Smoking and vaping - the need for action

This article was originally published in The Times.

Millions of smokers want to quit, but cannot due to an addiction to nicotine that started at a young age. It is an addiction they know could well kill them, but is now trapping them. Over 80% of smokers start before the age of 20, many as children, after persistent marketing. Starting smoking feels easy- stopping it later once nicotine has got its grip is really hard with the great majority of people who smoke wishing they had never started. For too many smoking becomes a lifelong, life limiting, deeply regretted addiction. To be pro individual choice should mean being against deliberate addiction of children, young people and young adults to something that will harm them, potentially fatally.

Over the life course addiction to smoking damages individuals, families and society. From stillbirth in pregnant women, through asthma in children due to passive smoking, heart disease, stroke, lung disease, diabetes, 15 different types of cancer, to premature dementia in older age, smoking blights lives. Smoking remains the UK’s biggest preventable killer resulting in around 80,000 deaths a year and is a major driver of socioeconomic and geographic inequalities. Passive smoking of second-hand smoke, including by children, damages health for life. The NHS carries the burden of trying to undo some of the damage smoking causes.

Parliament is about to debate a Bill which will, if passed, produce enormous public health benefit and we hope lead to a smoke-free generation. At the same time it will help to ensure the flagrant marketing of vapes to children using colours, flavours and packaging is reduced. The overwhelming majority of doctors, nurses and other healthcare workers, who have seen the misery nicotine addiction causes, will support this Bill. Vapes can help smokers quit. But if you don’t smoke, our advice is don’t vape, and marketing of vapes to children is utterly unacceptable. The public, agrees; a smokefree generation is supported by the majority of the public.

We strongly encourage MPs and Peers from all four nations and all political parties to support a smokefree generation and restrictions of marketing of vapes to children. If passed the Bill will be a major public health achievement by Parliament to prevent the future misery, disease and death caused by nicotine addiction.

Current Chief Medical Officers

• Professor Sir Chris Whitty, Chief Medical Officer for England
• Professor Sir Michael McBride, Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland
• Professor Sir Gregor Smith, Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Sir Frank Atherton, Chief Medical Officer for Wales

Former Chief Medical Officers

• Professor Dame Sally Davies, Former Chief Medical Officer for England
• Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Former Chief Medical Officer for England
• Professor Sir Kenneth Calman, Former Chief Medical Officer for England and Scotland.
• Dr Henrietta Campbell, Former Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland
• Dr James McKenna, Former Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland
• Professor Catherine Calderwood, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Aileen Keel, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Sir Harry Burns, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Dr Ernest Macalpine Armstrong, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Sir David Carter, Former Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Dr Ruth Hussey, Former Chief Medical Officer for Wales
• Dr Tony Jewell, Former Chief Medical Officer for Wales
• Dr Ruth Hall, Former Chief Medical Officer for Wales
• Dame Deirdre Hine, Former Chief Medical Officer for Wales

Current Deputy Chief Medical Officers

• Professor Thomas Waite, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England
• Dr Jeanelle DeGruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England
• Dr Aidan Fowler, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England
• Professor Lourda Geoghegan, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland
• Dr Naresh Chada, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland
• Professor Marion Bain, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Nicola Steedman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Graham Ellis, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Scotland
• Professor Chris Jones, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for Wales.