Dr Neil Hudson MP has given his support to the NHS’ new smokefree campaign to encourage all 5.3 million smokers in England to make an attempt to quit.
The campaign highlights the influence of parents’ smoking habits on young people taking up the habit and how being around children is a strong motivation to quit.
Research lays bare the stark reality - teens are more than 3 times as likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers or friends do. In a new, poignant film, former England goalkeeper David James discusses how his family members and friends smoked around him when he was a youngster, which led to him taking up the habit. In the film, he describes how smoking impacted his performance on the football world stage.
This comes as the Government progresses with plans to create the first smokefree generation in history by phasing out the sale of cigarettes by introducing a law to stop children who turned 14 in 2023 and under from ever legally being sold tobacco in England.
The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill that will tackle the issue also delivers on Dr Hudson’s campaign to crack down on youth vaping which has skyrocketed in recent years. See Dr Hudson secure and lead a parliamentary debate on the frightening rise of vaping among under-18s here; watch Dr Hudson urge faster action on youth vaping during cross-party debate here; and watch Dr Hudson first sound the alarm in Parliament on the dangers of youth vaping here.
Over 12,000 people responded to Government consultation on these plans and Ministers now look to take on board advice and introduce bolstered on-the-spot fines for underage sales, prevent marketing targeting children and increase powers to seize illicit vapes that can contain harmful substances from arsenic and lead to illegal drugs.
Dr Neil Hudson MP said:
“Smoking is the largest cause of preventable deaths in England. I am pleased to be supporting the NHS’ new smokefree campaign which highlights how smoking not only impacts personal health and the health of our NHS, but also of our young people who are more than 3 times more likely to smoke if their parents, caregivers or friends do.
“Alongside this, I am proud the Government is pressing ahead with measures to crack down on youth vaping which desperately impacts the health, education and wellbeing of young folk. This is an issue I have passionately campaigned on and I’m delighted to be seeing results.”
Almost every minute of every day someone is admitted to hospital with a smoking-related disease.
Smoking costs the economy and wider society £17 billion a year. This includes an annual £14 billion loss to productivity, through smoking-related lost earnings, unemployment and early death, as well as costs to the NHS and social care of £3 billion. This is equivalent to the annual salaries of over half a million nurses, 390,000 GPs, 400,000 police officers, or 400 million GP appointments.
Reducing the prevalence of smoking will reduce those costs, lower pressure on the NHS and help the economy become more productive.
