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** 11 September 2025
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UK


** Comment: Cancer Research UK urges swift passage of Tobacco and Vapes Bill to protect future generations (#1) #1
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** Voucher scheme proves effective in helping pregnant women stop smoking in Barnsley (#2)
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** Junk food ad ban after 9pm to begin from October under new health rules (#3)
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** Obesity now main form of child malnutrition as UK and global industry tactics come under fire (#4)
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** Billionaire calls for new gambling tax and radical budget changes (#5)
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** Alcohol brands pull social media ads after watchdog rules them irresponsible (#6)
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** Opinion: Neoliberal thinktanks continue to shape UK government policy despite Labour victory (#7)
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UK


** Comment: Cancer Research UK urges swift passage of Tobacco and Vapes Bill to protect future generations

Writing in PoliticsHome, Dr Ian Walker, Executive Director of Policy and Information at Cancer Research UK, calls on Parliament to urgently advance the stalled Tobacco and Vapes Bill. Introduced in November 2024, the legislation aims to end tobacco sales to future generations by gradually raising the legal age of purchase. While it has passed key stages in both Houses, it remains stuck without a scheduled Committee Stage in the Lords.

Walker emphasises the urgency by pointing to ongoing health harms: around six million people in the UK still smoke, an estimated 78 million cigarettes are consumed each day—900 every second—and 160 cancer cases linked to smoking are diagnosed daily. Since the Bill’s introduction, 24 billion cigarettes have been smoked in the UK. With 71% of the public supporting the age-based tobacco sales ban, Walker warns that this moment must not be missed to deliver lasting public health benefits and reduce pressure on the NHS.

Source: PoliticsHome, 11 September 2025
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** Voucher scheme proves effective in helping pregnant women stop smoking in Barnsley

A government initiative offering shopping vouchers to pregnant women who quit smoking has seen marked success in Barnsley. Since the scheme began in 2022, the proportion of mothers smoking at the time of giving birth at Barnsley Hospital has dropped significantly, from nearly a quarter to under one in ten. The programme supports women with regular breath tests and staged incentives, with up to £400 available for those who remain smoke-free throughout and after pregnancy. Health professionals involved credit the initiative not only with improving birth outcomes but also reducing long-term NHS costs.

Source: BBC, 10 September 2025

See also: ASH - Smoking in Pregnancy Challenge Group: Our key recommendations ([link removed])
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** Junk food ad ban after 9pm to begin from October under new health rules

The UK Government has confirmed new restrictions on junk food advertising will come into effect from 1 October 2025, with full legal enforcement expected by 5 January 2026. The rules, announced by Minister for Public Health and Prevention Ashley Dalton, will ban TV adverts for foods high in fat, sugar or salt before 9pm and prohibit paid online advertising entirely. The initiative aims to reduce children’s exposure to unhealthy products and address rising obesity levels. Exemptions have been made for general brand advertising, provided no specific unhealthy items are featured. The Government estimates the changes will cut billions of calories from children's diets and result in long-term health savings.

Source: Manchester Evening News, 10 September 2025

Editorial note:

Health campaigners have criticised the UK Government for delaying the original enforcement date of 1 October 2025 to 5 January 2026, as well as introducing exemptions for brand advertising. In a statement in Mat, Public Health Minister Ashley Dalton stated that brand advertising was never intended to be included and that the Government had “listened carefully to the concerns that industry stakeholders have raised”.

Katherine Jenner, Director of the Obesity Health Alliance, said:

“These long-awaited regulations are an important step in prioritising children’s health by removing the spotlight from specific unhealthy food products. However, the government could and should have gone much further. Sustained industry lobbying has weakened the restrictions, resulting in a missed opportunity to fully protect children’s health.

While we welcome the clarity provided today, and the fact that implementation will finally begin in January - more than three years after it was meant to be introduced - the reality is that adverts which promote unhealthy food and drinks through clever marketing and branding tactics can still be cast in a starring role, continuing to put children’s health at risk.

The government must now show it is serious about protecting children’s health by closing loopholes and setting out the next steps for ending all forms of unhealthy food advertising to children.”

See also: OHA - Comment – Will the new brand exemption undermine the advertising restrictions? ([link removed]) | Comment: Advertising Restrictions – Delayed and Diluted ([link removed])
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** Obesity now main form of child malnutrition as UK and global industry tactics come under fire

A major UNICEF report has found that childhood obesity has now surpassed hunger as the most widespread form of malnutrition globally. The study highlights how rising obesity rates—particularly in low- and middle-income countries—are being fuelled by the widespread availability and aggressive marketing of ultra-processed foods. The report accuses the food industry of using tactics similar to those once employed by tobacco companies, including lobbying against regulation and targeting children through advertising. In the UK, efforts to introduce restrictions on junk food marketing have faced strong industry resistance, with parallels drawn to the historical battles against tobacco advertising.

Source: The Telegraph, 10 September 2025

See also: BMJ - Bans on junk food advertising in outdoor spaces derailed by industry lobbying ([link removed]) | UNICEF - Feeding Profit: How food environments are failing children - Child Nutrition Report 2025 ([link removed] 2025 - Feeding Profit - Final Report - English - FINAL.pdf.pdf)

Editorial note: Media stories covering prevention of ill-health are being included in ASH Daily News because policy change in these areas is indicative of the Government’s position on prevention and their attitudes to harm-causing industries.
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** Billionaire calls for new gambling tax and radical budget changes

John Caudwell, a prominent philanthropist and Labour supporter, has urged the government to introduce a tax on online gambling to address its social consequences. He also advocates increased duties on alcohol and tobacco, alongside a potential tax targeting unhealthy food consumption. Caudwell recommends a more ambitious fiscal strategy in the forthcoming Budget, including a slight rise in VAT and reductions in civil service expenditure. Despite previously supporting the Conservative Party, he now criticises its failings and believes Labour must adopt bolder policies to secure future electoral success.

Source: Financial Times, 11 September 2025

Editorial note: Media stories covering prevention of ill-health are being included in ASH Daily News because policy change in these areas is indicative of the Government’s position on prevention and their attitudes to harm-causing industries.
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** Alcohol brands pull social media ads after watchdog rules them irresponsible

Strongbow and Jägermeister have withdrawn social media adverts following rulings by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), which found both campaigns breached rules on the responsible promotion of alcohol. Strongbow's ad, a parody sketch by comedian Al Nash posted on Instagram, was criticised for implying alcohol could take precedence over important life moments. Jägermeister’s social media posts were found to suggest that alcohol was central to having a successful night out. Both companies accepted the ASA’s decisions and removed the content. The Jägermeister ads were flagged by AI software used by the ASA to identify potentially non-compliant advertising online.

Source: BBC, 10 September 2025

Editorial note: Media stories covering prevention of ill-health are being included in ASH Daily News because policy change in these areas is indicative of the Government’s position on prevention and their attitudes to harm-causing industries
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** Opinion: Neoliberal thinktanks continue to shape UK government policy despite Labour victory

Writing in the Guardian, columnist and author George Monbiot discusses the continued dominance of rightwing neoliberal thinkers within the UK government under Keir Starmer. Despite Labour’s election victory and promises of change, Monbiot reveals that individuals who have previously worked for rightwing neoliberal thinktanks who are closely associated with the former Conservative administration—such as the Adam Smith Institute, Centre for Policy Studies, and Britain Remade—still play a significant role in shaping government policy, including influencing the Department for Business and Trade’s “growth school” for civil servants. These organisations, often funded by opaque sources, advocate for deregulation and free-market policies, which Monbiot argues primarily serve corporate interests rather than the public.

Monbiot warns that this persistent influence reflects a broader problem of entrenched political power and corporate lobbying that transcends party lines. He highlights how this continuity has shaped a wide range of government decisions, from financial deregulation to environmental policies, undermining efforts to prioritise public welfare. Ultimately, Monbiot suggests that despite the change in leadership, the UK remains subject to the same neoliberal forces that have historically damaged its economy and democracy.

Source: The Guardian, 11 September 2025
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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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