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** 14 February 2020
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** UK
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** Smokers at increased risk of coronavirus complications, leading experts warn (#1)
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** Cigarette prices have risen following standardised packaging, despite tobacco industry claims (#2)
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** Illegal tobacco worth £100,000 seized from Dudley house (#3)
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** Link of the week
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** Smoking cessation 1: interventions to support attempts at quitting (#4)
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** UK
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**

Lung disease experts have warned that that there could be a link between smoking and the development of complications of coronavirus as new research sheds more light on who is most susceptible to the disease.

A new analysis of the first 8,000 cases of the coronavirus carried out by researchers in China and the United States shows that men are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease, are more likely to have the most severe symptoms, such as pneumonia, and are more likely to die. One reason for this could be that Chinese men are heavy smokers.

The reason why men are more susceptible to the disease is not fully understood but this has been the case in two previous coronavirus outbreaks - Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars). High rates of smoking have also been linked to more serious outcomes in both Sars and Mers.

Dr Sanjay Agrawal, chair of the Royal College of Physicians’ Tobacco Advisory Group, said research showed that smokers were twice as likely to get pneumonia as non-smokers.

“They are also more likely to get infections, the reason being that smoking will affect your defences so you’re susceptible to both viral and bacterial infections,” he said.
He added that the current strategy for managing the disease was focused on containment and delay - if it takes a couple of months for coronavirus to really take off in the UK, smokers who quit today would be less at risk from the disease when it eventually arrives.

“The bottom line is there’s never a bad time to quit. You’ll see benefits within days, weeks and months. … If you quit smoking today you will reduce your risk [of picking up the disease] and in two to three months you will benefit,” he said.

Source: The Telegraph, 14 February 2020
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The cost of smoking in the UK has risen since the advent of 'plain packs' for cigarettes in 2017, countering claims made by the tobacco industry at the time that the public health measure would lead to discount pricing.

Authors of the new study from the University of Bath's Tobacco Control Research Group (TCRG), think these findings should be used in jurisdictions around the world when debating the effectiveness of standardised packaging and to counter tobacco industry claims. The paper, published in the journal PLOS One, highlights the impact of standardised packaging, comparing prices pre- and post-implementation from 2015-18.

During the consultation on the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes in the UK, major tobacco companies claimed smokers would refuse to pay high prices for premium cigarettes in plain packs so the policy would lead to falling prices, which in turn would increase smoking rates. By analysing tobacco sales data, the researchers from Bath found the reverse: prices were higher one year after standardised packaging legislation was fully adopted, when compared to prices in 2015 before it was introduced.

Kruti Shrotri, Cancer Research UK's tobacco control manager, said: "Smoking is the biggest cause of health inequalities and raising taxes on tobacco is one of the most effective ways to reduce smoking. "The government should use the next budget to increase taxes above inflation for the sake of public health, and make sure that Stop Smoking Services are properly funded so that people who smoke can get support to quit."

Source: Medical Xpress, 13 February 2020

See also:
Hiscock R, Augustin N, Branston R, Gilmore A. Standardised packaging, Minimum Excise Tax, and RYO focussed tax rise implications for UK tobacco pricing. ([link removed]) PLoS ONE. 2020 Jan 8.
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A search warrant was served on a house in Dudley by the council's trading standards team and the police on Thursday (13 Feb). Officers seized boxes full of illegal tobacco and large amounts of counterfeit packaging from several rooms in the house. The haul was estimated to have an approximate street value of nearly £100,000 and has been removed for further investigation.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, cabinet member responsible for trading standards, said: "Selling illegal tobacco is a crime and today’s seizure sends out a strong message, both from the council and the police, that we won’t tolerate it.

"While all smoking is harmful, illegal tobacco is sold at low prices and without the necessary health warnings. It makes it easier for children and young smokers to get hooked and harder for people to quit. These crimes impact negatively on health and our community.”

Source: Worcester News, 13 February 2020
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** Link of the week
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**

Writing in the Nursing Times, Louise Ross from the NCSCT looks at the effectiveness of brief interventions and referral to stop smoking services.

Advising patients on how to stop smoking is part of a nurse’s role. Patients can be resistant to the intervention and this article, the first of five on smoking cessation, offers insights on the importance of creating optimism about stopping smoking. It describes how to give very brief advice to encourage patients to make a life-changing decision to quit, the role of stop-smoking services, and the use of products and behavioural interventions that nurses can use to help reduce smoking prevalence and improve patients’ health.

Source: Nursing Times, 10 February 2020
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For more information call 020 7404 0242, email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk

ASH Daily News is a digest of published news on smoking-related topics. ASH is not responsible for the content of external websites. ASH does not necessarily endorse the material contained in this bulletin.

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