Our submissions

Fresh and Balance are core members of the Smokefree Action Coalition (SFAC) and the Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) – two coalitions of leading medical organisations and health charities calling for action nationally.

We respond regularly to key national consultations calling for effective action at national level to address alcohol harm and reduce smoking rates.

Fresh and Balance responded to HM Treasury’s call for evidence ahead of the Autumn Budget 2024. Here are our submissions.

2024 Autumn Budget-Balance submission-final

2024-Fresh (Making Smoking History)-Autumn Budget-final.docx

In summary, our recommendations are:

For alcohol:

  1. Reintroduce the alcohol duty escalator with immediate effect to ensure taxation keeps pace with inflation by automatically uprating duty by RPI+2% every year.
  2. Ensure alcohol duty is targeted at products sold in shops and supermarkets which have become increasingly more affordable in recent years.
  3. End cider and wine exceptionalism by increasing cider duty rates so they begin to equalise with that of beer of the same strength (ABV) and commit to ending the temporary wine easement in February 2025.
  4. Commit to reviewing alcohol duty rates as part of a comprehensive national alcohol strategy to ensure health harming industries make a more meaningful contribution to reduce the societal cost of alcohol.

 

For tobacco:

  1. Provide leadership on national tobacco control delivery
  2. Invest effectively in tobacco control
  3. Introduce a polluter pays levy on the tobacco industry
  4. Strengthen tax policy on cigarettes and redefine cigarillos
  5. Strengthen tobacco policy on hand rolling tobacco
  6. Continue to prioritise reducing the illicit tobacco market
  7. Develop appropriate tax policy for vapes
  8. Publish a list of tobacco retailers.

Creating a smokefree generation and tackling youth vaping consultation – Fresh response, December 2023

Fresh supports:

  1. Raising the age of sale for all tobacco products by one year every year from 2027 onwards
  2. Tackling the rise in youth vaping by:
    (i) Restricting the appeal of brand imagery on vapes and vaping products to children
    (ii) Including non-nicotine vaping products in the regulations
    (iii) Keeping vapes behind the counter in shops and limiting instore displays
    (iv) Making vapes subject to excise tax to increase the price of the cheapest products while ensuring they remain less expensive than cigarettes
    (v) Strengthening enforcement powers

Fresh does not support banning flavours because of their importance in helping people to quit using tobacco.

On single use vapes, Fresh has concerns about the unintended consequences of prohibition and has outlined these to DEFRA.

Read our full submission to DHSC