Smoking and tobacco

The overall rates of smoking among UK adults and young people have declined in recent decades. Legislation around the consumption, sale and advertisement of cigarettes has become tighter, and wide-reaching public health campaigns have taken effect.

A good start in life is critical for health—and this story begins before birth. The WHO states that monitoring maternal and child health during pregnancy is critical, and that smoking is one of the most important modifiable lifestyle choices during this period.

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) is requesting that healthcare professionals report any suspected side effects or safety concerns with e-cigarettes and the e-liquids used for vaping to the Yellow Card Scheme.

A joint report by RCPCH and the Royal College of Physicians suggests we need to do more to improve the quality of our indoor air.

The Scottish Health Survey (SHeS) provides a detailed picture of the health of the Scottish population in private households and is designed to make a major contribution to the monitoring of health in Scotland. RCPCH Officer for Scotland, Professor Steve Turner, responds.

In July 2019, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) published their prevention green paper, building on the Secretary of State’s prevention vision that was announced in November 2018. The paper contains a number of proposals to tackle the causes of preventable ill health in the England. He...

Yesterday the Government published its eagerly awaited green paper on prevention, seeking views on its proposals to tackle the causes of preventable ill health in England. We know that primary prevention that begins before birth is crucial to the success of the NHS Long Term Plan, and so RCPCH welco...

The measure forms part of a range of recommendations made by RCPCH as part of our ambitious “Prevention Vision”. The amount of free sugar in baby food should be reduced and the Government should place a “moratorium” on public health funding cuts, according to bold recommendations outlined today by l...

The Nuffield Trust and the Association for Young People's Health have today published the first ever international comparison of young people's health measures over time, comparing the UK to 18 other high-income countries. Professor Russell Viner, President of the RCPCH, responds.

The RCPCH has published State of Child Health: Two Years On, which highlights progress made against the policy recommendations in our landmark State of Child Health 2017 report.