View this email in your browser ([link removed])


** 1 August 2024
------------------------------------------------------------


** UK
------------------------------------------------------------


** Almost one million youngsters have tried vaping this year, analysis finds (#1)
------------------------------------------------------------


** Revealed: ICSs planning the largest deficits (#2)
------------------------------------------------------------


** GPs vote for industrial action for first time in 60 years (#3)
------------------------------------------------------------


** Opinion: Ozempic or Wegovy can be a godsend, but their non-medical use is alarming (#4)
------------------------------------------------------------


** UK
------------------------------------------------------------


** Almost one million youngsters have tried vaping this year, analysis finds

Vaping rates among children have stabilised but are not yet declining, according to new analysis, with close to one million youngsters in Britain admitting to trying e-cigarettes in 2024.

The survey by public health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which has been carried out by YouGov every spring since 2013, estimates 18% of 11 to 17-year-olds – or around 980,000 youngsters – have vaped in 2024.

More than half – 520,000 – had only tried e-cigarettes once or twice, with 3% vaping less than once a week, 4.2% more than once a week and 1.3% saying they no longer vape.

ASH said the poll “suggests the rapid rise in youth vaping since the pandemic has stabilised in 2024, it is not yet clearly declining”.

The proportion of children vaping experimentally – trying them once or twice – fell to 9.5% from 11.6% in 2023.

It comes after the Labour Government revived plans to introduce the Tobacco and Vapes Bill in the King’s Speech last month.

The proposed legislation will progressively increase the age at which people can buy tobacco, preventing anyone born after January 1 2009 being legally able to do so.
It will also pave the way for measures to reduce the appeal of vaping to children and young people, such as restricting the flavours, packaging and display of e-cigarettes.

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive of ASH, said: “The ASH 2024 survey findings that nearly a million under 18s have tried vaping, must stiffen the Government’s resolve to bring back the Tobacco and Vapes Bill immediately after it returns from its summer break on Monday September 2.

“Cheap, accessible vapes, promoted on every street corner and packaged and labelled like sweets or toys are totally inappropriate, but until the Bill is on the statute book they cannot be taken off the market.

“E-cigarettes must be strictly regulated so their use is limited to the purpose they were created for, as an effective quitting aid for adult smokers.”

Of the 11 to 17-year-olds who currently vape, 48% told the survey they buy their e-cigarettes from shops, which is illegal.

Disposable vapes remain the most popular choice of e-cigarettes among young people, although the proportion of children using them fell to 54% in 2024 from 69% last year.

ASH said there has been “significant growth” in the awareness of e-cigarette promotion in recent years, with 55% of 11 to 17-year-olds aware of shop advertisements in 2024, up from 37% two years ago.

ASH’s report also said the rise in youngsters and adults using e-cigarettes despite having never smoked “remains a concern”.

It also found that the proportion of young people who think vaping is more or equally as harmful as smoking cigarettes has grown from 13% in 2013 to 58% in 2024. This includes 43% of those who have tried e-cigarettes.

A Department for health and Social Care spokesperson said the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill “will protect future generations”.

“Vapes should only be used as a tool to help smokers quit – and children should never vape,” they added.

“That’s why we are committed to introducing tough new action to clamp down on youth vaping, including banning vapes from being branded and advertised to appeal to children, and restricting their packaging, flavours and display.

“The upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill will protect future generations from the harms of tobacco and nicotine, saving thousands of lives and easing pressures on the NHS. By building a healthier society, we will help to build a healthy economy.”

Source: The Standard, 1 August 2024

See also: ASH - New data reveals continued concerns regarding youth vaping: ASH calls for urgent government action ([link removed])
------------------------------------------------------------
Read Here ([link removed])


** Revealed: ICSs planning the largest deficits

The integrated care systems facing the biggest planned deficits in the year ahead are today revealed by HSJ research.

The single largest projected overspends in cash terms, at £175m, are forecast by Greater Manchester and Lancashire & South Cumbria ICSs.

But the system with the largest planned deficit as a proportion of its budget, at around 9 per cent of its annual core allocations, however, was Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICS, England’s smallest system on turnover.

HSJ’s research follows NHS England announcing at its last board meeting that three quarters of the 42 ICSs had failed to set balanced spending plans for 2024-25.

Chief financial officer Julian Kelly told the meeting systems were planning a collective deficit of just over £2bn, but NHSE has not set out the positions of individual systems.

NHSE is starting 2024-25 with the largest planned deficit since the pandemic, and the overspend normally grows significantly over the course of the year.

Mr Kelly went on to stress that there was “no room to cover any further pressures” and it was “imperative that all systems deliver their financial plan”.

However, trusts and commissioning boards are already struggling to stick to this forecast, with NHSE placing half of the integrated care systems in additional oversight due to overspending in the three months since April.

Eight systems are projecting a deficit of £100m or more. Alongside Greater Manchester and Lancashire and South Cumbria, the group also includes Cheshire and Merseyside (£150m) and Kent and Medway (£120m).

Source: HSJ, 1 August 2024

------------------------------------------------------------
Read Here ([link removed])


** GPs vote for industrial action for first time in 60 years

GPs across England have voted for industrial action in a move set to cause significant disruption in the NHS.

The British Medical Association (BMA) has given members a range of options, including limiting the number of appointments to 25 per day. Currently, some report seeing 60-70 patients each day.

A formal dispute was launched in April, with the BMA saying the new GP contract, which will see services given a 1.9% funding increase for 2024/25, means many surgeries will struggle to stay financially viable.

The BMA said in a statement: “GP partners/contractors in England have voted overwhelmingly in favour of collective action. Seven in ten eligible members voted in the non-statutory ballot, with an overwhelming 98.3 per cent of members voting yes, indicating that they are willing to take action to save general practice.”

“These actions will be easy, safe and sustainable. Above all they will turn up the pressure on the government to do the right thing for general practice and patients. We need a new contract that is fit for purpose, one that provides the investment and workforce needed to reset general practice and provide patients with family doctors,” it said.

“We have had several meetings with the new secretary of state and shared our vision for the future of general practice. We remain open to continuing discussions, to ensure GPs secure the contract that patients and staff deserve.”

Source: The Independent, 1 August 2024

------------------------------------------------------------
Read Here ([link removed] )


** Opinion: Ozempic or Wegovy can be a godsend, but their non-medical use is alarming
------------------------------------------------------------


**
------------------------------------------------------------


** Writing for the Guardian, Prof Devi Sridhar, Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh, discusses the rise in the use of anti-obesity drugs like semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy), initially intended for type 2 diabetes, now widely used for weight loss. In the US, a survey found that 12% of adults have used drugs of this kind, with 6% (approximately 15 million people) using them regularly despite high costs. In the UK, similar drugs are available through the NHS for diabetes or medically necessary cases, but online sales for weight loss have surged.

The author writes that these drugs work by suppressing appetite and helping the pancreas produce insulin. Prof Sridhar highlights, however, that they come with potential side effects such as nausea, stomach pain, gallbladder issues, kidney damage, pancreatitis, thyroid cancer, and aesthetic effects like “Ozempic face.” Long-term health consequences are still unknown. Additionally, continuous use is required to maintain weight loss.

The author emphasises the debate over these drugs: some see them as a breakthrough for obesity reduction, while others argue they distract from addressing the root causes of obesity, such as processed food. Prof Sridhar advocates for a holistic approach to health, focusing on overall well-being rather than just weight loss. She highlights the importance of exercise and a nutritious diet for long-term health benefits, suggesting that these lifestyle changes are more beneficial than relying on medication for weight loss.

Source: The Guardian, 31 July 2024
------------------------------------------------------------
Read Here ([link removed])
Have you been forwarded this email? Subscribe to ASH Daily News here. ([link removed])

For more information email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk
@ASHorguk ([link removed])

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.

============================================================
Our mailing address is:
Action on Smoking and Health
Unit 2.9, The Foundry
17 Oval Way
London
SE11 5RR

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can ** update your preferences ([link removed])
or ** unsubscribe from this list ([link removed])