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Opinion: Why I dropped my liberal view of smoking
Writing in The Times, Lord Finkelstein OBE, former executive editor of The Times and conservative political advisor, discusses his change of heart over smoking regulation and why he is now in favour of the Smokefree generation legislation.
Finkelstein describes himself as formerly a “liberal on smoking” and disliked telling others “what to do”, as he was confident in his own and others ability to make informed decisions about their own actions.
It was only when Finkelstein investigated the effects that passive smoking has on the non-smoking population, for a newspaper piece on the indoor smoking ban, that his view started to change. Speaking to the British Medical Association regarding the research into passive smoking he found that not only did it have an impact on “lung cancer, cervical cancer, asthma and strokes” but that “living with someone who smoked produced a 25-30 per cent increase in the risk of coronary heart disease.”
Finkelstein, armed with his new knowledge that regardless of being a non-smoker he would still suffer from the adverse health effects caused by cigarette smoke, supported the indoor smoking ban. In the year that followed the ban saw “were 1,200 fewer admissions for heart attacks”.
Finkelstein dissected Liz Truss’s conservative view on smoking which “defends the rights of adults to do as they please” and points out its hypocrisy. In terms of leaving adults alone, this does not extend to legalising other drugs like cannabis or even certain prescription drugs.
Finkelstein writes that “it is right to respect individual choice among adults, but also to acknowledge that people can make choices that they repent of making but struggle to undo.” He cites the American survey in 2018 which found that 90% of smokers wish they’d never started.
Finkelstein argues that the conservative argument of smoking regulation being “nanny state” legislation is only due to tobacco being legal and a habit of British culture for so long.
This is why Finkelstein likes the new Smokefree Generation legislation, it stops young people ever forming the habit, “while allowing those who have already acquired the habit to continue.”
Source: The Times, 20 February 2024
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Pregnancy smoking rates slashed in Worcestershire
Recent figures have revealed a significant reduction in the number of women smoking during
pregnancy.
New Worcestershire data shows that the figure has plummeted to just nine per cent and is the largest year-on-year decrease seen in the county over the last seven years.
This decrease follows the establishment of the Stop Smoking in Pregnancy Service in the county.
Councillor Karen May, of Worcestershire County Council, said: "It’s great to see these smoking rates fall.
"The Public Health team at the County Council and NHS colleagues work incredibly hard to help people quit.
"We need to keep working to reduce the smoking rates further.
"Quitting smoking is crucial for a healthy pregnancy and for the ongoing of health of both mothers and children.”
Anyone who is pregnant, and lives in Worcestershire or receives midwifery care in the county can access the aid.
Councillor May added: "After a baby has been born, it’s a whole new world for a family.
"It’s a wonderful time but every new parent will tell you its also very tiring, so it can be tempting to smoke again.
"That’s why we support mums, partners and anyone who lives in the household to stop smoking for good until a child is three years old."
Source: Redditch & Alcester Advertiser, 21 February 2024
See also: Worcestershire County Council - Large reduction in pregnant smokers across Worcestershire
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A quarter of smokers quit within a year or two of menthol bans, researchers find
Menthol cigarette bans are effective at getting people to quit smoking, new research finds.
The US Food and Drug Administration has said that a menthol ban is a “top priority,” but public health advocates have accused the Biden administration of dragging its feet, and the ban has gotten caught up in election-year politics despite research showing clear health benefits.
The new research, published Wednesday in the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research, looked at studies that have examined the effects of bans in more than 170 US localities, two states, several countries and the European Union.
The researchers did a deep search of English-language studies on tobacco use that were published through November 2022.
The pooled results show that about a quarter of menthol smokers quit within a year or two when the substance is banned from cigarettes.
They found that of the menthol smokers who did not quit after bans were put into place, about half switched to non-menthol cigarettes, 12% switched to other flavoured tobacco products, and another quarter found a way to continue smoking menthols.
National bans seemed to be most effective, the studies showed. Menthol cigarette smoking rates were lower in settings with national bans and highest when there were only local or statewide bans.
The tobacco industry has argued that a nationwide ban could make it dangerous for menthol smokers who would seek out illegal cigarettes, leading to violent encounters with police. However, the research did not turn up any evidence that bans created surges of people who turned to a black market for menthol cigarettes.
“Contrary to claims by the tobacco industry, we did not see an increase in the use of illicit products,” study co-author Dr. Sarah Mills said.
“This review provides compelling evidence that the US Food and Drug Administration should move forward with banning the sale of menthol cigarettes,” said Mills, an assistant professor in the Department of Health Behaviour at the Gillings School of Public Health.
A ban would be of particular help to the health of communities of colour and the LGBTQ+ community, both of which have been targeted by industry advertising for decades. A 2020 study showed that although 43% of all adult smokers smoked menthols, more than 83% of Black smokers did. And a CDC study found that while 29% of heterosexual people smoked menthols, 36% of LGBT smokers did.
Black adults die at significantly higher rates than White adults from smoking-related illnesses including stroke, heart disease and lung cancer. Black people make up 12% of the population in the US, but the community accounts for 41% of smoking-related premature deaths and 50% of the life-years lost associated with menthol tobacco product use between 1980 and 2018, one study found.
Source: CNN, 21 February 2024
See also: Sarah D Mills, Snigdha Peddireddy, Rachel Kurtzman, Frantasia Hill, Victor Catalan, Jennifer S Bissram, Kurt M Ribisl, The Impact of Menthol Cigarette Bans: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis, Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 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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