The progress of the potentially historic Tobacco and Vapes Bill and how it will be regulated were among the headline topics discussed at a public health conference.
The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) Public Health Protection Conference 2025, supported by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), featured a wide range of speakers and topics vital to the work of protecting public health.
Hazel Cheeseman, Chief Executive at Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), talked at the event about the Tobacco and Vapes Bill (2024), its progress through parliament, areas for local enforcement and the role environmental health professionals can and will play once it becomes law.
Dr William Welfare, Interim Director, Health Protection in Regions at UKHSA, presented the conference’s keynote speech on the next wave of emerging threats, exploring preparations and response to health threats, including infectious diseases and environmental hazards, to keep all our communities safe, save lives and protect livelihoods.
William Roberts, Chief Executive of the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), spoke on the NHS 10 Year Strategy and its main aims of moving more services out of hospital into the community so care is closer to home, switching from analogue to digital and shifting focus from treatment to prevention, something William said environmental health professionals have done so much good work on over the years.
Other highlights across the conference included a talk on ‘Strengthening biosecurity: key considerations for managing avian influenza prevention zones’ delivered by Dr Klara Saville, Veterinary Head of Exotic Diseases at the Animal & Plant Health Agency (APHA).
Also on the programme were Greg Ceely, Head of Population Health Monitoring at the Office for National Statistics (ONS), presenting on how ONS can support the health of the nation, while Debbie Watson, Director of Public Health and Dave Watson, Head of Public Protection & Prevention from Warrington Borough Council discussed the role of public health in a local authority.
Safia Khokhar, Public Health Practitioner and CIEH Public Health Advisory Panel member who chaired the conference, said:
“This conference was an excellent opportunity to bring professionals working in environmental and public health together and discuss current and emerging issues impacting the landscape in which they work.
“I would like to thank all the speakers for delivering such informative and engaging presentations which I’m sure all those in attendance found extremely valuable.”
