Tobacco Control Policy in the UK

This essay report discusses the tobacco control policy in the UK, its background, impact on health services and society, and various government policies and plans to reduce smoking rates and promote a healthy life.

Public Health
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CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY..................................................................................................................................3
Background..................................................................................................................................3
Policy...........................................................................................................................................4
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7
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INTRODUCTION
Tobacco is a dangerous consumer product and many people die prematurely due to smoking
related diseases. The combination of United Kingdom and European Union law is used to
regulate the tobacco products in United Kingdom. The use of tobacco is a major health issue that
influence communities and individuals adversely all across the nation (Ali and Jawad, 2017). It
impacts negatively on health, carries financial cost as well as place burden on National health
services. Therefore, strategic and comprehensive approach to control the use of tobacco is the
priority for local authorities in UK. This is an essay report which discusses about the tobacco
control policy. Study this policy is significant as use of tobacco is one among the key issues in
United Kingdom. This report covers background information about the policy along with its
impact on health service staff and society.
MAIN BODY
Background
Tobacco is an indigenous plant originally grown in in America not it grows across the
world. The leaves of the plant have high level of addictive chemical nicotine, cancer causing
chemicals, polyromantic hydrocarbons. Nicotine is the major chemical in tobacco. Leaves can be
applied to gums, inhaled or smoked. Nicotine is being taken out of the leaf to give rise to novel
nicotine products, like e-cigarettes, but it also produces nicotine replacement therapies, used to
cure tobacco addiction (Bold and Krishnan-Sarin, 2019). Tobacco exposure and use causes many
health problems such as cancer, respiratory, heart and other diseases. Tobacco epidemic is
biggest public health warning the world has faced, it is killing 8 million people or even more a
year across the world. In this, 7 million deaths are directly related to the use of direct tobacco
while 1.2 million deaths are related to non-smokers being reveal to second-hand source of
smoke.
Tobacco is harmful in it's all forms, and there is none safe level of reveal to tobacco.
Cigarettes are most commonly form of tobacco which is consumed across the world. Other
tobacco products are kreteks, bidis, pipe tobacco, roll your self-tobacco, cigarillos, cigars and
water pipe tobacco. In 1.3 billion tobacco consumers worldwide, over 80% live in middle and
low income countries, where burden of tobacco illness is heaviest (Bonnie, Stratton, and Kwan,
2015). Tobacco consumption greatly contributes to poverty as they divert their spending to
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tobacco. In various countries poor children are employed in farming of tobacco to boost the
family income. Farmers who grow tobacco are also reveal a number of risks.
In 2007, ban on smoking in workplace and public spaces took effect all over the UK under
health act of 2006. The evidence of health risk of smoking had been developing, and public
opinion started to support the ban. Despite the strong opposition from the smokers’ groups, the
ban adopted and enforced over all the UK country (Cairney, and Studlar, 2014). Today, UK has
many advantages as it has a control on tobacco regulation. Initially, there were many challenges
like in 1960 and 70s, smoking was allowed in public places, like in trains, buses, theatres,
restaurants, cinemas and even in workplaces. The tobacco companies invested in distracting and
denying attention from the connection between bad health and cigarettes, despite make them
aware of the risk related with smoking. In 1970 and 80s the risk of smoking became more
apparent to doctors and health professionals and common people.
Workplaces and public places in UK began to force partial and voluntary smoking bans. In
2002, a report was presented by the agency on cancer, quantified the risk of smoking. It
concluded, environmental or second-hand tobacco causes cancer among non-smokers (Cairney,
and Yamazaki, 2018). In 2003, the UK chief medical officer, launched his report, saying that
voluntary agreement not reducing health risk from passive smoking fast enough. In 2005, it
found out that passive smoking is increasing the risk of heart disease by 30 percent. The effect
was larger than anyone would expect. It became clear that voluntary and partial bans were not
adequate to protect the people from the passive smoking.
Policy
Health policy is formulated and executed through devolved administrations of each of the
member nations of UK. However, as there are district government departments under which the
tobacco falls such as business, health, treasury as well as HMRC, tobacco control policy is
determined partially at wide level in United Kingdom as well as partially by devolved
administrations. In United Kingdom, Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland are the four
nations which have responsibility of health education and smoking cessation campaigns while
law and United Kingdom wide policy applies to advertising, consumer protection, smuggling and
taxation issues like provision of health warnings on packaging of tobacco (Eaton, Kwan and
Stratton, 2018). Some among these measures are ascertain by European Union legislation.
Tobacco control policy made by government is highly effective in reducing the prevalence of
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smoking rates. A relative reduction of around 23 percent in smoking rate over the period of 1998
and 2009 was seen due to tobacco control policy, mainly advertising restrictions, smoke free air
laws, cessation treatment programs and tax increase. By analysing the data, it has been found
that, United Kingdom is successful in reducing the prevalence of smoking as well as prolonging
lives by execution of tobacco control policy (Hunt, and et. al., 2018).
The smoking prevalence is reducing very sharply among adults in England. It has been
reported by the public health England that for the first half of the year 2017, smoke quitting
success rate is highest. However, it continues to be the major cause of preventable deaths in year
2015. In year 2016, around 16% of individuals in Great Britain smoked cigarettes. The adults
proportion who have never smoked has increased. In Northern Ireland, the rate of smoking was
higher in comparison to rest of United Kingdom. Some of the tobacco control policies like
standardized packaging, tobacco display ban, revised European Union tobacco product directive
etc. have been introduced all across United Kingdom. In year 2011, a tobacco control plan was
introduced which aims to stopping promotion of tobacco, assisting tobacco uses to quit, effective
communication for control of tobacco, making it less affordable, minimising exposure to second-
hand smoke and effective regulation of tobacco goods (Levy and et. al., 2015).
In year 2017, a new tobacco plan was introduced by government which aims to minimise
prevalence of smoking among young people, reduce smoking in pregnancy, make mental health
sites free of smoke by 2018 as well as assisting individuals to quit smoking through utilising
innovative technology and increasing availability of safe alternative like electronic cigarette. It is
the responsibility of local authorities to protect the health of public and mitigate their needs,
involving provision of smoking cessation services by NHS. However, National bodies like
Public Health England also plays key role in supporting local services as well as rendering
direction and research on such issues. All such plans of government significantly help in
reducing the rates of smoking in United Kingdom and improving the health of the society.
Tobacco display ban is one among the policies of government according to which the
display of tobacco goods in large and small shops is prohibited by tobacco advertising and
promotion regulations, 2010. The another policy of government related to tobacco control
includes standardised packaging (Orenstein, and Glantz, 2018). United Kingdom has become
first European nation which introduce standardise packaging of products of tobacco. In year
2016, the standardized packaging of tobacco regulations act came into force and new rules are
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introduced on tobacco products packaging. The packing thing is very important; it shows
information on it. So the people who consume it get to know about the health hazards and risks
from consuming it. The tobacco products cannot be sold to a minor (less than 18), Packaging has
a special mention on that. They contain warning on it, yet people consume it because they have
an addiction of tobacco. The packing thing warns about the consumption of tobacco (Prochaska,
Das, and Young-Wolff, 2017).
Sale of tobacco goods to children is the policy under children and young person’s act, 1991
according to which, it is an offence to sell tobacco products to anyone who is aged less than 18
years. In order to reduce the use of tobacco, high excise duty rates have maintained by
government on tobacco products in order to reduce their affordability as well as encourage
smokers to minimise their consumption and give up smoking (Saleheen, Zhao, and Rasheed,
2014). Maintaining such robust tax regime in relation to tobacco and minimise discrepancies in
prices of tobacco products proves to be highly effective. It is the effective means of reducing the
rate of a smoking. Government also administering incentives for the individuals who quit
smoking. Execution of illicit tobacco strategy by government and declining the market share of
tobacco products has devastating influence on communities and individuals United Kingdom. Its
sales undermine public health policy by providing cheaper options or ways for those individuals
who might see price as a cause to stop smoking. It damages legitimate business as well as makes
tobacco more accessible to people especially children. All these policies and plans of
government help in declining the rates of smoking in the country. It also helps in preventing
people from illness. This promotes healthy life of people, societies and communities (Wolfson,
2017).
CONCLUSION
As per the above essay, it can be concluded that tobacco is a dangerous product which leads
individual towards serious health issues and many people die prematurely. In United Kingdom,
tobacco is the major cause of health issues among individuals. The government has executed
various policies and plans which assist in reducing the rates of smoking and promoting healthy
life of individuals. These policies include standardised packaging, tobacco display ban, smoking
in public areas, revised European Union tobacco product directive etc. All these policies prove to
be highly effective in reducing the rates of smoking among children and young people in United
Kingdom and promoting healthy life.
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REFERENCES
Books & Journals
Ali, M. and Jawad, M., 2017. Health effects of waterpipe tobacco use: getting the public health
message just right. Tobacco use insights, 10, p.1179173X17696055.
Bold, K.W. and Krishnan-Sarin, S., 2019. E-cigarettes: Tobacco policy and regulation. Current
addiction reports, 6(2), pp.75-85.
Bonnie, R.J., Stratton, K. and Kwan, L.Y. eds., 2015. Public health implications of raising the
minimum age of legal access to tobacco products. Washington, DC: National Academies
Press.
Cairney, P. and Studlar, D., 2014. Public health policy in the United Kingdom: After the war on
tobacco, is a war on alcohol brewing?. World Medical & Health Policy, 6(3), pp.308-323.
Cairney, P. and Yamazaki, M., 2018. A comparison of tobacco policy in the UK and Japan: if the
scientific evidence is identical, why is there a major difference in policy?. Journal of
Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 20(3), pp.253-268.
Eaton, D.L., Kwan, L.Y. and Stratton, K., 2018. Public health consequences of e-cigarettes.
Hunt, D., and et. al., 2018. Modelling the implications of reducing smoking prevalence: the
public health and economic benefits of achieving a ‘tobacco-free’UK. Tobacco
Control, 27(2), pp.129-135.
Levy, D.T., and et. al., 2015. Public health effects of restricting retail tobacco product displays
and ads. Tobacco regulatory science, 1(1), pp.61-75.
Orenstein, D.G. and Glantz, S.A., 2018. Regulating cannabis manufacturing: applying public
health best practices from tobacco control. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 50(1), pp.19-
32.
Prochaska, J.J., Das, S. and Young-Wolff, K.C., 2017. Smoking, mental illness, and public
health. Annual review of public health, 38, pp.165-185.
Saleheen, D., Zhao, W. and Rasheed, A., 2014. Epidemiology and public health policy of
tobacco use and cardiovascular disorders in low-and middle-income
countries. Arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and vascular biology, 34(9), pp.1811-1819.
Wolfson, M., 2017. The fight against big tobacco: The movement, the state, and the public's
health. Transaction Publishers.
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