The Royal College of Physicians has responded to the King's speech.
Commenting on the commitment to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, Professor Sanjay Agrawal, RCP’s special adviser on tobacco, said:
“Smoking is a stain on our nation’s health which claims 76,000 lives and costs the NHS more than £2.6bn annually. It is the single biggest cause of preventable death in the UK.
“We are extremely pleased to see the government commit to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the King’s Speech as the RCP and many others in the health sector had called for. This bill will ensure that the next generation of young people can never legally buy cigarettes and will play a crucial role in curbing the rising levels of youth vaping.
“While we need to make sure adults who smoke can still access vapes for smoking cessation – they are one of the most effective quit aids we have – this new legislation will without doubt create a healthier, more productive and prosperous society. This crucial bill for public health must be supported by MPs across the house.”
Commenting on the Children's Wellbeing Bill and plans to restrict junk food advertising to children, Dr Kath McCullough, RCP’s special adviser on obesity, said:
“Obesity is a pressing public health challenge - one in four children aged 10 and 11 are now living with obesity. The second biggest cause of cancer, obesity costs the NHS around £6.5 million a year and the cost of obesity to the UK economy could be £98billion.
“For too long we have placed the onus solely on the individual. The commitment in the King’s speech to legislate to restrict the advertising of junk food to children is welcome. This is a significant step forward in protecting children’s health, making it easier to make healthy choices, tackling rising levels of diet-related illnesses and crucially, in the long-run, reducing demands on our health service.
“We would like to see swift action - publication of the response to the government consultation followed by laying the legislation to deliver this change as soon as possible.
“We also welcome the introduction of the Children’s Wellbeing Bill and the requirement for all primary schools to introduce free school breakfast clubs to ensure that every child has access to a healthy and nutritious breakfast each day. This action must be in conjunction with education around healthy eating and making sure that children are equipped with the knowledge to make healthier choices in the longer term.”