Comment from UK Health Forum Issued: 10 June 2015 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE UK Health Forum welcomes recommendations made in new smoking report Smoking Still Kills was published today by ASH, Cancer Research UK and the British Health Foundation. The report makes seven recommendations to strengthen and continue tobacco control and stop smoking programmes in England. Commenting on the report and recommendations, Paul Lincoln, UK Health Forum CEO said: “The UK Health Forum is pleased to endorse these recommendations and welcomes the announcement by the Department of Health that the Government will move forward with developing and implementing a new tobacco control plan for England. Clear leadership and a sustained and targeted commitment of resources from Government will drive further reductions in tobacco use. We know that the tobacco industry continues to flourish on profits from smokers. We strongly support the recommendation to introduce a new annual levy on tobacco companies – the Tobacco Companies Obligation – to help fund tobacco control research and Stop Smoking services in England. This measure would raise much-needed revenue and we warmly welcomed the consultation and support for this policy from the Coalition government.” Contact: Paul Lincoln or Jane Landon (T) 020 7832 6920 Notes to editors: 1. The UK Health Forum is a charitable alliance of professional and public interest organisations working to reduce the risk of avoidable chronic diseases by developing evidence-based public health policy and supporting its implementation through advocacy and information provision. http://www.ukhealthforum.org.uk/ 2. UKHF endorses the recommendations made in Smoking Still Kills: http://www.ash.org.uk/files/documents/ASH_962.pdf