News dall’estero 7 marzo 2018
Local Government Chronicle, 05/03/2018
New Kings Fund report advocates holistic approach to public health
A new King’s Fund report highlights how health risk factors tend to cluster so, for example, if you smoke you’re also more likely to exceed recommended alcohol consumption, have a less healthy diet and be physically inactive. On this basis they argue that services should be able to address these factors together rather than individually. Integrated services are emerging in some areas and while there is variation in the formation of integrated services they all aim to address the needs of the whole person rather than focusing on individual risk factors. However, as the report notes, integrated services are not necessarily the best approach for reducing smoking rates. The report highlights research which suggests that simultaneous multi-behaviour change interventions including smoking are not as effective in supporting smokers to quit. Guidance from Public Health England therefore, advocates for dedicated smoking cessation services, even if that takes place within the setting of a wider behaviour change service.
Shields Gazette, 07/03/2018
North East: Smokers in South Tyneside urged to quit
Smokers are being urged to give quitting a go on National No Smoking Day, taking place next Wednesday 14th March 2018. Figures from University College London show that over the last decade around 18.3% of smokers in the North East who try to quit are successful compared to 15.7% nationally. Ailsa Rutter, Director of regional tobacco control office Fresh North Eats said: “We are urging smokers never to give up on quitting. It is great to see the figures showing smokers in the North East have a better chance at quitting – and we have had the biggest fall in smoking since 2005. Don’t get disheartened if you didn’t quit first time, and don’t tell yourself you can’t do it. You can come back more determined and better prepared next time.” Councillor Tracey Dixon, lead member for independence and wellbeing at South Tyneside Council, said: “Quitting smoking is the single best thing you can do to improve your health. “With so many aids and support available, there really has never been a better time to stop smoking than No Smoking Day.”
https://www.shieldsgazette.com/news/smokers-in-south-tyneside-urged-to-stub-it-out-1-9050307
The Gazette, 06/03/2018
Blackpool: Campaign aims to stub out illicit tobacco
A campaign to crackdown on illicit tobacco and alcohol has been launched across Blackpool with residents urged to share information on illegal sales. mThe See It Stop It campaign comes a week after trading standards and police teams seized half a million pounds worth of illicit goods from two premises in one of the most deprived areas of the city. The campaign highlights the risks of illegal tobacco and alcohol which largely fall on the most deprived members of society. Dr Arif Rajpura, the council’s director of public health said: “It [illicit tobacco] completely undermines what we are trying to do to improve people’s health in the area.”He noted that a packet of illicit cigarettes being sold for £4 rather than £10 encourages young people to take up smoking and can discourage others from quitting.
The Guardian, 07/03/2018
Bloomberg launches tobacco industry watchdog
A new global watchdog agency has been launched to monitor the tobacco industry with $20 million in funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies. The agency named STOP (Stop Tobacco Organisations and Products) will “aggressively monitor tobacco industry tactics and practices to undermine public health.” Information and data on the behaviour of the tobacco companies, especially in low- and middle-income countries where they are seeking to grow their markets, will be collated and held on a public website. The move comes after Philip Morris International’s announcement that it will be funding a new Foundation for a Smokefree World, to research new alternatives to smoking such as ‘heat not burn’ products. The Foundation has already come under close scrutiny with Michael Bloomberg, now WHO global ambassador for noncommunicable diseases, calling it: “an effort by Philip Morris to confuse the public and to misinform them deliberately”. The STOP agency was launched in Cape Town at the 17th World Conference on Tobacco or Health, an event which brings together international experts and campaigners.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/07/michael-bloomberg-launches-tobacco-industry-watchdog
Medical Xpress, 06/03/2018
Canada: Research suggests increase in quitting smoking following menthol ban
Researches from Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, surveyed 206 smokers before and after the implementation of a ban on menthol cigarettes, starting 1st January 2017. The researchers found the before implementation of the ban 59.7% of smokers said they would switch to other non-menthol tobacco, however at post-ban follow-up only 28.2% had done so. At follow-up 29.1% had attempted to quit smoking, compared with 14.5% who had intended to do so before the ban came into effect. The authors wrote that: “The initial results suggest that removing menthol tobacco from the market is a feasible strategy that may influence cessation behaviour”.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-03-flavored-tobacco-menthol.html
Medical Xpress, 05/03/2018
USA: Research suggests vaping exposes teenagers to toxins but at lower levels than in tobacco smoke
Researchers at University of San Francisco California, have surveyed the vaping and smoking practices of 103 teenagers – 67 vapers, 16 smokers and 20 controls. The researchers found that those of vape have elevated levels of toxins compared to the control participants, but lower levels of these toxins compared to those who smoke. Urine tests revealed elevated levels of five toxins among vapers (used at least once in last 30 days and at least 10 times ever) compared to never smokers or vapers, prompting the researchers to call for clearer messaging for teenagers on potential harms of taking up vaping. However, the presence of these five toxins was notably lower in vapers than in smokers showing that e-cigarettes are reducing exposure compared to smoking.
https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-03-kids-vape-toxin-dangers.html
