Party conferences 2008

From left to right, Richard Davidson, Cancer Research UK; Chair Peter Kellner, YouGov; Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Public Health Minister and Janet Clarke, BDA.

During late September and early October 2008, Cancer Research UK attended the Liberal Democrats’, Labour and Conservative party conferences. Cancer Research UK took the opportunity to meet with politicians and brief them about ‘How you can help us beat cancer: an invitation to talk’, our proposals for their manifestoes for the next general election.

Putting tobacco “out of sight, out of mind”

We also highlighted the urgent need for a new well-funded, comprehensive tobacco control strategy to stop tobacco taking more lives.

Cancer Research UK attended the conferences as a member of the Health Hotel, a coalition of 35 leading health-focused organisations that together ran a mini-conference of events on the fringe of each conference.

As part of the Health Hotel programme, Cancer Research UK joined forces with the British Dental Association to hold a fringe event at each conference to discuss what should form part of a new national tobacco control strategy.

From left to Right, Mike Penning MP, Conservative Shadow Health Spokesperson; Professor Saman Warnakulasuriya; Chair, Dr David Bull; Dr Susie Sanderson, BDA and Richard Davidson, Cancer Research UK

At our fringe event - ’Stubbing it out - why going smokefree is only one piece of the jigsaw’ -Richard Davidson, Director of Policy and Public Affairs at Cancer Research UK, highlighted that the introduction of smokefree workplaces had produced a sea change in behaviour. An estimated 400,000 smokers have quit in the first year, and this could prevent 40,000 tobacco-related deaths over the next 10 years.

Richard went on to argue that with 22% of the population still smoking and 450 under 18 year-olds taking up the habit each day, there is an urgent need to provide greater protection to children from tobacco marketing and access to tobacco products. A new well-funded, comprehensive tobacco control strategy is essential to addressing these challenges, including supporting those people who wish to quit,. A key part of this strategy should be to put tobacco ‘out of sight, out of mind’ to protect young people through:

  • prohibiting the promotion of tobacco at point of sale;
  • prohibiting the sale of tobacco from vending machines; and
  • introducing plain packaging of all tobacco products.

This message was echoed by tobacco control expert, Professor Gerald Hastings, who spoke about the marketing used by tobacco companies through packaging and in store displays, and by representatives from the British Dental Association, who discussed the impact of smoking on an individual’s oral health.

Sandra Gidley MP, Liberal Democrat Shadow Health Spokesperson

Joining the panel at the Liberal Democrats’ conference was Sandra Gidley MP, the Liberal Democrats’ Shadow Health Minister. At the Labour party event the Health Minister with responsibility for the consultation on the future of tobacco control, the Rt. Hon. Dawn Primarolo MP, joined us, whilst at the Conservative conference Mike Penning MP, the Conservative Shadow Health Minister, took part in the discussion. Cancer Research UK is grateful to each of them for making the time to be with us.

Stay tuned for more...

Cancer Research UK will continue to meet with politicians over the coming months to press the case for a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. If you would like to know more about Cancer Research UK’s detailed proposals on this crucial public health issue, please see Cancer Research UK’s submission to the Department of Health’s consultation on the future of tobacco control.