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Fewer pregnant women in Blackpool were smokers when they gave birth, new figures show
Maternal smoking rates across the country fell from 9.1% in the three months to September 2022-23 to 7.5% in the same period of 2023-24.
However, it meant the national target of 6% was missed yet again, with Action on Smoking and Health saying the Government is not on track to hit it until around 2032.
NHS Digital figures show there were 72 pregnant women who were known to be smokers at the time of delivery in Blackpool in the three months to September 2023.
This was equivalent to 18.7% of all 386 mothers registered at the former NHS Blackpool CCG area – down from 22% during the same period in 2022-23.
Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive at Action on Smoking and Health, said: “Smoking rates during pregnancy have fallen over the last decade, although nationally we are not on track to hit the Government’s 6% ambition until around 2032, a decade later than hoped for.”
“Maternal smoking increases the risk of poor birth outcomes, including still birth, miscarriage and birth defects, so it's vital that every pregnant woman is offered support to quit smoking.”
Ms Cheeseman added: “Progress has improved over the last year coinciding with the roll out of new dedicated stop smoking support in maternity services.”
“A new national financial incentive scheme for pregnant smokers and their partners due to be rolled out this year should further accelerate progress.”
“However, more needs to be done to tackle the significant disparities in maternal smoking rates between different parts of the country and to address high rates of women relapsing to smoking postnatally.”
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Starmer to embrace ‘nanny state’ with plan for toothbrushing in schools
The UK has some of the worst cancer survival rates in the developed world, according to new research.
Analysis of international data by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce found that five-year survival rates for lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers in the UK are worse than in most comparable countries. On average, just 16% of UK patients live for five years with these cancers.
Out of 33 countries of comparable wealth and income levels, the UK ranks as low as 28th for five-year survival of both stomach and lung cancer, 26th for pancreatic cancer, 25th for brain cancer and 21st and 16th for liver and oesophageal cancers respectively.
The six cancers account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths in the UK and more than 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of them in Britain every year.
The taskforce calculated that if people with these cancers in the UK had the same prognosis as patients living in countries with the highest five-year survival rates – Korea, Belgium, the US, Australia and China – then more than 8,000 lives could be saved a year.
In the UK, seven in 10 patients receive no treatment at all for pancreatic cancer and of the 10,000 people diagnosed annually, just 10% receive surgery. Similarly, in England only 65% of people with a cancerous brain tumour are treated by surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy – the main potential treatments – in comparison with 85% of breast cancer patients.
Responding to the findings, Prof Pat Price, the chair of Radiotherapy UK and co-founder of the Catch Up With Cancer campaign, said: “The UK’s abysmal cancer survival rates, including less survivable cancers, add to a national catalogue of cancer care failure. The international evidence is clear: countries with a cancer plan see improved survival. Decisive action and investment through a cancer plan could quickly improve so many areas of cancer.
“It’s not enough to focus on the speed of diagnosis as a way forward. We need to boost treatment capacity too. A radical cancer plan holds the key to significant performance improvements and better survival rates. Anything less will see us continue rooted to the bottom of the cancer survival league tables.”
Source: The Guardian, 10 January 2024
See also: Kier Starmer: Britain has suffered terribly under these Tories, especially our children. The only word for it is neglect
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UK has some of worst cancer survival rates in developed world, report says
The UK has some of the worst cancer survival rates in the developed world, according to new research.
Analysis of international data by the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce found that five-year survival rates for lung, liver, brain, oesophageal, pancreatic and stomach cancers in the UK are worse than in most comparable countries. On average, just 16% of UK patients live for five years with these cancers.
Out of 33 countries of comparable wealth and income levels, the UK ranks as low as 28th for five-year survival of both stomach and lung cancer, 26th for pancreatic cancer, 25th for brain cancer and 21st and 16th for liver and oesophageal cancers respectively.
The six cancers account for nearly half of all common cancer deaths in the UK and more than 90,000 people are diagnosed with one of them in Britain every year.
The taskforce calculated that if people with these cancers in the UK had the same prognosis as patients living in countries with the highest five-year survival rates – Korea, Belgium, the US, Australia and China – then more than 8,000 lives could be saved a year.
Anna Jewell, the chair of the Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce, said: “People diagnosed with a less survivable cancer are already fighting against the odds for survival. If we could bring the survivability of these cancers on level with the best-performing countries in the world then we could give valuable years to thousands of patients.
“If we’re going to see positive and meaningful change then all of the UK governments must commit to proactively investing in research and putting processes in place so we can speed up diagnosis and improve treatment options.”
Source: The Guardian, 11 January 2024
See also: CONCORD Global Surveillance of Cancer Survival
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Private Eye Comment: BAT and youth vaping
“You want Britain to be Smokefree by 2030. Surprisingly, so do we’’ reads an advertisement ran by British American Tobacco, the largest e-cigarette manufacturer based in the UK.
In a comment in the Private Eye Magazine, one reader addresses this, calling out the hypocrisy between what BTA says and does. The company has said it is committed to clamping down on illegal vapes and removing child friendly flavours- yet it sells vapes with names such as ‘hazelnut macchiato’ and was fined by HMRC for oversupplying low-tax Belgium with tobacco products which could then be smuggled into the UK to avoid excise duties.
The comment also points to BATs competition with leading vape brand Elf Bar, which BAT attempted to buy in 2022. When this failed to go ahead, BAT sent UK Trading Standards batches of Elf Bar vapes it claimed illegal levels of nicotine. Interesting then, the comment points out, that the new legislation stands to harm Elf Bar far more than it would BAT.
Source: Private Eye Magazine Issue 1614, January 2024
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Netherlands: BAT Fined for Tax Avoidance
A Netherlands court ordered BAT to pay a fine of €107 million ($117 million), reports Reuters. The court said BAT under-declared profit by €1.8 billion during the period of 2013 to 2016 and will owe taxes from that period.
“By far the largest part of the fines were imposed for an intentionally untrue tax claim for the transfer of company activities to the United Kingdom,” the Dutch North Holland District Court said in a summary of its judgment.
In April, BAT agreed to pay $635 million to U.S. authorities. A subsidiary pled guilty to charges that it conspired to violate U.S. sanctions by selling tobacco products to North Korea and commit bank fraud in 2013–2017.
Source: Tobacco Reporter, 18 December 2023
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British American Tobacco to Pay Nigerian Fine for Antitrust Violations
British American Tobacco Plc’s Nigerian units are facing a hefty fine of $110 million from the Federal Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) in Nigeria after the regulatory body found the tobacco giant guilty of violating competition laws.
According to Bloomberg, the penalty comes at the end of a rigorous three-year investigation into the company’s business practices, particularly concerning its treatment of retailers and rival brands.
According to an official statement from the FCCPC, British American Tobacco (BAT) was found to have engaged in unfair business practices by penalizing retailers who provided equal prominence to competing brands in stores. This anti-competitive behaviour prompted the regulatory body to impose a substantial fine.
In response to the findings, BAT has agreed to pay the $110 million fine and has committed to allowing the FCCPC to monitor its activities for the next two years. This monitoring period aims to ensure that BAT implements appropriate behavioural and business practice modifications.
Source: CPI, 1 January 2024
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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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