Smoking in United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, smoking is allowed but tobacco products are subject to certain regulations. Under these regulations, there is a complete ban on all forms of tobacco advertising. Cigarettes can be purchased online, but not through vending machines. The importation of cigarettes for trade is allowed with an import license. Additionally, health warnings on cigarette packaging are required, and the minimum legal age for purchase is 18 years. Legal restrictions on smoking in public places are also enforced. Cigarettes in the UK are subject to an excise tax of 50.56% and a total taxation rate of 83.72%. Statistics show a gradual decline in the current smoking prevalence in the UK since 2000. There were approximately 6.7 million current adult smokers in the country in 2024, representing an adult current smoking prevalence of 11.8%. This was 13.1% in 2022, and 27.1% in 2000. Smoking prevalence was higher among males with 13.6% than among females with 10.1% in 2024. Daily smoking prevalence among adults was 9.1% overall, 8.1% among females, and 10.2% among males in 2024. In 2021, smoking led to 75,848 deaths in the UK, of which 44,400 deaths were among males and 31,448 deaths were among females. This shows that smoking consisted 11.05% of all deaths in the country, including 12.6% of all male deaths and 9.42% of all female deaths.
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July 24, 2023 by liverpoolexpress.co.uk
Help us set Liverpool free from the risks of smoking
Smoking is the biggest cause of preventable death and illness in the UK. It is a key factor in people developing heart disease, strokes, cancer, dementia and lung disease. The good news is that rates of smoking in Liverpool are decreasing. Over the past seven years, the number of people with the habit has dropped by 33,000. However approximately 63,000 people continue to smoke. Much more work therefore needs to be done before we can achieve our aspiration of creating a “smokefree generation.”
July 20, 2023 by sciencemediacentre.org
expert reaction to letter to the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Steve Barclay, from the Health and Social Care Committee about imposing heavier restrictions on disposable vapes to limit child use
The key challenge for the government is to balance the benefits of e-cigarettes for helping smokers stop using the mostly deadly of products, cigarettes, with the potential risks they have for encouraging youth vaping. While e-cigarettes confer only a fraction of the harm of cigarettes, they are not risk free, which is of particular concern if their availability results in long-term use among youth who would have never smoked. Clearly, neither e-cigarettes nor cigarettes should be promoted to youth and reducing their appeal to kids is sensible. The letter calls for restrictions on packaging and marketing of vapes, akin to those that apply to tobacco products. [...]
July 20, 2023 by theguardian.com
MPs call for restrictions on disposable vapes to limit use by children
MPs have urged the government to introduce restrictions on the packaging and marketing of disposable vapes to tackle the “alarming trend” of children using these addictive products. The health and social care committee said there should be restrictions on how e-cigarettes are sold, in line with those applied to tobacco products. They said they were concerned about the disruption e-cigarettes were causing in schools and had heard from a headteacher who said that hydraulic oil and antifreeze had been found in a vape they confiscated.
July 18, 2023 by inews.co.uk
I have finally kicked a decades-long smoking habit – banning vapes would be a disaster
God protect us from do-gooders. You will have discerned that I’m upset, maybe even angry. You would be correct. I’m currently on my third week without a smoke – a longstanding addiction going back several decades. Vaping has helped me to quit thus far. So, when the Local Government Association called for a ban on disposable vaping devices the other day I almost went out and bought a pouch of Dutch shag tobacco, liquorice papers and extra slim tips. My drug of choice. Up yours and all that…
July 18, 2023 by letsrecycle.com
Biffa launches vape takeback scheme
The new takeback scheme will allow consumers to discard of vapes and single use e-cigarettes via bins at various locations around the UK including retail destinations, airports, NHS sites, universities, railway stations, distribution offices and offices. Once dropped off at a collection point, Biffa will take them to an approved authorised treatment facility (AATF) to be dismantled into parts: battery, casing electronics and nicotine pads which are then treated separately. Around 80% of the vape device can be recycled, Biffa said.
July 12, 2023 by eureporter.co
Switching smokers to vaping central to UK public health
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has stressed the importance of his government’s ‘swap to stop’ programme for improving public health. It promotes vaping as a much safer alternative to smoking cigarettes and is part of a strategy that encourages adults to make informed choices rather than imposing bans that leave them with limited options .
July 11, 2023 by theguardian.com
Scottish politicians have the courage to decriminalise drugs, but Westminster is too timid to let them
The Scottish government declared last week that it wanted to decriminalise the possession of drugs for personal use. Possession of drugs in Scotland remains under the pre-devolution Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and, as the Scottish drugs policy minister Elena Whitham says, the current approach has “failed”. Scotland has the highest drug mortality rate in Europe. Drug use is polluting every public service from mental health and homelessness to welfare, policing and imprisonment.
July 10, 2023 by yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk
Vaping industry hits back after Leeds councillors call for plain packaging for e-cigarettes
The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) says such a move, which was recently proposed by the Children’s Commissioner, would “conflate vaping and smoking”. A Leeds council scrutiny meeting was told on Wednesday that underage teenagers are flocking to the city centre to buy vapes from certain shops. [...]
John Dunne, the association’s director general, said: “Vapes, whether designed to be single or multiple use devices, are age-restricted products, such as alcohol or aerosol spray paints and should never be sold to children. This is an access issue not a product issue.
June 30, 2023 by dailyrecord.co.uk
Ban on single use vapes in Scotland moves closer as government-backed report calls for action
A Government-funded environmental group is calling for a ban on single use disposable vapes to be considered.
Zero Waste Scotland also said a charge on customers buying a product linked to a littering crisis should also be an option.
The Record has led calls for a ban on single use vapes after our streets and beaches became dumping grounds for e-cigarettes.
A new report by ZWS, a not-for-profit group, and Dr Dominic Hogg of Equanimator Ltd has laid bare the scale of the problem.
June 29, 2023 by scottishdailyexpress.co.uk
Scottish Government urged to follow Australia's lead and make vapes prescription only
Scottish ministers are being urged to copy Australia and make e-cigarettes prescription only in a bid to tackle a new “epidemic of vaping” among young people.
Health campaigners at Ash Scotland made the plea amid growing concern over youngsters vaping. The organisation has now urged the Scottish Government to “strongly consider following Australia’s precautionary approach to e-cigarettes” by making products containing nicotine available with a prescription only.