Half of the public thinks the government is not doing enough to reduce smoking

The ASH Smokefree GB survey carried out by YouGov finds that 49 per cent of adults in England think the government is not doing enough to address smoking, many more than the 28 per cent who think the government is doing about right, with only seven per cent saying they are ‘doing too much’. There is overwhelming majority support for further action to:

Many of these recommendations were included in the independent Khan review published in June 2022. The review author Javed Khan will address the issue at the event.

Ahead of his speech, Javed said, “Reaching a smokefree 2030 is achievable, but it requires more action than the government has currently committed to. My 2022 review called for a holistic response that will make smoking obsolete in this country. Without a doubt, sustainable and increased funding is needed to support those with the highest rates of smoking, something which could be levied from the tobacco industry. Anything less risks leaving some groups behind and widening the already substantial inequalities caused by smoking.”