Ahead of a parliamentary debate on 3 November on an independent review of a smoke-free 2030 policy, the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA), an independent think tank, released an alternative strategy to reduce smoking rates in England, called the Alternative Smoke-Free 2030 Plan.

This approach stands in stark contrast to recent Khan comments, which suggested banning the sale of cigarettes over time.

Report author Christopher Snowdon believes that as long as the demand exists - only 53% of UK smokers say they want to quit - bans will lead to black market activity, crime and secondary poverty without eradicating smoking .

The Alternative Report's 12-point plan highlights the success of e-cigarettes and other safer alternatives in getting people to quit smoking.

According to the International Energy Agency, in the UK, 9.3% of adults now use e-cigarettes, and since 2012 smoking rates have fallen from 20% to 14%. In the EU, where only 2% of adults use e-cigarettes, smoking rates fell by only 1% between 2014 and 2020. As of this year, 28% of smokers have never even tried e-cigarettes.

Removing barriers to consumer access to low-risk nicotine alternatives is critical.

Snowden advises the government to address widespread misinformation about the risks of vaping.

Currently, 40% of UK smokers incorrectly believe nicotine causes cancer, and the number of smokers who incorrectly believe e-cigarettes are as or more dangerous than cigarettes rose from 36% to 53% between 2014 and 2020. The College of Physicians concluded that the long-term risk is unlikely to exceed 5% of the harms of smoking.

Governments should ensure that public health agencies promote the benefits of e-cigarettes relative to smoking.

Snowden also suggested the government accept the freedom to reform the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) offered by Brexit. E-cigarettes are punitively regulated by Article 20 of the TPD, covering everything from advertising to refillable e-cigarette sizes.

According to Snowden, reducing this red tape would lift powerful barriers to entry.

Smokers can also be encouraged to quit by reducing the red tape burden on other low-risk tobacco alternatives such as snuff, heated tobacco and nicotine pouches. These products are overly regulated and snus is banned in the UK.

According to the IEA, e-cigarettes are generally wisely regulated in the UK. But think tanks argue that with greater focus on articulating the benefits of moving to lower-risk tobacco alternatives and loosening the associated regulatory regime, smoking may indeed become obsolete.

"The government's plan to reduce smoking prevalence to 5 percent by 2030 is completely unrealistic unless smokers switch to lower-risk alternatives in large numbers," Snowden said. “Fortunately, there are more and more alternatives. All governments need to do is create a regulatory environment where they can thrive and ensure smokers are not misled by fake news. A dozen simple, low-cost implementations can be reforms to help the government achieve its health goals without persecuting smokers.”

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