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England to miss smoke-free ta
The Khan Review says the government must implement four “
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he government’s Independent Review into Tobacco Control, otherwise known as the Khan Review, has warned that without further action England will miss its smoke-free targets by at least seven years and that the government must implement four “critical recommendations” including the promotion of vaping. The government had tasked former Barnardo’s Chief Executive Javed Khan with carrying out a root and branch review of current tobacco control policies as part of its levelling-up agenda. Key recommendations made in the Khan Review include: ● Introducing a New Zealand-style system that would see the age of sale raised from its current level of 18 by one year, every year, so that eventually no-one will be able to buy tobacco; ● Introducing a tobacco licence for retailers to limit where tobacco is available; ● Dedicating an additional £125m per year of funding to local Trading Standards to boost enforcement; ● Raising the cost of tobacco duties by at least 30% across all tobacco products; ● Offering vaping as a substitute for smoking alongside information on the benefits of switching.
Khan said: “A smoke-free society should be a social norm – but to achieve this,
we must do more to stop people taking up smoking, help those who already smoke and support those who are disproportionately impacted by smoking. My holistic set of recommendations for government will deliver this, whilst sav-
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ing lives, saving money, and addressing the health disparities associated with smoking. “My proposals are not just a plan for this government, but successive governments too. To truly achieve a smoke-free
