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Hunt wanted 50% cut to public health, says ex-PHE boss
Duncan Selbie told the covid inquiry on Tuesday that repeated cuts to public health funding in the years running up to the pandemic were “just depressing”, the Health Service Journal has reported.
Mr Selbie became chief executive of PHE when it was created in 2013 as part of the Lansley reforms, Henry Anderson writes. Mr Selbie left the organisation in 2020, when ministers announced part-way through the pandemic that PHE would be replaced by the UK Health Security Agency the following year.
The reforms that created PHE saw responsibility for public health transferred from the NHS to local government. However, the inquiry heard the grant for these services was reduced by 14% in real terms in the six years running up to 2021.
Mr Selbie said: “It was a very disappointing time. In 2015, Mr Hunt managed to negotiate a lot more money for the NHS, but the Treasury made it a condition that the Department of Health reduced its budget.
“And I had a conversation with Mr Hunt where he asked me for 50% of the budget in order to fund the NHS… obviously that wasn’t going to happen because local government were then responsible for essential services like school nursing and addiction services, and no smoking clinics and all sorts of things that were terribly important.
The inquiry has been partly examining the extent to which poor underlying health in the population contributed to the devastating impact of the pandemic, driving questions around wider public health policies.
Later in the session, Mr Selbie defended PHE’s record on health inequalities. He admitted it had “evidently” failed to reduce disparities but insisted the agency had “tried to get government to focus on the things that would make the biggest difference”.
Source: LGC 28 June 2023
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Opinion: Vaping was only ever meant to be a cigarette temporary replacement
Writing in The National, columnist Kirsty Strickland recounts her experience using vaping as a ‘golden ticket’ to help her quit a heavy smoking habit. However, whilst vaping has meant Kirsty has not smoked a cigarette for two years, she is now struggling to quit vaping.
Strickland starts by discussing Zero Waste Scotland’s recent report on the environmental impact of single-use vapes, which found more than “half-a-million people in Scotland use e-cigarettes”, moving on to compare the strict regulations on cigarette advertising and lack thereof for vaping products.
Strickland goes on to say “While we don’t yet fully understand the health impact of long-term vaping, we know they are a safer bet than cigarettes. And many people vape as a way to quit smoking.” She mentions the immediate benefits she experienced quitting smoking, stating “you don’t stink anymore” and “food tastes better”.
This is where Strickland says the benefits of quitting vaping are not as “tangible” and so there needs to be intervention to encourage people to quit vaping through “complete ban on single-use vapes and a deposit return-style scheme to encourage recycling.”
She ends by quoting Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater saying ‘’single-use vapes have become a big problem – for our environment, local communities and young people. I will take action and will engage with those affected, including young people, over the coming months.”
Source: The National 3 July 2023
See also: ASH response to vaping consultation calls on government to urgently implement four high impact interventions
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‘Tax vapes very highly’ says York public health adviser
A York public health advisor has said ‘we must tax vapes’ to get children off e-cigarettes.
Using colourful, flavoured vapes has skyrocketed among secondary school children across the UK since the emergence of cheap fruit-flavoured versions.
Peter Roderick is a consultant in public health at the City of York Council.
He said vaping among children “is a big issue and it is also an issue that schools are approaching local public health teams with the most out of everything.
Although vaping can be beneficial for people who want to quit smoking, many children using cheap disposable vapes with high quantities of nicotine have never smoked cigarettes.
“My take on it is that the harms of vaping are very much dependent on what you compare an e-cigarette to,” Mr Roderick said.
“So if you compare it to not smoking, there is a health harm we need to consider. However, if you’re comparing it to cigarettes, it’s hugely less harmful. So in either sense, the key message is if you smoke, try vaping to stop. If you don’t smoke, don’t vape.”
Source: YorkMix 2 July 2023
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New Zealand: Māori public health provider calls on Government to address alcohol harm
Public health and alcohol policy should be recognised as fundamental to the wellbeing of whānau, Māori public health experts say.
Hāpai te Hauora Māori Public Health called for alcohol harm to be addressed and prioritised on Monday in response to new research by the University of Otago.
The research found alcohol was the most harmful drug for the total population, ahead of methamphetamine, synthetic cannabinoids and tobacco.
Deaths involving drink driving reached a 10 year high in 2022 making action on alcohol making it a matter of urgency.
"Hāpai te Hauora emphasises that comprehensive alcohol law reform must encompass not only regulations on alcohol access but also broader social and health strategies. These include preventive measures, education, and mental health support."
Minister of Justice Kiri Allan said the Government is making changes and reforming the law to address three persistent issues identified by local communities.
Source: Stuff 3 July 2023
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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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