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No fines issued for smoking on hospital grounds since it was made illegal
Not one fine has been issued since smoking was made illegal within hospital grounds in Scotland last year.
STV News asked for the data from all councils, who are responsible for enforcing the legislation, but of the 31 who answered and had hospitals in their area, not one has issued a penalty.
The law came into force on September 5, 2022, an extension of the voluntary smoke-free hospital grounds policy introduced in 2015.
It means it is illegal to smoke within 15 meters of a NHS hospital building including awnings, canopies, or any other overhanging structure connected to a hospital building.
Those who are caught could face a fixed penalty notice of £50 or a £1,000 fine if the matter is taken to court.
But councils said they do not have the resources to enforce it.
Sheila Duffy, chief executive of ASH Scotland, said the point of the law was not to fine people but to protect people recovering in hospitals from tobacco smoke.
She believes if that is happening then the law has worked but if not, then there is still a problem.
She said: “We know that enforcement officers and councils are under pressure and that councils are under funding pressure, so I think it’s important that that funding is secured for them so that they know they have the people to go out there and observe and make sure that the law is being enforced.
The policy is part of a Scottish Government aim to create a tobacco-free Scotland by 2034.
Public health minister Jenni Minto MSP hopes the lack of fines means people are “taking heed” of the new rules and have changed their behaviour.
Source: STV News, 11 July 2023
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North Wales council to take steps over 'substantial increase' in vaping at schools
A Welsh council is taking steps over a "substantial increase" in the use of vaping by children - particularly secondary school pupils. The growing problem had been raised to councillors by Gwynedd teachers and was discussed at a full meeting of Gwynedd Council.
A report, according to data from ASH (Action on Smoking and Health) for March/April 2023, shows nationally, the proportion of children experimenting with vaping has grown by 50% year on year, from one in thirteen to one in nine.
The data also claims "in 2023, 20.5% had tried vaping, compared to 15.8% in 2022, 11.3% in 2021 and 13.9% in 2020. Experimentation, trying once or twice, had also grown significantly by about a half, from 7.7% in 2022 to 11.6% in 2023.
Councillor Brown said: “We need to tackle this problem head on and support our young people now to make positive health decisions. It is important we support schools to review and adapt relevant policies. and essential that schools design their curriculum to meet specific challenges associated with vaping.”
Source: North Wales Live, 10 July 2023
See also: ASH resources on youth vaping
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British holidaymakers face fines despite lifting of Spanish smoking ban
British tourists going to Spain are being warned to watch where they light up a cigarette as a new smoking war erupts in the holiday hotspots.
Holidaymakers can smoke on restaurant or bar terraces now the Covid crisis is over but NOT in the Valencia region, which includes Benidorm, or the Balearic Islands which include Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.
The Valencian community is the only region along with the Balearic Islands that continues to maintain this restriction in Spain which came in 2020 due to the pandemic.
Source: Daily Express, 10 July 2023
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Experts say most people don't realise smoking is detrimental to fertility, Sarah wants that to change
When Sarah Lynch had her first cigarette as an 18-year-old, she had no idea she was reducing her chances of having a baby.
According to fertility experts, it will take smokers twice as long to fall pregnant compared to non-smokers and twice as many rounds of IVF to conceive than that of a person who has stopped smoking. It also significantly increases the risk of miscarriage.
One study, by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, found only one in five people know smoking increases the risk of infertility in both men and women, and causes irreversible egg loss.
The mother-of-two would like to see more awareness around the risks of smoking and fertility and thinks tobacco companies should do more to ensure people are informed.
"Cigarettes packets tell people about the cancer risks, lung problems and the harmful effects smoking has on your baby, but they don't mention fertility," she said.
"If you knew that giving up smoking would increase your chances of falling pregnant then of course you would stop."
"Smoking can affect a person's hormone levels and can decrease the concentration of estrogen which is an important hormone because it's responsible for ovulation," University of Newcastle lead researcher Dr Tanmay Bagades said.
"Smoking can cause low sperm count in men and can cause less density of semen."
Long-term studies found if a person had been smoking for five years or more, the chances of being able to conceive naturally was drastically reduced.
Doctors say a person can boost their fertility by reducing their intake or quitting, however it can take an average of three months before the body will start to normalise.
Source: ABC News, 11 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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