Can one of the first victims of the epidemic be one of the first to escape?

1. Can one of the first victims of the epidemic be one of the first to escape? Deborah Arnott Chief Executive, ASH WCTOH 8 March 2018

2. The Tobacco industry years • Male smoking peaked in 1948 at 82% • Female smoking peaked in 1960s at 45% • 3 of top 5 global companies British • RCP first outlined comprehensive strategy to tackle smoking in 1962 • Not implemented by UK until 1998 • Smoking prevalence then 27% - target 21% by 2010

3. Engagement with the tobacco industry: impact of the FCTC 1999: Then leader of the Conservative Party William Hague in a letter to the TMA: “Thank you for setting up my recent meeting with some of the leading members of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association. It was very useful to be able to hear the views of the industry and I hope that I was able to reassure them about our policy position. I too am keen that we should maintain the dialogue on both the health and economic issues and I agree that our objectives in each of these areas need not conflict.” 2017: Current Conservative Public Health Minister, Steve Brine responding to Parliamentary debate: “Her Majesty’s Government take their duties seriously, as they should as a signatory to the World Health Organisation framework convention on tobacco control. I feel that I should put on the record that, under article 5.3 of that convention, we have committed to protect our public health policies from the commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry.”

4. Cross party political support delivered results • Comprehensive tobacco strategies in place since 1999 despite changes in government • Tobacco tax escalator makes tobacco less affordable every year • Anti-smuggling strategies in place since 2000 • No advertising, promotion, sponsorship or display • Anti-smoking campaigns • Standard packs = UK now a dark market for tobacco promotion • Support for smokers to quit

5. UK a global leader in Tobacco Control

6. New national TC plan smokefree generation

7. New national TC plan harm reduction just one element

8. Current trend: smokefree by 2030under 5% adult smoking English adult smoking prevalence E-cigs took off Smoking Kills published 11-15 year old current smoking TC Plan 2017 Tobacco Control Plan for England published

9. The UK in line with international comparators

10. BUT……BUT.. Weaknesses mean renewed campaigning needed • Cuts in public health budgets • funding for mass media campaigns • funding at local level - enforcement of legislation; support for smokers to quit;regional collaboration on mass media and other tobacco control activity • Brexit is bad news • no appetite for further legislation • Licensing the retail supply chain • Making the polluter pay to fund tobacco control • Increasing age of sale to 21 • Increases risk of article 5.3 breaches

11. Campaign to stop British diplomats supporting tobacco manufacturers • Scandal in 2012 • New guidelines to posts published 2013 • Strengthened requirements that diplomats conform to Article 5.3 • BUT numerous examples of guidelines being disregarded • FOI requests have revealed embassies all round the world supporting British tobacco companies • ASH tabling PQs – need governments to complain

12. Campaign to increase mass media spend

13. Campaign to make Big Tobacco pay“polluter pays” principle • UK Tobacco manufacturers are licensed but not used, as in other countries, to raise money for regulation • US ‘user fee’ (similar system in other jurisdictions too) funds regulation e.g enforcement, mass media • In US it raises, allocated according to sales: • 2017, $ 635m  • 2018, $ 672m • Legal opinion for ASH says UK could do same

14. Campaign for retail licensinganyone can sell tobacco in the UK • 69% of retailers support license which retailers could lose if they break the law • 76% of public support requirement for businesses to have license before they can sell tobacco • 71% support requirement for manufacturers to pay levy or license fee to Government for measures to help smokers quit and prevent young people starting to smoke ASH. Counter arguments: How important is tobacco to small retailers? ASH, October 2016. [1.] Opinion research by YouGov. Total sample size was 12696 adults. Fieldwork undertaken between 16th February 2017 and 19th March 2017. [2. and 3.]

15. Campaign to reduce smoking in entertainment media • Advertising banned but smoking on TV, in films, in computer games and in magazines still common • TV strictest regulation but still allowed – “must not be condoned, encouraged or glamorised”… “unless there is editorial justification” • Public backlash – ASH working with academics to get guidelines changed

16. Public support for government action continues to grow • 71% support manufacturers being made to pay Government for tobacco control measures • ‘Government is not doing enough’ to tackle smoking: 29% in 2009 and 39% in 2017. • BUT… we need to do more to make public support visible and vocal Opinion research by YouGov. Total sample size was 12696 adults. Fieldwork undertaken between 16th February 2017 and 19th March 2017.

17. Current trends = smokefree by 2030BUT can current trends continue? English adult smoking prevalence Smoking Kills published 11-15 year old current smoking TC Plan 2017 Tobacco Control Plan for England published

18. THANK YOUWCTOH AND CAPE TOWN Heading for a smokefree future smokefreeaction.org.uk/ deborah.arnott@ash.org.uk