Welsh NHS Confederation response to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
Key points
The Welsh NHS Confederation responded to the Health and Social Care Committee’s scrutiny of the Legislative Consent Memorandum (“the LCM”) on the Tobacco and Vapes Bill (“the Bill”).
Our members, NHS leaders in Wales, agree with the overall views on the policy objectives of the Bill to introduce measures to stop people from ever starting smoking and becoming addicted to tobacco products, as well as introducing measures to reduce youth vaping.
Reducing smoking prevalence is a priority for our members. There is a high adult smoking prevalence in Wales which largely contributes to inequalities in life expectancy and healthy life expectancy. These are fundamentally attributable to circulatory and respiratory diseases and cancers caused by smoking.
However, there are areas in the legislation which need to be addressed further for clarification such as regulation, enhancement of enforcement measures and funding. It is vital that funding reaches the right part of the system to establish an enforcement workforce to ensure the regulations in the Bill are followed. Also, this funding needs to long-term to be able to establish a sustainable approach.
