NOW the Tobacco and Vapes Act has become law, Cancer Research UK estimates nearly 1.3 million children growing up in the East of England today – and around 13 million nationwide – will never be legally sold tobacco in the UK.**
If the new law has the impact the UK Government hopes, by 2040, up to 10 million fewer cigarettes will be smoked each day in the UK.***
This world-leading legislation to phase out the legal sale of tobacco will apply to children born on or after 1 January 2009.**** Not only will it help to stop people developing a deadly addiction, it could also alleviate pressure on the NHS, prevent tens of thousands of cancers and help create the UK’s first ever smokefree generation.
In the past decade alone, smoking has been responsible for around 50,000 cancer cases in the East of England and more than 32,000 people in the region have lost their lives to cancer caused by tobacco.*****
After helping to uncover the link between tobacco and cancer in the 1950s, Cancer Research UK has spent decades researching and campaigning for action to tackle its harms, including new laws to prevent smoking indoors in public places, introducing plain packaging and graphic warnings on cigarette packs, and stopping the marketing of tobacco products. The charity welcomes the new law while also highlighting the need for it to be fully implemented across the UK.
Michelle Mitchell, chief executive officer at Cancer Research UK said:
“This is a truly historic achievement that will help to save and improve lives. With the new law in place, we are moving towards a future where children will grow up shielded from the lifelong harms of tobacco. It will mean more people living a life free from the grip of deadly addiction, fewer people facing a cancer diagnosis and less pressure on an already over stretched health service.
“Today’s milestone is the result of decades of research, overwhelming support in Parliament, tireless campaigning and backing from people whose lives have been devastated by smoking. Governments across the UK must now ensure the Act is implemented fully in every nation, alongside support to help people quit smoking. A future free from the lethal harms of tobacco is firmly within reach.”
Nothing would have a bigger impact on reducing the number of preventable deaths in the UK than ending smoking.
More than 65,000 people in the East of England have lost their lives to tobacco over the past decade. And, across England, every year it’s estimated that smoking leads to over 400,000 hospital admissions, placing significant pressure on the system and costing the NHS approximately £1.8 billion to treat tobacco-related illnesses. Smoking doesn’t only have a devastating personal toll, it also impacts economic productivity. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) estimates that smoking costs the economy in England around £27.6 billion each year.******
Around 9.7% of people in the East of England still smoke and need help to quit.******* With the harms of tobacco concentrated in more deprived communities, smoking is the biggest driver of health inequalities. Cancer Research UK is calling for the UK Government to ensure there is continued funding for stop smoking support, so everyone has access to the tools they need to quit for good.
To find out more visit cruk.org/smokefreegen
