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** 30 July 2024
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** UK
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** Weight-loss drugs may help smokers quit (#1)
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** Thousands of illegal vapes and cigarettes seized (#2)
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** KFC 'is thwarting anti-obesity efforts by councils to stop takeaways being opened near schools' (#3)
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** UK
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** Weight-loss drugs may help smokers quit

The new generation of weight loss drugs may not only help you give up food, but smoking too. A study has found that people prescribed Ozempic for type 2 diabetes management were less likely to be treated for tobacco-related problems too.

The findings, which come from an analysis of more than 200,000 patients, fit in with other anecdotal evidence that drugs such as semaglutide, the trade name for Ozempic, can affect other addictions such as alcoholism.

However, the researchers who uncovered the finding, which was published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, cautioned that we would need to await the results of proper trials to be sure that the drugs do help.

The latest data comes from comparing those put on different forms of anti-diabetes medication for the first time between 2018 and 2023 in the US. Of the 223,000 treated, just under 6,000 were given semaglutide.

Despite the fact that they were prescribed the medication on the basis of their diabetes, those 6,000 were less likely to visit a clinic because of their smoking. The difference was small but significant. After a year, about 20 per cent of those taking semaglutide had spoken to a doctor because of concerns about smoking, compared with 25 per cent of those on other medication.

There are several potential explanations. One is that the two groups were different — it may be that those given semaglutide were also less likely for other reasons to be smokers. It could even be that they were just as likely to smoke, but less likely to ask for help.

Another possible explanation is that those given the drug reduce their smoking for other reasons. One suggestion put forward by researchers was the slimming effects of semaglutide. Smoking suppresses the appetite, which makes some people reluctant to quit — but if people know they are also on an appetite-suppressant drug then they may be more willing to do so.

Semaglutide was originally developed as a means of controlling diabetes, but those using it found as a side effect that they also lost weight. Since its licensing as a weight loss drug, researchers have been intrigued to find links — some now relatively well validated — to other conditions. It appears to be protective against heart disease, independently of the weight loss it induces. Another study published yesterday found it may also stave off Alzheimer’s.

Source: The Times, 29 July 2024

See also: William Wang, Nora D. Volkow, Nathan A. Berger, et al. Association of Semaglutide With Tobacco Use Disorder in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes: Target Trial Emulation Using Real-World Data ([link removed]) . Ann Intern Med. 2024
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** Thousands of illegal vapes and cigarettes seized

Thousands of illicit cigarettes, vapes and tobacco products have been seized from shops across Wolverhampton.

Following a string of complaints, officers said they found 2,280 illicit cigarettes hidden under a floor in one of the raided stores.

They also uncovered 8.1kg (17.9lbs) of banned oral tobacco and snus - a tobacco product in a sachet - and an estimated 550 illicit vapes. The city council said an investigation to find the suppliers was underway.

The retail value of the vapes seized was estimated to £8,260, the cigarettes about £1,745 and the duty not paid on the cigarettes and oral tobacco would come to more than £2,900, the City of Wolverhampton Council said.

Action was set to be taken against the owners of premises where the material was seized, they added.

Source: BBC News, 25 July 2024
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** KFC 'is thwarting anti-obesity efforts by councils to stop takeaways being opened near schools'

KFC is thwarting councils attempting to fight rising obesity by challenging their bids to prevent takeaways being opened near schools, officials have claimed, after it was revealed this week the health crisis is costing the UK £100billion per year.

The fast food giant has succeeded in having the policies stopped completely or significantly watered down in 24 of 43 council areas it has challenged, the Times reports.

Since 2017, 16 councils have abandoned the plans while a further eight have had to limit the extent of their powers, after the fast food giant responded to public consultations.

KFC has argued in many cases that the policies have either not been through the proper channels or that there is not a strong enough evidential link between childhood obesity and takeaways close to schools.

It comes after the scale of the UK's obesity problem was revealed to be costing £100billion per year this week, with two thirds of adults now classed as overweight or obese. The same is true for 38 percent of year six pupils at English schools of which almost 25 percent are obese.

Council officials have been trying to limit the number of takeaways and fast food restaurants close to schools across the country, but are required to open up new planning policies to a public consultation.

These policies have reportedly often been challenged by KFC, with an external planning inspector ruling in the chain's favour in half of cases.

One such case is the town of Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, where four in ten year six pupils are overweight or obese.

When the council introduced plans to ban new takeaways within 400 metres of schools claiming that year six pupils living with the highest density of fast food restaurants had a higher BMI than those with none.

But KFC successfully argued in March that there was not sufficient evidence of a direct link, adding the proposal was 'negative in its assumption that all hot food takeaways offer little choice and serve the same type and standard of food', the Times reports.

Source: Daily Mail, 6 December 2023
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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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