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Many young people who have never vaped may be susceptible to starting, study suggests
Almost two-thirds (62%) of people aged 15–30 in the UK who have never used e-cigarettes may be susceptible to taking up vaping in the future, according to results of an international survey by The George Institute for Global Health. The research findings were published June 13 in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Results from an international online survey of 4,007 people identified exposure to e-cigarette advertising as having the second greatest effect on susceptibility, after current or past tobacco use, while perceived harmfulness reduced the likelihood of susceptibility.
Prof Simone Pettigrew, lead author and program director of health promotion and behaviour change at The George Institute said, "These findings suggest that an overwhelming number of young people may be at risk of e-cigarette use in the UK and in other countries. While some types of promotion of these products is prohibited, advertising on posters, billboards, and buses is still prevalent in the UK. A complete ban on e-cigarette advertising should be considered, as it is clearly influencing young people's attitudes towards these addictive and potentially harmful products."
Results from 333 people surveyed in the UK who had never used e-cigarettes before showed that 55% were curious about them, 50% would use them if offered by a friend, and 41% had intentions to use them in the next year. Researchers also found that almost two-thirds (63%) of UK respondents had seen e-cigarette advertising, a far higher number than in China (51%), India (47%) and Australia (30%) where the study also took place. UK respondents were less likely to believe that e-cigarettes are addictive (74%) or harmful (67%), compared to those in Australia (87% and 83%, respectively), where susceptibility was lowest (54%).
The UK e-cigarette industry generated an estimated revenue of £1.3 billion in 2021. Young people make up a considerable portion of consumers, with around 11% of those aged 16–34—approximately 1.6 million individuals—using e-cigarettes daily or occasionally, according to data from the Office for National Statistics. Young people are also more likely to be exposed to unregulated e-cigarette promotion on social media, via advertisements that are in breach of the UK advertising code.
Source: The Medical Xpress, 13 June 2023
See also: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - Factors contributing to young people’s susceptibility to e-cigarettes in four countries | ASH – Response to youth vaping call for evidence
Editorial note: The study found that current smokers and former smokers were by far the most likely to be susceptible to starting vaping (8 times more likely and 4 times more likely respectively). Those who reported exposure to vaping advertising were 2 times more likely to be susceptible to starting vaping. The study also groups together under 18s – who cannot legally purchase vapes in the UK – with 18–30-year-olds – who can legally purchase vapes. Between 13% and 16% of the 18 – 29 age cohort in England are current smokers and could benefit from switching to vaping.
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Brexit is causing more problems with illegal alcohol, tobacco and drugs, says Public Health Wales
A new report has raised concerns over the impact Brexit is having on the trade of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco in Wales. The report warns that urgent attention is needed to prevent any increase in adverse health effects in Wales.
The report, from Public Health Wales (PHW), highlights that there are three main ways that Brexit is potentially impacting the trade of illegal drugs, alcohol and tobacco in Wales: data and information sharing, border and import controls and supply and demand.
Dr Louisa Petchey, Senior Policy Specialist in the WHO Collaborating Centre at Public Health Wales, said: "Drug deaths have reached their highest ever levels in Wales. Alcohol deaths are also worryingly high, and smoking remains the leading cause of preventable death in Wales. This makes the detection and prevention of illicit trade in these goods vital.
“But there can be solutions. To effectively reduce the illicit trade of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs in the UK and Wales and benefit population health and well-being, strategies will need to reduce both the supply and demand of these goods, and this will mean taking account of the potential impact of Brexit on both factors. This includes understanding its impact on supply chains, border controls, and law enforcement cooperation. It also means responding to the ways in which Brexit may have negatively impacted on health and well-being in Wales to decrease demand for these goods in the first place.”
Source: Wales Online, 14 June 2023
See also: Public Health Wales - Brexit impact on illicit trade of drugs, alcohol, and tobacco has implications for health
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NHS to double specialist clinics for severely obese children
The NHS is set to open 10 more specialist clinics for severely obese children in the face of soaring numbers of under-18s suffering weight-related health problems.
The centres, to be announced at a health service conference, will bring the total number of such clinics to 30, double the number originally planned.
Hospital admissions of obese children have nearly tripled in a decade, rising from 3,370 in 2011-12 to 9,431 in 2021-22, NHS England said.
Amanda Pritchard, the NHS chief executive, will tell delegates at NHS ConfedExpo in Manchester: “Doing nothing now is not an option and so these new clinics will bring together a range of experts in one place providing intensive – but sensitive – physical and mental support for thousands of young people and their families.”
“Obesity can lead to a string of serious illnesses such as cancer and diabetes, bringing a terrible human cost, and also a real pressure on the NHS.”
A fifth of children aged 10 and 11 in England are obese and rates of severe obesity double between the start and end of primary school. Neil O’Brien, a health minister, said that the clinics were “a great step forward” in the government’s ambition to halve childhood obesity by 2030.
He said: “It builds on action to promote healthier lifestyles, including our £600 million investment over the next two years to promote school sport, and introducing the sugar tax, calorie labelling and restrictions on where unhealthy food is placed in supermarkets to reduce the use of ‘pester power’ by shops.”
However Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said that more needed to be done “at a societal level” to tackle obesity.
Source: The Times, 14 June 2023
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