Rising public support for stricter tobacco control in the UK

What is it about?

Smoking is a major health threat that can cause serious conditions like cancer and heart disease. To help people live healthier lives, the UK gov-ernment is working to reduce smoking rates. This study looks at public support for four proposed tobacco control policies across Great Britain. These include raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21, limiting e-cigarette advertising, providing prescription e-cigarettes as aids to quit smoking, and banning tobacco sales to people born after a specific year (called the “smokefree generation” policy). The researchers surveyed people across Great Britain to understand how public views on these policies have changed from 2021 to 2023. They found that support for most policies has been increasing each year. The most popular policy was limiting e-cigarette advertising. A growing num-ber of people have backed this measure over time. More people now also favor raising the legal age to buy tobacco to 21, and there is increas-ing support for creating a smokefree generation.

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Photo by Cristian Guerrero on Unsplash

Photo by Cristian Guerrero on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Reducing smoking is important for public health. But new challenges like increased e-cigarette use among youth require strong, updated control policies. Understanding public opinion on these measures can help ensure they are effective and widely accepted. These findings show that public support for stricter tobacco controls is growing. This is important for putting these policies into action. Effective tobacco control will lead to better health outcomes for everyone, making these policies crucial for a healthier future. KEY TAKEAWAY: Public support for stricter tobacco control measures is on the rise. This is es-pecially true for measures focused on preventing young people from ob-taining tobacco. This change in public opinion suggests a growing de-mand for stronger regulations.