Government promises to tackle tobacco in the king's speech

In the king’s speech on July 17, 2024 the government announced that the reintroduction of the ‘Tobacco and Vapes Bill’ was an early priority in the forthcoming session.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), said, “Today’s announcement puts us in pole position to be the first country in the world to end smoking. Smoking puts pressure on our NHS and social care system, but the greatest financial impact is the damage to our economy due to lost productivity.

“The measures announced today will play a major role in helping the government achieve its ambition to halve the difference in healthy life expectancy between the richest and poorest regions and deliver productivity growth in every part of the country.”