A Call to Action: Successful Tobacco Control for the Future

Conference Speakers

Professor Robert West

Professor Robert West is Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit. He is also Editor-in-Chief of Addiction and co-author of the English National Smoking Cessation Guidelines that provided the blueprint for the UK-wide network of smoking cessation services that are now an established part of the National Health Service.

Research Interests:

Professor West's research includes clinical trials of new stop-smoking treatments, studies of the acute effects of cigarette withdrawal and population studies of smoking patterns.

Speakers abstract - Tobacco smoking: where are we now and what can be done to reduce prevalence?

Tobacco smoking prevalence in the UK is currently estimated at between 25% and 30% and is much higher among those in low paid jobs or unemployed. Just under 50% of smokers try to stop each year and about 2-3% succeed long term. The public at large, and particularly young people, overestimate the prevalence of smoking. The UK has already implemented most of the tobacco control measures that are recommended as being effective in reducing prevalence but for the past 7 years there has been only a very small reduction in prevalence.

A new package of measures is required to drive smoking prevalence down further. Increasing the real cost of smoking through tax increases and much more rigorous anti-smuggling operations is by far the most important measure. Money from tax increases should be used to mount more effective mass media campaigns and other tobacco control measures – co-ordinated by a tobacco control task force whose members would include all the key stakeholders including NGOs, government, the pharmaceutical industry, researchers and the NHS.