UK government announces tobacco control plan
Wednesday 9th March 2011, posted by admin
UK Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has confirmed plans to implement Labour legislation to ban the display of tobacco in shops.
Retailers will be given additional time to prepare. The regulations will now begin on 6 April 2012 for large stores and 6 April 2015 for all other shops.
On plain packaging, "the Government has an open mind and wants to hear views". There will be a consultation and an "assessment of the impact" before the end of 2011.
Quoting directly from the written statement, the Tobacco Control Plan has three "national ambitions" to reduce smoking rates in England by the end of 2015:
- From 21.2 per cent to 18.5 per cent or less among adults
- From 15 per cent to 12 per cent or less among 15 year olds, and
- From 14 per cent to 11 per cent or less among pregnant mothers
"These ambitions represent reductions in smoking rates that exceed the reductions we have seen in the past five years."
The Government has set out key actions in the following six areas:
- stopping the promotion of tobacco;
- making tobacco less affordable;
- effective regulation of tobacco products;
- helping tobacco users to quit;
- reducing exposure to secondhand smoke; and
- effective communications for tobacco control.
Full Government statement here.
See also: Forest attacks tobacco control plans (press release),
Brand ban no way to a Big Society (Tom Miers, The Free Society)
Comments:
Jenty
Posted on
Mar 30th, 2011
As if anyone is going to be embarrassed by asking for this 'under-the-counter' product! As for plain packaging, a wide open invitation to counterfeiters. The more stringent the regulations become, the more consumers will buy abroad, and smugglers will become more active.
Given the dire financial straits of the UK economy, these proposed measures will lower the tax take, and if they succeed, some small shops will go under.
Ideology seems to taking over from commonsense.
mike holt
Posted on
Mar 23rd, 2012
It always annoys me when Ash says we welcome the governments initiatives along with other health groups.Who are these people and why are they allowed to have any say whatsoever in my lifestyle choice.There is still not a single piece of evidence to show passive smoking harms anybody but the smoker.So i say to Ash and lansley mind your own effin business.And when you think about it,what right have thses people got to decide anyone's future habits young or old.I really thought the tories would throw all this labour shite out of the window,but for some unknown reason they are contiuing with it .So bye bye tories no more votes from me.
pat
Posted on
Apr 3rd, 2012
And no more votes from me either i shall vote for ukip it showed the other day that people are pissed off with the three main party's they are corrupt they are paid by ash to do this to smokers. What the bloody hell has ash got to do with my life style choice. The bloody interfering old bags i bet they go home and drink threr self silly i dont i just like a cigarette what is the difference. This is a bloody nanny state and i bloody well hate this country. I wouldnt fight to defend this country i would tell the politicians to stick my gun up there arse. I cannot do what i like even if its above the law like having a cigarette why dont they ban it altogether if its so bad. And why they are at it get rid of all the illegal drugs in this country and all the alcohol as they are all addictive. These politicians think they have the right to tell people what to do they were ellected to run the country not me.
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