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** 22 September 2023
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** UK
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** Vaping is not a gateway to smoking, study shows (#1)
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** From smoking to seatbelts: hard-hitting safety campaigns that made a difference (#5)
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** International
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** South Africa launches ‘unprecedented’ investigation of Johnson & Johnson over TB drug prices (#3)
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** Link of the week
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** Stoptober 2023 (#4)
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** Newham publicly declares commitment to tobacco control (#6)
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** UK
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** Vaping is not a gateway to smoking, study shows

Vaping does not act as a gateway into smoking, the most comprehensive study carried out suggests.

Researchers at Queen Mary University of London said there was “tentative” evidence that products such as e-cigarettes might be speeding up the demise of smoking.

Their study compared data on the use and sales of electronic cigarettes over time with data on smoking rates and cigarette sales in countries that had historically similar levels and rates of smoking, but that now regulated vaping differently.

Professor Peter Hajek, director of the Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine’s Tobacco Dependence Research Unit at Queen Mary University of London, said: “The results of this study alleviate the concern that access to e-cigarettes and other low-risk nicotine products promote smoking.

“There is no sign of that — and there are some signs that they in fact compete against cigarettes, but more data over a longer time period are needed to determine the size of this effect.”
There is increasing concern in the UK about levels of vaping among children, which have risen rapidly since the advent of disposable vapes.

Fears of the impact of vapes on youngsters have included some claims that children who use the products may go on to smoke.

The research was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research. Professor Brian Ferguson, the director of its public health research programme, said: “The initial findings from this study are valuable but no firm conclusions can be drawn yet.

“More research is needed in this area to understand further the impact that alternative nicotine delivery products, such as e-cigarettes, might have on smoking rates.”

Source: The Times, 22 September 2023

See also: ASH - Addressing common myths about vaping: Putting the evidence in context ([link removed])

National Institute of Health and Care Research - Effects of reduced-risk nicotine-delivery products on smoking prevalence and cigarette sales: an observational study ([link removed])
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** From smoking to seatbelts: hard-hitting safety campaigns that made a difference

Cancer charities and health campaigners are calling for a return to hard-hitting advertisements – common in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s – to help tackle public health problems.

They referenced two successful anti-smoking campaigns, the first being The British Heart Foundation and Department of Health’s TV advert named the “fatty cigarette”. This depicted fat oozing out of a cigarette and fat squeezing out of a pair of lungs to signify the impact smoking can have on a smoker’s arteries and heart. This was seen as incredibly successful and saw “In the first month, 10,000 people had contacted the BHF’s smoking helpline and 62,000 people visited its website.” A British Heart Foundation survey found that 83% of people polled said it made them give further consideration to quitting smoking.

The second anti-smoking advert referenced was the “Secondhand smoke: the Invisible Killer” campaign in 2007, which drew attention to the dangers smoking posed to not only the smoker but those around them. This advert “prompted policy change, and in 2007, all enclosed workplaces and public places in the UK became smoke-free.”

Source: The Guardian, 16 September 2023
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** International
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** South Africa launches ‘unprecedented’ investigation of Johnson & Johnson over TB drug prices

South Africa’s Competition Commission will investigate the American drugmaker Johnson & Johnson for the high price it has been charging for the tuberculosis medicine bedaquiline, as well as for extending its 20-year patent until 2027 to block cheaper generics from entering the country.

The patent for bedaquiline compounds in South Africa expired in July but was extended to 2027, leading to accusations of evergreening, where pharmaceutical manufacturers make trivial changes to medicines or their use in order to keep their monopoly in the market.

Fatima Hassan, the founder and director of Health Justice Initiative (HJI) legal organisation, said: “The Competition Commission believes J&J could be in contravention of Section 8 of the Competition Act, which deals with excessive pricing and exclusionary conduct, which, in this case, refers to the practice of evergreening [because it results in excluding others from the market].

“We believe this is unprecedented. We do not know of other investigations by the Competition Commission into a pharmaceutical company for evergreening.”

South Africa has one of the highest TB disease rates in the world, and – even though TB is curable – it is the country’s leading cause of death.

Bedaquiline, in combination with other medicines, is used to treat multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, a type for which standard remedies do not work. The drug is considered a gamechanger because previous treatment involved up to two years of painful injections, which not only caused side-effects such as hearing loss, but had a high death rate.

At present, the health department buys a six-month course for each patient at 5,400 rand (£232). But from 1 October, when a new contract with J&J starts, that will rise to 5,500 rand (£236), while countries that procure bedaquiline through the Stop TB partnership’s Global Drug Facility will only pay the equivalent of 2,446 rand (£105).

Source: The Guardian, 22 September 2023
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** Link of the week
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** Stoptober 2023

Stoptober is back this October with a new national campaign designed to encourage and support smokers to quit for good. The campaign started on September 20th and ends October 31st, and the resources include Stoptober campaign toolkit, posters and Various formats of static and animated Stoptober assets for use on social media.

See also: Department of Health and Social Care Press Release - 95% of ex-smokers see positive changes soon after quitting ([link removed])
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**
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** Newham publicly declares commitment to tobacco control

Newham Council has signed the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control. Newham Council has made an active commitment to take comprehensive action to tackle harms associated with smoking and ensure tobacco control is at the forefront of public health work.

Cllr Mumtaz Khan, Deputy Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: “the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control is a public commitment which we are proud to be a part of.

“We will be using it to work closely with our SmokeFree Alliance to develop a local action plan for tobacco control over the next few months.

By working with our partners, including the NHS, schools and volunteers, we will be able to achieve our wider smoke-free target outlined in the 50 Steps to a Healthier Newham strategy.”

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive, Action on Smoking and Health said:

“Smoking remains the leading cause of health inequalities and preventable death, so we are delighted to hear that the London Borough of Newham has signed the Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control, signaling their commitment to ensuring tobacco control is a central part of their public health approach.”

“Local authorities will play a major role in achieving the government’s ambition of reducing adult smoking prevalence to five per cent or less and we look forward to working with Newham to end the harms caused by tobacco.”

See also: The Local Government Declaration on Tobacco Control ([link removed].)
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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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