking, with staff […]

Regional press releases: Smoking and Poverty

17 October 2019 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 […]

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

17 October 2019 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 […]

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

30 September 2019 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 […]

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

26 September 2019 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 […]

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

24 September 2019 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] […]

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

22 July 2019 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 […]