News dall’estero_7 giugno 2018
City AM, 07/06/2018
Opinion: Inconsistent regulators risk stifling UK vaping industry
Gillian Golden, chief executive of the Independent British Vape Trade Association, discusses the impact of regulation on the UK vaping industry. Independent vaping companies, free from ownership or control by the tobacco or pharmaceutical industries, make up 90% of what is one of the fastest growing industries in Britain. UK vaping businesses are known globally for their innovation and product stewardship, and locally, independent vape shops are one of the few areas of positive growth on British high streets. On average, members of the Independent British Vape Trade Association (IBVTA) have seen a 24% reduction in business since the regulations were fully implemented in May 2017, forcing some businesses to close. While we are not happy with the current set of restrictions placed on the UK’s vape industry, the IBVTA is not anti-regulation, and has worked proactively to ensure that members comply with the relevant regulations. However, the lax attitudes from some enforcement bodies has meant that non-compliance, particularly online, has given a competitive advantage to manufacturers and sellers which aren’t following the most recent legislation. Our report, “The State of Compliance – One year on from the TRPR”, which launched in parliament this week, should serve as a wake-up call. We must review the inclusion of vaping in the TRPR at the earliest possible opportunity, and introduce proportionate, risk-based, vape-specific legislation which allows as many smokers as possible switch away from smoking.
www.cityam.com/287123/inconsistent-and-erratic-regulators-risk-stifling-our
National Health Executive, 06/06/2018
Opinion: The impact of NICE on cardiovascular disease prevention
Professor Gillian Leng, deputy chief executive and director Health and Social Care at NICE, looks into what can be done to decrease cardiovascular disease nationally and how to prevent missed opportunities in the future. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for just over a quarter of deaths and affects around 7 million people in the UK. Risk factors for CVD include smoking, obesity, mental illness, physical inactivity, and long-term factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. These can all be addressed with the right care and support. For example, data from the Public Health Outcomes Framework (PHOF) shows smoking levels in 2016 fell to 15.5% of the adult population. To encourage this, we recommend offering patients in hospitals, mental health, and maternity services advice on quitting. But despite an audit of 15,000 patients finding that of the 73% that had their smoking status recorded, only 28% were asked if they would like to quit. This suggests key opportunities are being missed to further tackle smoking rates.
Ansa.it, 06/06/2018
PMI’S Latest Scientific Update for Smoke-Free Products Highlights Independent Research
Over 20 government reports and independent, peer-reviewed studies already published on PMI’s smoke-free products. General trend of independent research is in line with PMI’s conclusions: our most advanced smoke-free product generates significantly lower levels of toxicants compared to cigarette smoke. Philip Morris International Inc. (today released the latest Scientific Update for Smoke-Free Products, a regular publication on its research efforts to develop and assess a range of smoke-free alternatives to cigarettes. We are focusing this issue on the growing body of independent research on our electrically heated tobacco product (EHTP, marketed as IQOS), the most advanced smoke-free alternative in our portfolio. The covered research comprises independent, peer-reviewed publications on smoke-free products that focus on EHTP, and also includes four recent government reports from the UK, the US, Germany, and the Netherlands. Other sections include an update on the assessment of each product in our smoke-free portfolio, recent R&D milestones and a compendium of PMI’s peer-reviewed publications on its smoke-free products this year. “We are happy to see growing interest in studying our smoke-free products and that the general trend among independent results is in line with our own research,” said Prof. Manuel Peitsch, PMI’s Chief Scientific Officer. “Independent research on our electronically heated tobacco product, ETHP, demonstrates significant improvements relative to cigarettes, and is crucial to our efforts to change the lives of millions of smokers around the world.” PMI’s extensive research and assessment program is inspired by the well-recognized practices of the pharmaceutical industry and in line with the draft guidance of the U.S. FDA for Modified Risk Tobacco Product (MRTP) Applications. PMI employs over 400 world-class scientists, engineers and experts in a variety of research and development disciplines, and has published over 250 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journal and book chapters on smoke-free products. Philip Morris International: Who We Are. We are a leading international tobacco company engaged in the manufacture and sale of cigarettes and other nicotine-containing products in markets outside the United States of America. We’re building our future on smoke-free products that are a much better choice than continuing to smoke cigarettes. Through multidisciplinary capabilities in product development, state-of-the-art facilities and scientific substantiation, we aim to ensure that our smoke-free products meet adult consumer preferences and rigorous regulatory requirements. Our vision is that these products ultimately replace cigarettes to the benefit of adult smokers, society, our company and our shareholders.
http://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/economia/business_wire/news/2018-06-06_1061742568.html
Daily Mail, 06/06/2018
Japanese study: Children who were exposed to cigarettes in the womb and as babies are more than twice as likely to be deaf
A study conducted by Kyoto University has found that exposure to cigarette smoke in pregnancy and as newborns raises the risk of hearing problems by 2.4 times. Three-year-olds exposed within the first four months of life are 30% more at risk of deafness and children are 26% more at risk if their mothers smoked during their pregnancies.nStudy author Dr Koji Kawakami, Kyoto University, said: “Although public health guidelines already discourage smoking during pregnancy and in front of children, some women still smoke during pregnancy and many young children are exposed to second-hand smoke. This study clearly shows that preventing exposure to tobacco smoke during pregnancy and postnatally may reduce the risk of hearing problems in children.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-5811565/Children-exposed-cigarettes-twice-likely-DEAF.html
CNBC, 06/06/2018
San Francisco approves ban on menthol cigarettes and flavoured e-cigarette liquids
San Francisco residents have overwhelmingly voted to uphold a ban on all flavoured tobacco, alongside flavoured e-cigarette liquids. The city’s supervisors approved the measure last summer, but tobacco giant R.J. Reynolds and a coalition of businesses and industry associations challenged it. Nearly 70% of voters supported the ban, according to San Francisco’s election results. Tuesday’s vote ends a campaign that pitted Big Tobacco against former New York mayor and billionaire philanthropist Michael Bloomberg and public health groups. R.J. Reynolds, the maker of best-selling menthol cigarette brand Newport, poured more than $11.6 million into the effort. Bloomberg donated $1.8 million of the $2.3 million raised by supporters of the ban.
Xinhua Net, 06/06/2018
China: Beijing’s smoking population drops by 200,000
The number of smokers in Beijing has dropped by about 200,000, three years after the city adopted its strictest tobacco control regulations, the municipal health authority said Wednesday. The adult smoking rate in Beijing is now 22.3%, or 3.99 million smokers. This means there are 200,000 fewer smokers than in 2015, the city’s commission for health improvement said. A total of 61 hospitals have opened smoking cessation clinics. The number of tobacco control volunteers has approached 15,000 citywide. Around 1,600 departments and over 7,300 individuals have been found to violate tobacco control regulations.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2018-06/06/c_137234840.htm
