The government in England will announce a package of anti-smoking measures that will cost $56 million
The British government intends to distribute sums of money amounting to 400 pounds (500 US dollars) to pregnant women in the country, provided that they quit smoking if they are smokers, and the government also intends to adopt a large package of measures in order to reduce smoking rates in the country, which is expected to cost Millions of pounds sterling.
Media reports in London, seen by Al Arabiya.net, said that the government intends to give one million smokers a set of “electronic smoking tools” for free, as well, in order to encourage them to quit tobacco products.
According to the package of measures that the government intends to announce in England, a study will begin to oblige cigarette manufacturers to provide advice on quitting smoking inside cigarette packages, in order to encourage smokers to quit smoking.
The British government has committed to reducing smoking rates in England to less than 5% by 2030, and plans also include a crackdown on illegal sales to minors.
The government said nearly one in five smokers in England would receive a quit kit and behavioral support.
Electronic cigarette shop in London
British Health Secretary Neil O’Brien is expected to announce a “free vaping policy” dubbed “Swap to Stop”, the first of its kind in the world.
It is also expected to say that “as many as two out of three lifetime smokers will die from smoking, so cigarettes are the only product on sale that will kill you if used properly.”
For her part, Deborah Arnott, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health, a charity concerned with combating smoking, said that exchanging traditional tobacco for electronic cigarettes is not enough.
“E-cigarettes increase the chances of successfully quitting smoking, as do coupons for pregnant smokers, so these are welcome steps in the right direction, but they are by no means sufficient.”
It is estimated that 9% of women in England still smoke during pregnancy, and the government says local experience suggests that financial incentives and behavioral support can be effective in combating smoking.
The Department of Health and Social Care in London said it would put out details of how the system would work “in due course”.
Officials estimate that the package of measures that the British government intends to start will cost regarding 45 million pounds ($56 million), according to a report published by the BBC and seen by Al Arabiya.net.
