Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views – Department of Health and Social Care (dhsc.gov.uk)

Dear all

In west Cheshire, fewer people smoke than ever before, but sadly, smoking remains the leading cause of preventable ill-health and early death in the borough.

In recent years there also has been a worrying increase in the number of young people vaping. The use of e-cigarettes to help people stop smoking has been acknowledged as an effective aid for those who currently smoke however, people who do not smoke, should not vape.  Discouraging people from smoking and young people from vaping remains a priority for the Council.

We work closely with our partners and residents to help reduce smoking rates in the borough and our strategic commitments and actions to reduce smoking and vaping are outlined in the Council’s Health Improvement Strategy: Health Improvement Strategy | Cheshire West and Chester Council

The government has recently proposed some important legislative changes with regards to smoking and youth vaping. The four key proposals are:

1. Creating the first smokefree generation: it will be an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone born on, or after, 1 January 2009. This will stop children turning 14 or younger in 2023 from ever legally being sold cigarettes and has the potential to phase out smoking in young people almost completely, as early as 2040.

2. Supporting people to quit: additional funding will be available in England for initiatives including local authority-led stop smoking services, national awareness campaigns, ‘Swap to Stop’ scheme and a financial incentive scheme to support all pregnant smokers to quit.

3. Youth vaping: several proposals to reduce youth vaping, making sure we get the balance right between protecting our children and young people and supporting adult smokers to quit.

4. Strengthening enforcement: funding to support enforcement agencies including Local Authority Trading Standards Teams to implement and enforce the law and tackle illicit trade. Local Authorities will have new powers to issue on-the-spot fines to enforce age of sale legislation for tobacco products and vapes.

The government will also strengthen online age verification to stop underage sales of tobacco products and vapes online.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a real difference, reducing social inequalities, decreasing the harms caused by smoking, and prevent ill-health, disability, and early death.

These proposals are currently out to a UK-wide consultation which closes on 6 December, so there is still time to comment on them.  I urge you to read them and respond to the consultation, which is open to anyone of any age in the UK.

Full details of the proposal can be accessed by clicking on this link: Stopping the start: our new plan to create a smokefree generation – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You can respond to the consultation here: Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping: your views – Department of Health and Social Care (dhsc.gov.uk)

For further information, please contact Public Health

Email: publichealth@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Kind regards

Helen Bromley, Director of Public Health, Cheshire West and Chester Council