The government is considering adding inserts into tobacco products to encourage smokers to quit.
The consultation, which runs until 10 Octobers, explains that the inserts, placed inside the packaging of cigarettes and hand rolling tobacco, would contain positive messages to encourage people to quit and signpost them to advice and support.
The messages set out the health benefits of quitting – for example, improvements to breathing within a matter of days and a 50% reduction in the risk of heart attack within a year – as well as showing smokers how much money they stand to save by giving up, with the average person likely to save over £2,000 per year if they quit.
The government highlighted how they are used in other countries, including Canada and Israel. It said that an evaluation of the policy’s impact in Canada found that almost one in three smokers had read the inserts at least once in the past month, and that those who were exposed to the inserts multiple times were significantly more likely to try to give up smoking.
Announcing the consultation, Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said: “Smoking places a huge burden on the NHS, economy and individuals. It directly causes a whole host of health problems – including cancers and cardiovascular disease – and costs the economy billions every year in lost productivity.
“By taking action to reduce smoking rates and pursuing our ambition to be smokefree by 2030, we will reduce the pressure on the NHS and help people to live healthier lives.”
Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), welcomed the proposals. “Smoking is very addictive, and it takes smokers on average thirty attempts before they succeed in stopping, so encouraging them to keep on trying is vital.
“Pack inserts do this by backing up the grim messages about death and disease on the outside with the best advice about how to quit on the inside.”
Smokers’ rights lobby group Forest, also welcomed the proposals but queried the messaging on the inserts.
“If the inserts provide constructive information about quitting there is some merit in the idea,” said director Simon Clark. “For example, inserting information about reduced risk products such as e-cigarettes, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches would make a lot of sense.
“Targeting consumers with more anti-smoking messages, which are on the pack already, risks warning fatigue and won’t work.”
He also questioned who would pay for this. “If the cost is passed on to consumers, who already pay punitive rates of taxation on tobacco, it may be counter productive because more smokers will switch to illicit tobacco products that won’t have inserts added.”
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