The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
19
WQ.168/2018
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY M. TADIER OF ST. BRELADE
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 25th SEPTEMBER 2018
Question
Will the Minister explain whether there are any plans to ban the sale of tobacco in Jersey on health grounds and, if not, why not; and will he further explain what is the official advice from his Department as to the safe level of smoking?
Answer
There are no plans to legislate against the sale of tobacco in Jersey although we already have regulations to restrict the sale and supply to under 18s. If tobacco was a new product to market today it would be unlikely to be approved on health grounds. However, tobacco use is now well established although it is increasingly becoming the norm to be a non-smoker. Our most recent rates of tobacco smoking from the Jersey Annual Social Survey show early signs of a further downward trend – now down to 16% of all adults smoking, with only 11% smoking daily.
There is no safe level of smoking. We know that half of all long-term users of tobacco will die of a smoking-related disease. Most recent evidence has also shown that smokers who reduce their smoking to a minimum do not gain any significant health benefits. This is why we continue to encourage and support all smokers to stop. The best possible way for smokers choosing to stop is through evidence- based treatment services such as Help to Quit, which are accessible in local pharmacies throughout the Island.
With a focus on prevention, the States of Jersey Tobacco Strategy highlights a variety of evidence- based actions specifically targeted at reducing the uptake of smoking and moving towards a smoke-free generation, where children and young people choose not to smoke. These include reducing the attractiveness, affordability and availability of tobacco products to children and young people, and engaging young people in prevention efforts. In this way, we aim to move towards a future where children and young people see not smoking as the norm.
Legislation can be a very effective tool in protecting the health of the population. We have seen great success, for example, in the Restriction on Smoking (Workplaces) (JERSEY) Regulations 2006, which reduced the harmful effects of exposure to second-hand smoke, as well as encouraging smokers to stop. However, we must be cautious over the use of legislation to bring about behaviour change and it is not a decision we take lightly. As a first principle we must ensure that any proposed legal change is something that we are confident that a significant majority of the public would support.