From: Public Health England
Guidance
Tobacco commissioning support 2019 to 2020: principles and indicators
Updated 4 October 2018
1. Introduction
1.1 The Tobacco Control Plan
In July 2017, the government published its Tobacco Control Plan for England, to pave the way for a smokefree generation. The comprehensive plan sets out the following national ambitions for achievement by the end of 2022.
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12. Tackling cheap and illicit tobacco
12.1 Statement of principle
The local authority has established partnership arrangements with other local authorities and external partners which focus on reducing the demand for and the supply of illicit tobacco.
12.2 Illicit tobacco is a problem which needs local action
The illicit tobacco market is in long-term decline but remains a problem in some communities. It undermines tobacco control measures, including taxation and age of sale regulations. This can lead to children starting a lethal addiction and encouraging smokers to smoke more than if they were paying full price. Criminal activity in the illicit trade tends to target smokers in deprived areas, further increasing health inequalities.
Effective approaches are co-ordinated across some large geographical areas where health and enforcement partners collaborate to reduce the demand for and the supply of illicit tobacco. Evidence-based social marketing and public relations campaigns have raised awareness of the issue in these areas, helped to generate intelligence and have provided the facts on illicit tobacco by countering the misinformation circulated by the tobacco industry.
12.3 What you will see if you are meeting the principle
Full engagement between public health, police regional intelligence units, trading standards, licensing and Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs to improve the intelligence base.
Active intelligence-led enforcement in the locality, accompanied by communications to build support in the local community and encourage people to report perpetrators of illicit tobacco crime.
A greater awareness and understanding of the impact of illicit tobacco among partner organisations and the general public.
Clear data and intelligence on the levels of demand for illicit tobacco which helps to target priority communities.
Increased reporting of illicit tobacco by the general public.
12.4 Questions to check if you are following the evidence and best practice
Have local or regional measures been established to assess the impact of activity, including quantity of information received from the public, seizures and enforcement activity, and increased partnership working between agencies?
Have local or regional evaluation surveys been conducted to measure the impact of activity? Do these include the establishment of a baseline?
Is there a safe, anonymous intelligence-sharing resource available for the public and partner agencies to use?
Is there a dedicated budget for illicit tobacco enforcement activity and social marketing activity?
Is there collaboration on illicit tobacco between local areas within the region?
Has a public opinion and stakeholder survey been carried out on illicit tobacco?
Do the local trading standards authorities and police forces recognise tackling illicit tobacco as a strategic priority within broader tobacco control work?
Is there a local or regional policy in place on the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Article 5.3, to protect policies from the vested interests of the tobacco industry?
