Historic opportunity to protect children must be seized
Most people who smoke wish they had never started but, because the tobacco industry specifically targets children and young people, they become addicted while they are young and then find it incredibly hard to quit. Everyone – especially the MPs who will be voting on this legislation – must seize this historic opportunity to protect thousands of children and young people from becoming addicted to harmful products that we know cause death and disease.
Greg Fell
ADPH President
Today, as the response to the Government’s consultation is published, we are urging MPs to remember the reasons behind the ‘Stopping the Start’ legislation .
Greg Fell, ADPH President, said:
“We are delighted that the Government are prioritising this vital piece of legislation. It is clear that there is widespread support to raise the age of sale for tobacco products and to tackle youth vaping – not just from health leaders, but from the public too.
“However, over the coming weeks and months, the tobacco industry will be working hard to convince MPs that this legislation is not required so it is imperative that we keep the facts at the forefront of the conversation.”
Smoking kills 64,000 people in the UK every year. In addition to these entirely preventable deaths, smoking causes multiple illnesses and diseases including stillbirths, lung disease, heart disease, stroke and dementia.
As well as causing harm to the individual, smoking also causes harm to those around them through the effects of passive smoking and there is a £17 billion cost to society every year through healthcare, lost productivity and social care costs.
Fell continued:
“Most people who smoke wish they had never started but, because the tobacco industry specifically targets children and young people, they become addicted while they are young and then find it incredibly hard to quit. Raising the age of sale will protect children and young people from ever becoming addicted in the first place, saving countless lives.
“Everyone – especially the MPs who will be voting on this legislation – must seize this historic opportunity to protect thousands of children and young people from becoming addicted to harmful products that we know cause death and disease.”
ADPH has also welcomed the introduction of tighter restrictions on vapes and commitment from the Government to ensure that those responsible for enforcement are adequately resourced and funded.
Fell, who is also Director of Public Health for Sheffield City Council, explained:
“Disposable vapes are both affordable and easily accessible to children, and are having a damaging impact on the environment, so it is right that the Government has committed to act. It is critical though that vapes remain available for adult smokers as vaping can be an effective tool for people trying to quit.
“However, people who don’t smoke shouldn’t vape and marketing vapes to children and young people is absolutely unacceptable. Making packaging plain, banning enticing flavours and keeping vapes out of view will help combat the industry’s focus on targeting children and young people.”