In response to the November 2023 King’s Speech, Professor Paul Stewart FMedSci, Acting President of the Academy of Medical Sciences, said:
“Despite progress in recent years, smoking remains one of the commonest causes of preventable death. We are pleased that today’s King’s Speech included the commitment to improve the health of the public by creating a smoke free generation through legislation that restricts the sale of tobacco.
“There has never been a more important time to address public health matters and invest in building a robust public health system underpinned by a strong evidence base. We have long called for the Government to do more to prioritise public health improvements to increase our resilience as a nation, address inequalities and better enable us to respond to mental and physical health crises both now and in the future.
“Efforts to prevent smoking, a major cause of cancer and cardiovascular disease, will contribute to this ambition. However, the Government must also do more to improve the health of the public more broadly by focusing on preventing both mental and physical ill health.”