All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health - APPG on Smoking and

All Party Parliamentary Group on Smoking and Health APPG on Smoking and Health Manifesto for a Smokefree Future Make Smoking History: A cross Government strategy to improve the nation’s health, wealth and productivity Executive Summary November 2023 Executive Summary and Recommendations The APPG strongly supports the Government’s proposals to raise the age of sale of tobacco to prevent the next ge. [...] Reducing smoking prevalence has an immediate impact not only on the health and wellbeing of the population but also on the cost of smoking to the public purse and the wider economy. [...] Cost of smoking The annual cost of smoking to individuals, to public services and to the wider UK economy is £89.3 bn, equivalent to around 3.9% of GDP. [...] 2 APPG on Smoking and Health Manifesto for a Smokefree Future - Executive Summary Make the polluter pay The polluter pays principle is accepted for the environment, so why not for tobacco? Smoking remains the leading cause of premature death and disability, responsible for half the difference in healthy life expectancy between the most and least advantaged in society. [...] The profits of pharmaceutical companies are limited by regulation, for products which are life-saving, so why are the profits of tobacco manufacturers exempt, when their products destroy lives? The primary legislation needed has been drafted for the APPG and is ready to be tabled.