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** 16 June 2025
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** UK
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** Supermarkets face pressure over heated tobacco promotions (#1)
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** Government pledges £80m to boost stop smoking support services (#2)
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** Majority back smoke-free beaches and tougher tobacco laws in East Yorkshire (#3)
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** Wes Streeting faces challenge to improve NHS despite funding boost (#4)
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** Opinion: Wes Streeting’s NHS reform is Labour’s last real hope (#5)
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** Tobacco firms comment on retail strategy amid regulatory changes and vape ban (#6)
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** Retailers argue against enforcing age bans on smoking and vape sales (#7)
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** UK
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** Supermarkets face pressure over heated tobacco promotions

The UK government has issued formal warnings to Sainsbury’s and Morrisons, urging them to cease advertising heated tobacco products. Both supermarkets had displayed promotional materials for Philip Morris International’s IQOS, arguing that existing tobacco advertising laws—originally designed to ban promotion of products that are smoked, sniffed, sucked, or chewed—did not apply to heated tobacco. The Department of Health and Social Care has clarified that these products fall under the current advertising ban and requested an immediate stop.

Surveys by Action on Smoking and Health have revealed a sharp increase in awareness of heated tobacco products over the past year, especially among young people. Nearly 25% of 11 to 17-year-olds have heard of heated tobacco, up from 7.1% in 2022.

Hazel Cheeseman, CEO of Action on Smoking and Health, criticised the delay in compliance from supermarkets and called for swift legislative action to prevent further exposure of children to tobacco marketing. The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill aims to ban advertising and sponsorship of all tobacco and vape products across the UK.

Source: BBC News, 15 June 2025

See also: The Sun – Morrisons & Sainsbury's told to make major change to stores as government warns supermarkets 'stop promoting' product ([link removed]) | ASH – Heated tobacco ([link removed])
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** Government pledges £80m to boost stop smoking support services

The UK government has committed at least £80 million to help more smokers quit through an expansion of stop smoking services. Announced as part of the recent Spending Review, the funding will enhance local programmes offering nicotine replacement therapies and tailored support. This increased investment is expected to nearly double the number of people receiving help to quit smoking this year, building on last year’s figure of over 193,000.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting highlights that tobacco disproportionately harms lower-income communities and pledges that the government’s 10-Year Health Plan will shift the NHS focus towards prevention.

Source: The Mirror, 14 June 2025
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** Majority back smoke-free beaches and tougher tobacco laws in East Yorkshire

This article reports on findings from a 2025 YouGov survey commissioned by ASH which shows strong public backing in East Yorkshire for banning smoking and vaping on beaches, with 61% of residents in favour.

Support for smoke-free spaces is high across the region, with most residents backing restrictions in playgrounds, hospitals, and public transport areas. Two-thirds also support raising the legal age for tobacco sales year by year, and 76% back a levy on the tobacco industry to fund public health.

Scott Crosby, Associate Director for the Humber and North Yorkshire Centre for Excellence in Tobacco Control says the results signal clear public appetite for stronger tobacco control, in particular measures that hold tobacco companies to account.

Source: Hull Live, 13 June 2025

See also: ASH - Majority of Public Support Smokefree Generation as New Polling Shows Overwhelming Public Backing for Tougher Action on Tobacco ([link removed]) | Report: Public support for a smokefree society ([link removed])
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** Wes Streeting faces challenge to improve NHS despite funding boost

Health Secretary Wes Streeting has secured a substantial increase in NHS funding, receiving the largest share of government departmental spending growth. Despite this, he acknowledges that financial investment alone will not resolve the longstanding issues within the health service. Productivity remains a concern, with experts warning that without significant reforms, even increased budgets will not lead to meaningful improvements.

Streeting’s forthcoming 10-year plan aims to prioritise community and preventive care, expand digital healthcare access through enhanced use of the NHS app, and encourage greater private sector participation to boost efficiency. The plan also intends to adjust funding models to reward cost-effective providers and shift certain minor procedures from hospitals to general practitioners.

However, the Health Secretary faces obstacles including industrial action from medical staff and resistance from established interests within the NHS.

Source: The i Paper, 16 June 2025
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** Opinion: Wes Streeting’s NHS reform is Labour’s last real hope

In a recent column for The Times, Fraser Nelson, former editor of the Spectator, argues that Labour’s promise of “change” hinges on Health Secretary Wes Streeting and his ambitious NHS reform plan. With the NHS struggling despite increased funding and staff, Nelson says the problem is productivity, not money.

Nelson highlights Streeting’s plans to overhaul the NHS by boosting prevention, involving private providers, and giving patients more choice. He states that Streeting is already cutting NHS bureaucracy, including the massive NHS England body, to improve efficiency.

The reforms, says Nelson, are already causing internal friction. Hospital bosses argue cuts will impact care, but Streeting is “calling their bluff.” With little opposition from unions or backbenchers, Nelson portrays Streeting as bold, and willing to push for reforms where others have stalled.

Source: The Times, 13 June 2025
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** Tobacco firms comment on retail strategy amid regulatory changes and vape ban

This article in Talking Retail includes advice from tobacco manufacturers on how independent retailers should respond to evolving market dynamics. Imperial Brand’s data reportedly shows pod vapes have doubled in retail value, with fruity flavours taking a dominant share of the market. Andrew Malm, UK market manager for Imperial Brands, recommends that retailers stock a variety of pod flavours so that retailers can trial which are the most popular.

Malm advises retailers to focus on lower-priced cigarette brands, noting strong growth in the value segment due to cost-of-living pressures. He highlights new value cigarette brands like Imperial’s Paramount and Riverstone rolling tobacco as options to meet this demand, with value cigarettes now accounting for a significant portion of UK tobacco sales.

Source: Talking Retail, 13 June 2025

Editorial note: This report has been included to provide insight into market trends and industry developments.
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** Retailers argue against enforcing age bans on smoking and vape sales

Paul Cheema, convenience store owner and Chairman of C-Talk which has worked with Philip Morris, has rallied 700 retailers to warn that stricter age-check laws on tobacco and vape sales could push many small stores to the brink. He argues the measures will lead to increased abuse toward staff and force more sales underground.

Source: The Sun, 13 June 2025

See also: ASH - Support for Stopping the Start: Local retailers and the public back smokefree generation laws ([link removed])

Editorial note: Since the generational smoking ban was announced, tobacco manufacturers have argued that the legislation will harm small retailers ([link removed]) and paid for advertising urging retailers to lobby against the legislation ([link removed]) .

However, research independent of the tobacco industry commissioned by ASH finds that most retailers support ([link removed]) the government proposals. More than half (51%) of 900 small tobacco retailers in England and Wales spoken to on the phone by independent researchers supported the government’s age of sale proposal, nearly double those opposed (26%).
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ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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