MHF backs call for new action on tobacco

The MHF is backing a new report published by Action on Smoking & Health (ASH) today calling on the government to introduce tough new measures to protect children and reduce inequalities.

Report Cover The report, Beyond 'Smoking Kills': protecting children, reducing inequalities, is a landmark publication reflecting on 10 years of progress since the launch of the first ever government white paper on smoking and recommending a comprehensive plan for the next 10 years. Beyond 'Smoking Kills' makes a number of recommendations including:

Requiring plain packaging for all tobacco products
Prohibiting the display of tobacco products in shops
Clamping down on smuggling
Giving smokers access to safer non-tobacco alternatives to smoking

ASH reckon these measures could help a further 4.5 million smokers to quit by 2015.

Harpal Kumar, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK said: 'There have been some great achievements over the past decade, but smoking is still responsible for over a quarter of all cancer deaths and devastates the lives of so many people. We particularly need to break the cycle that sees 450 children taking up smoking every single day. Half of all long term smokers will die from the addiction so we need to push forward with a comprehensive new strategy including the measures outlined in this new report.'

In 2006, 22% of all adults in England smoked (23% of men and 21% of women). Over the three decades from 1974 to 2005 the average number of cigarettes smoked declined among men from 18 to 14 per day but remained stable at 13 per day for women. In 2007 smoking prevalence was 5% among boys and 8% among girls.

An important new piece of research conducted for the report examined the impact of tobacco branding on adults and young people. The research found that branding on packs misleads both adults and young people and young people find branded packaging more attractive than plain packs.