ASH report calls for tobacco companies to pay for anti-smoking efforts

A new report has called on the government to impose an annual levy on tobacco companies to pay for national anti-smoking initiatives.

More than 120 public health-related organisations have joined Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) in calling for tobacco firms to contribute money to pay for evidence-based measures to reduce smoking, including enhanced mass media campaigns and stop smoking services.

In the March budget earlier this year, chancellor George Osborne committed to the government consulting further on imposing such a levy on tobacco companies, with ASH stating this is necessary to save lives and reduce the burden on the NHS.

The report also calls for a new target of achieving a five percent smoking rate by 2035 and a new comprehensive five-year government tobacco strategy for England, with a particular focus on addressing widening health inequalities smoking causes.

Although efforts have been made to cut down smoking rates in recent years, the impact has not been evenly spread, meaning the habit is now more concentrated than ever among the least advantaged people.

Peter Kellner, chair of the report's editorial board and president of YouGov, said: "Investing in evidence-based measures that reduce smoking is highly cost effective … Placing a levy on tobacco companies to fund such work is a win-win – saving both money and lives."