News dall’estero_12 luglio 2018
Reuters, 11/07/2018
Peers and parents may have influenced drop in childhood smoking
A recent study has found that socioeconomic status and parental/peer behaviour are strongly linked to the risk of childhood smoking. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University in University Park analysed data from two groups of UK children, one born in 1970 and the other born 2000-2002. They found that 14.5 per cent of the 1970 cohort had smoked at last one cigarette by age 10-11, while that was true for only 2.4 percent of the 2000-2002 cohort. Two of the biggest factors influencing smoking rates for the 2000-2002 cohort were educational backgrounds and smoking prevalence among the children’s mothers. The authors of the study state that: “childhood smoking in today’s young people in the UK is now more strongly linked to early life disadvantages compared to a generation ago.”
Reuters, 11/07/2018
USA: Research suggests E-cigarette flavourings may have adverse health effect
A study at Boston University has found that electronic cigarette liquids sweetened with flavourings like clove and vanilla may damage cells in the blood vessels and heart even when they don’t contain nicotine. Researchers applied common e-cigarette flavourings to samples of endothelial cells, which line arteries and veins as well as the inside of the heart. Five common flavours, including mint and cinnamon, impaired production of nitric oxide which could contribute to an increased risk of heart disease or strokes.
Tipperary Star, 12/07/2018
Ireland: Young filmmakers lift prize for anti-smoking film
A group of young people representing Nenagh Training Centre in Tipperary have come second in the Short Film Competition Senior Category at this year’s Irish Cancer Society X-HALE Youth Awards 2018. The group’s short film entitled ‘Get off the Nicotine Road’, was among a number of other anti-tobacco films produced as part of the event which aimed to raise awareness about the harm caused by tobacco. According to recent statistics produced by Healthy Ireland, 16 per cent of Irish children aged nine or older have smoked cigarettes in their lifetime and 6 per cent are classified as current smokers. Donal Buggy, head of services at the Irish Cancer Society, said that young people “have a vital role to play on the journey to Ireland becoming a tobacco-free country”.
The Jakarta Post, 11 /07/2018
Indonesia: Tobacco control and children’s rights
Indonesia has the highest uptake of smoking among youths in the world. Weak tobacco control policies and the tobacco industries’ aggressive marketing strategies have contributed to a male smoking rate of 67.4%. The last two decades have seen smoking rates double for 10-14 year olds and triple for 5-9 year olds, culminating in a smoking rate of 41% for Indonesian children aged 13-15. Despite regulations banning smoking on school premises, many schools are surrounded by cigarette advertisements which target young people. Indonesia also has among the cheapest cigarette prices in Southeast Asia and cigarettes can be purchased in single sticks which are easily affordable for children. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, ratified by Indonesia in 1990, commits the government to protecting children’s right to health. If children are to be protected from the harmful effects of smoking, the tobacco control community must show that smoking undermines this human right.
Financial Times, 11/07/2018
Ecigarette manufacturer Juul valued at $15bn
Consumer goods Juul Labs, the San Francisco-based ecigarette company, has closed on the first $650m of a $1.25bn funding round, new regulatory filings show. The equity fundraising, led by New York-based hedge fund and venture investor Tiger Global, values Juul at $15bn, according to people familiar with the deal. The valuation for Juul, which spun out of its former parent Pax Labs to become an independent company just last year, is half the market capitalisation of 117-year-old tobacco group Imperial Brands, which owns Gauloises, Golden Virginia and Rizla. Juul’s plans to raise a total of $1.25bn in new funding, first reported by Bloomberg and The Information, were confirmed in a Form D regulatory filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission this week. Juul declined to comment beyond the filing. Directors named on the filing include San Francisco real estate billionaire Nicholas Pritzker, Riaz Valani of private equity firm Global Asset Capital and Kevin Burns, the former chief executive of yoghurt company Chobani who joined Juul as chief executive in December. After launching its compact $35 vaporisers in 2015, Juul has quickly established itself as the dominant brand in the US market, particularly among younger vapers, and is experiencing breakneck growth, analysts say. Recent research from Wells Fargo, based on Nielsen data, found that Juul’s sales grew by almost 800 per cent over the past year. Juul holds more than two-thirds of the US ecigarette market by sales, leaving traditional tobacco companies such as Imperial, Altria and British American Tobacco trailing far behind. However, the surge in popularity has attracted regulatory scrutiny. This year the US Food and Drug Administration launched a crackdown on ecigarette sales to minors, which focused on Juul’s products. The regulator also wrote to Juul demanding details about its marketing strategy and the health effects of its products to “better understand the particular youth appeal of these products”. Some parents have complained that the company is targeting children. In April Juul said it would invest $30m over the next three years in research and education. “Our company’s mission is to eliminate cigarettes and help the more than 1bn smokers worldwide switch to a better alternative,” Mr Burns said in a statement at the time.
