Questions and Answers

1. What do you mean by a “comprehensive cross governmental strategy”?

2. Is this a plan for England or the UK?

3. What is “harm reduction”?

4. Isn’t nicotine harmful?

5. Do you want to legalise Snus?

6. Why is the Smokefree Action coalition still called ‘smokefree’ in spite of the smoking ban introduced throughout the UK in 2007?

7. Does the Coalition have any plans to help other jurisdictions worldwide go smokefree?

8. Does the Coalition want to bring in more bans?

Question not covered? Ask us at info@smokefreeaction.org.uk

1. What do you mean by a “comprehensive cross governmental strategy”?
Nine years ago the government published the first ever tobacco White Paper. Smoking Kills showed that tobacco was not just a “health problem”. It set out the actions that government departments had to take together, for example tackling smuggling, raising taxes, protecting workers, helping smokers to stop and preventing our children from starting to smoke. Almost 10 years on we need a fresh plan from government.

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2. Is this a plan for England or the UK?
Much of the problems in tobacco are the same across the whole of the UK and some of the issues can only be tackled by the UK Government in London but the Health departments in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland all have a role to play and different measures may be appropriate in different places. By going smokefree early, Scotland showed how one administration can blaze a trail for the others.

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3. What is “harm reduction”?
The best way for smokers to reduce the harm caused by smoking is to stop smoking entirely. If smokers aren’t able to give up entirely, they can reduce the harm to themselves and those around them by using pure nicotine products, which like the current medicinal products on the market contain only nicotine and not any other tobacco products.

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4. Isn’t nicotine harmful?
Most of the damage done by cigarettes is due to the burning of tobacco, which contains many harmful chemicals including tar. Nicotine is the drug that smokers are addicted to but nicotine itself is relatively harmless.

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5. Do you want to legalise Snus?
No. The Coalition is not campaigning for the liberalisation of any tobacco products.

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6. Why is the Smokefree Action coalition still called ‘smokefree’ in spite of the smoking ban introduced throughout the UK in 2007?
The Coalition came together to represent the growing body of medical, scientific and public opinion in favour of smokefree workplaces and we were instrumental in ensuring the legislation was as comprehensive and as effective as possible. The success of that campaign made it clear how much more there is to be done, not just in protecting those who don’t smoke but helping smokers who want to quit, and protecting the public from unscrupulous tobacco marketing.

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7. Does the Coalition have any plans to help other jurisdictions worldwide go smokefree?
The UK is a world leader in tobacco reform and we hope that colleagues around the world can learn from our efforts, but as a coalition our role centres on the UK.

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8. Does the Coalition want to bring in more bans?
The Coalition wants to protect people, especially children - from secondhand smoke and tobacco marketing. A lot can be done without bringing in new laws but we are also looking seriously at what new laws are needed to restrict the behaviour of companies that produce, promote and distribute tobacco products so we can support smokers who want to quit and prevent underage sales.

 

Health Inequalities | Secondhand Smoke | Child Health | Q&A | Contact: info@smokefreeaction.org.uk

Copyright Smokefree Action 2008