Independent report

Independent review of Smokefree 2030 policies: terms of reference

Published 9 March 2022

Applies to England

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Purpose

The review will make recommendations about what policies should be put in place to achieve the government’s Smokefree 2030 ambition, particularly to address the stark health disparities associated with smoking.

Principles

The review will be conducted independently and will be evidence based. It will draw its conclusions from current national and international evidence to ensure there is a robust basis for its findings and recommendations.

Objectives

The review will make a set of focused policy and regulatory recommendations in 2 areas, and will consider:

  • the most impactful interventions to reduce the uptake of smoking, particularly among young people. Data[footnote 1] from UCL and ASH suggests smoking rates among young adults may have increased during the pandemic
  • the top interventions to support smoking cessation, particularly in deprived areas of England where there are significant health disparities

Timing

The review will take place over a period of 12 weeks and the recommendations should inform the health disparities white paper publication, and the new tobacco control plan.

Outputs

The review will provide a far-reaching report focused on the key policy and regulatory recommendations that give the government the best chance of achieving the Smokefree 2030 ambition and addressing the health disparities associated with smoking.

The lead reviewer would be expected to provide a public face for the review and its set of recommendations, creating exposure and attention for the key issues, including within Parliament and within the media.

Secretariat

The reviewer will be supported by a small secretariat of civil servants who will provide policy, analytical and delivery insight. There will be a dedicated grade 7 who will provide 100% of their time to the review.

Out of scope

While the review is focused on policies in England, it should have due regard to whether policies would be best suited for UK-wide implementation.

  1. Rates of 18 to 24 year olds ‘ever smoking’ have increased for the first time in a decade. ↩

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