You may have seen that the Tobacco and Vapes Bill has received Royal Assent. This marks a historic landmark in the UK’s bold and progressive tobacco legislation. Since 2023, our College has been a strong anti-vaping voice for members, children and young people. In November 2023, the government of the day announced plans for a smokefree generation and I spoke to the Tobacco and Vapes Bill committee in January 2025. So, it’s not been a short journey!
For a much longer period, the College has advocated for greater tobacco control. Over the last 20 years, children in the UK have been protected from the harms of exposure to tobacco product thanks to legislation creating smoke free public spaces, smoke free cars and also smoke free homes initiatives.
The latest Act can be expected to further expand smokefree, as well as vape-free, public spaces to reduce morbidity and mortality. We can also expect to see further restrictions introduced that will aim to reduce the appeal of vapes for young people and make it harder for them to access.
What does the public think of this type of legislation? At a recent Smokefree Action Coalition meeting I attended recently, along with my respiratory colleague Dr Sarah Brown, we heard evidence that today’s public feels very supportive of strong regulation and that there is a mandate to act now since health is on the decline. Unsurprisingly the public do not feel that businesses can be relied upon to self-regulate! Additionally, evidence was presented showing that the NHS was considered responsible for health outcomes by about 80% of the UK population, government by about 75% and local authorities by about 65%. Although presented at a smoke free meeting, these public sentiments are generalisable beyond tobacco.
Today’s children and young people are living in an environment which makes them unhealthy, especially those in our poorest communities. The food they eat, the drinks they drink, the air they breathe and the screen content they see all contribute to preventable poor physical and mental health. The Tobacco and Vapes Act is a great example of how our members can flex their collective muscles with great impact. We have plenty more to do, and can only do this with ongoing member involvement. Why don’t you get involved too?
#WDYCD4U: Virtual RCPCH Conference 2026 tickets
Our annual Conference is just around the corner, and it’s often difficult for busy clinicians to take time out to travel for events like these. That’s why we are thrilled to be livestreaming and recording multiple sessions, including all plenary sessions. No matter where you are in the world, or no matter how much time you can give, you can still join in the UK’s largest paediatric event.
This year, the theme is “Celebrating RCPCH at 30: Reflecting on the past, inspiring the future”, and we truly hope you can celebrate with us! It is CPD approved, and all livestreamed and recorded content will be available on demand after the event.
Legislative influencing
A busy parliamentary session ended last week with several pieces of legislation receiving Royal Assent, in addition to the Tobacco and Vapes Act I have mentioned above. This includes the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which, now as an Act, takes forward measures on child protection. You’ll be able to hear more about what this means for you in a podcast from our Officer for Child Protection and staff. In the meantime, the Children’s Commissioner for England has published a useful summary.
The Crime and Policing Act enables the government to take forward its plans for a mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse duty. We know this could impact our members and you can read more about how we’ve been addressing this through engagement with other Royal Colleges and the government.
Ian Parrett is new RCPCH CEO
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ian Parrett as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the College. Ian joined the College in October 2024 and led strategic responsibility for Corporate Services which includes the areas of finance, procurement, facilities, and governance. As of January 2026, he was interim Chief Executive Officer and subsequently Chief Executive Officer from April 2026.
You can read more on our website.
In case you missed it...
There is still time to make your voice heard!
We have extended our membership survey deadline to 18 May to give you more time to respond and help shape your member experience. We want to hear your valuable insights, feedback, and ideas to help inform our strategy and activities in the future. Make your voice heard.
Best wishes all round,
Steve
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