UK Unlikely to Take Action on Smoking Recommendations

According to an article in The Guardian citing anonymous sources, it is unlikely that the UK government will take the actions recommended by Javed Khan in his recent report on smoking.

The UK government has pledged to achieve a "smoke-free" goal by 2030, which will reduce the proportion of adults who smoke traditional cigarettes from 14.1% to below 5%.

According to a report released by Khan in June, ministers need to accelerate the reduction of traditional cigarette smokers by 40% if they want to achieve their 2030 target. In addition to the existing measures, he suggested increasing the legal age for purchasing tobacco by one year every year, imposing new "pollution taxes" on tobacco companies, and requiring tobacco product retailers to hold licenses.

According to a report in The Guardian, the UK Health Secretary Thérèse Coffey is planning to overturn the previous minister's action plan on addressing smoking problems.

According to the report, Coffey had previously received entertainment from the tobacco industry. Since becoming a member of parliament in 2010, she has voted against a series of measures aimed at restricting smoking in the House of Commons, including bans on smoking in enclosed public spaces, smoking in cars with children, and enforcing plain packaging for cigarettes.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has stated that the suggestion of the tobacco control plan being cancelled is "inaccurate", but has not indicated whether or when the plan will be released.

The Labour Party and anti-smoking campaigners expressed shock at the possibility that tobacco control plans may not be implemented.

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