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MPs call for cut to ‘bombardment’ of gambling ads in stadiums to shield children
The Premier League and other sports governing bodies should cut the “bombardment” of gambling ads in stadiums to minimise children’s exposure to them, MPs have said.
The cross-party Culture, Media and Sport Committee welcomed the forthcoming voluntary withdrawal of gambling sponsorship from the front of Premier League players’ shirts, but warned that the move would not significantly reduce the volume of betting ads visible during a game.
The committee said the Government should take a more precautionary approach to advertising than that proposed in the gambling White Paper, and that there was scope for further regulation.
It cited a recent study that found that front-of-shirt branding made up just 7% of all the gambling messaging that was visible during 10 matches, with a further study revealing that nearly 7,000 gambling messages could be seen during six matches surveyed on the opening weekend of the season.
The report backs much of the Government’s gambling White Paper, published earlier this year, including a new system of financial risk checks to be conducted by gambling operators on customer accounts that lose certain amounts of money within given time frames.
However the committee said there was “work to do” to ensure that they were minimally intrusive and protected financial data.
A spokesman for the Big Step campaign to end gambling advertising in football, part of the charity Gambling with Lives, said: “Gambling advertising in our national sport is out of control, with thousands of ads for addictive products infecting the minds of children every single match. Behind every advert is the reality that gambling causes devastating harm to millions of families in the UK.
“Although it’s welcome that these MPs are calling for action, sadly their recommendations do not touch the sides. If they’re deemed harmful enough to be reduced, then all ads should be removed from every football ground. This Government or the next must end all gambling advertising and sponsorship in football.”
Source: The Independent, 20 December 2023
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More than 10,000 illicit vapes and cigarettes seized by trading standards in Peterborough
More than 10,000 illicit vapes and cigarettes and 12.5kg of hand rolling tobacco were seized by trading standards in Peterborough this year.
According to a Peterborough City Council (PCC) quarterly report (October–December), 2,401 vapes were taken away from shops, as well as 9,807 packs of cigarettes.
While these products are legal in England, they must meet certain requirements for sale: vapes, for instance, can’t contain more than two per cent nicotine and or certain ingredients such as the flavouring agent diactyl which has been associated with negative health effects.
Tell-tale signs include non-standard packaging, an unusual taste and below market rate prices, it says, while health information may not be in English or printed on a white background.
Source: Peterborough Telegraph, 20 December 2023
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Ireland banning sales of vapes to under-18s
A new law banning the sale of vapes to under-18s will come into effect in the Republic of Ireland on Friday.
The order signed by Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly makes it an offence to sell a nicotine inhaling product, such as e-cigarettes, to a child.
The penalties can include a fine of up to €4,000 (£3,461) and up to six months in prison.
Further regulations of e-cigarettes and proposals in tobacco control will be reviewed in the new year, Mr Donnelly added.
In November 2023, the health minister and Public Health Minister Hildegarde Naughton launched a public consultation on the future regulation of vapes.
Ms Naughton said the ban was a "good beginning" towards tackling problems around vaping.
"The protection of children is at the centre of our national tobacco control policy, Tobacco Free Ireland, and I welcome this major step forward in that direction," she said.
The minister said she was also looking forward to the consultation's views on the flavourings and packaging of e-cigarettes.
Source: BBC News, 21 December 2023
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US: Want to keep Gen Z off vaping? Teach them about the industry's marketing tactics, study says
Young adults who are more familiar with e-cigarette marketing practices are more likely to have attitudes against vaping than those unaware of the industry's marketing, according to a study led by Drexel University public health researchers published this month in the journal Tobacco Control.
Expanding on ways cigarettes were marketed in the 1970s, such as using models and hosting smoking events, e-cigarette marketing includes more modern tactics, like paying social media influencers to promote vaping. The findings, from researchers at Drexel's Dornsife School of Public Health and The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, suggest that efforts to educate young people about e-cigarette marketing tactics can help reduce the number of new vape users.
Overall, having awareness of the e-cigarette industry's marketing practices (as opposed to having no awareness of these practices) was associated with stronger agreement with the statements: "Not vaping is a way to express my independence," "Taking a stand against vaping is important to me," "I want to be involved with efforts to get rid of vaping" and "I would like to see electronic vaping companies go out of business."
"Our data shows that many young adults may not know about the e-cigarette industry's marketing practices, which are quite similar to the insidious marketing practices that were once used to sell cigarettes," said lead author Lilianna Phan, Ph.D.
"Exposing e-cigarette marketing practices to young adults should continue to be investigated as a potential public education messaging strategy as it may help shape attitudes against vaping. These attitudes, in turn, could help protect against initiating vaping for susceptible young adults."
Source: Medical News, 20 December 2023
See also: Research paper: Awareness of electronic cigarette industry practices and their associations with anti-electronic cigarette attitudes among susceptible US young adults
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