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** 02 April 2020
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** UK
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** Vape shop owner arrested by four police officers after refusing to close during lockdown (#1)
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** WHO: Being healthy can aid your chance of recovery from Covid-19 (#2)
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** Smokefree Sheffield urges smokers to ‘Quit for Covid' (#3)
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** International
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** US sues to force Altria to unwind investment in Juul (#4)
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** UK
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**

Last Thursday (26th March) Ian Grave, a vape shop owner in St Helens, Merseyside, was arrested by four police officers for not closing his shop during the coronavirus lockdown. Grave said that he provided a key service selling products which help people give up smoking.

Speaking afterwards, he said: “I thought we were doing everything right, I only had one member of staff in and we only let one customer in at a time and then wiped down every time. I think we're providing a vital service selling nicotine products. Off licences are still allowed to stay open, so why not us? You can also go to DIY stores, are nails essential? But they turned up and said we had to shut. I asked under what law did I have to close, and they didn't know.”

Only stores selling “essential goods” such as supermarkets, pharmacies, post offices and hardware stores have been told they can remain open during the national fightback against coronavirus. Some high street vaping shops are staying open by identifying as healthcare retailers.

The Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, whose members work for councils, and are responsible for enforcing the new rules, said: “There does seem to some confusion over what should be closed and what shouldn't. Vaping shops are self-identifying as health care and staying open. Our people are getting in touch with businesses to ask them what grounds they are open on because there seems to be a feeling the legislation is open to misinterpretation.”

The vaping industry has urged the Government to exempt its outlets, claiming it would be a counterproductive move that could place a further strain on the NHS.

Source: Mail Online, 1 April 2020

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The state of a person’s health before they become infected with Covid-19 appears to play a “crucial role” in determining how well they recover, global health leaders have said. The European branch of the World Health Organisation (WHO) said that older people with high blood pressure, diabetes or heart disease have a significantly increased risk of death from Covid-19. It urged people to exercise, maintain a healthy diet and stop drinking and smoking.

It said older people in general are at “significant risk of disease”, but those who have aged healthily are less at risk, highlighting how some centenarians have recovered from Covid-19. It also warned that young people are not “invincible” from the disease. Hans Henri Kluge, the WHO’s regional director for Europe, said: “Older adults are at significantly increased risk of severe disease following infection from Covid-19.

“We know that over 95% of deaths occurred in people older than 60 years old. We also know from reports that eight out of 10 deaths occur in individuals with at least one underlying co-morbidity, particularly those with cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes, but also a range of underlying chronic conditions. All older people should be treated with respect and dignity during these times. Remember we leave no one behind.”

But he added that age is not the only risk factor, adding: “The very notion that Covid-19 only affects older people is factually wrong. On a positive note, there are reports of people over the age of 100 who were admitted to hospital for Covid-19 and have now since made a complete recovery. It is becoming clear that the healthier you were before the pandemic plays a crucial role. People who age healthily are less at risk.

“For those in self quarantine or working from home, it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle with good nutrition, physical activity and staying away from tobacco and alcohol.”

Source: PA Media, 2 April 2020

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Sheffield is taking part in a national campaign calling on smokers to #QuitForCovid. The initiative aims to educate smokers on the increased risks to themselves and their family from COVID-19 and encourage them to take the important step of quitting smoking. The Chief Medical Officer and Health Secretary both recently reinforced that smokers are at increased risk from COVID-19.

Greg Fell, director of public health in Sheffield said: “We are calling on all smokers to take this opportunity to start their journey today and quit with us, to protect themselves and their loved ones at this crucial time. We have an excellent range of support available for smokers in the city and the Stop Smoking Service is continuing to support smokers over the phone and online. Telephone calls are free from either a landline or mobiles. The service offer is a mix of behavioural support and stop smoking medication such as Nicotine Replacement Therapy and Champix.”

“Smokers are three times more likely to quit successfully with the help of expert support. This is why Sheffield is committed to keeping access to this important service going. We know most smokers want to quit, what I would say to smokers is that this could be the opportunity you have been waiting for.”

Smoking is one of the leading causes of health inequalities in the UK and the coronavirus outbreak risks worsening this divide. Two particular at-risk groups are people with smoking-related illnesses and the homeless. Children are at particular risk from the dangers of secondhand smoke, as they have less well-developed airways, lungs and immune systems. With Sheffield’s schools closed and children isolating at home with their parents, it is more important than ever to maintain a smokefree home.

Source: The Star, 2 April 2020

See also: www.todayistheday.co.uk ([link removed])

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** International
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**

The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) said on Wednesday (1 April) that it has filed a complaint aimed at forcing Marlboro maker Altria Group to sell its investment in e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc. The FTC has probed Altria’s decision to buy a 35% stake in Juul, announced in December 2018, for $12.8 billion. The value of the investment has dwindled to $4.2 billion, following a series of writedowns last year, as Juul faced litigation and heightened regulatory scrutiny over its contribution to a surge in teenage vaping.

Altria and Juul were once competitors in the e-cigarette market. The FTC alleges that once Juul skyrocketed to become the market-leading e-cigarette maker in 2018, Altria dealt with the competition by “agreeing not to compete in return for a substantial ownership interest in Juul.”
“Altria and Juul turned from competitors to collaborators by eliminating competition and sharing in Juul’s profits,” said Ian Conner, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition.

Juul did not respond to a request for comment. Altria said it planned to “vigorously defend our investment.” “We believe that our investment in Juul does not harm competition and that the FTC misunderstood the facts,” said Murray Garnick, Altria’s executive vice president and general counsel.

Altria’s MarkTen was at one point the second most popular e-cigarette maker, the FTC said. The FTC said Altria responded to Juul’s threat to its business by agreeing not to compete in exchange for Altria’s investment in the company. Altria announced it would discontinue its MarkTen brand a few weeks before formally announcing the Juul investment in December 2018.

The FTC announcement is the beginning of what is likely to be a lengthy process and adds to a relentless series of regulatory headaches for Juul over the past year. The company stopped selling popular flavours such as mango and mint in the United States amid pressure from regulators and lawmakers, and shed hundreds of workers as it retooled under new management.

Source: Reuters, 1 April 2020
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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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