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** 27 April 2020
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** UK
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** South East smokers urged to consider impact of secondhand smoking in lockdown (#1)
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** International
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** France limits nicotine sales after coronavirus study (#2)
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** Zimbabwe: Tobacco workers’ union calls for postponement of 2020 market opening until lockdown ends (#3)
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** UK
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Smokers in Surrey and Hampshire are being urged to think about the impact of second-hand smoking on those they are in lockdown with.
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** It comes as two free services - One You Surrey, funded by Surrey County Council, and Smokefree Hampshire, commissioned by Hampshire County Council - adapt their traditional face-to-face services so people can access support remotely. One You Surrey are offering help by telephone and video-chat, while Smokefree Hampshire is giving support by phone and Quitline.
Barcley West, engagement officer at One You Surrey, said smoking could impact the health of those smokers are living with: "Some people may live in flats or in close spaces or even larger houses and if they smoke inside the house those who are living with them - they could be children or those who have existing health conditions - are particularly at risk as well. Those who are smoking should take every effort to protect them from exposure. People are making big health changes during the lockdown or during isolation, and this is the perfect opportunity."
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Source: Eagle Radio, 27 April 2020
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Read Article ([link removed])
** International
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France has moved to prevent the stockpiling of nicotine products after the country’s health minister expressed interest in research suggesting that the addictive stimulant could help prevent COVID-19 infection.
The French government on Friday 24th April issued a decree suspending online sales of nicotine patches and other products designed to help smokers quit, and told pharmacies to limit physical sales. Chemists were told to only dispense a month's supply of the products to customers. It follows the publication of a study last week on 483 patients at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital in Paris, that found the infection rate for smokers among COVID-19 outpatients and inpatients was significantly lower than for non-smokers. The study found 5.3% of the COVID-19 patients were smokers, while 25.4% of the general population smoke regularly.
French researchers now plan to test nicotine patches on patients infected by the virus to study whether they could help lessen or prevent symptoms. However, speaking when the study emerged this week, Jérôme Salomon, French director-general of health, said: “The harmful effects of smoking must absolutely not be forgotten. Smoking is the number one killer in France . . . Do not confuse research hypotheses with proven effects.”
Deborah Arnott chief executive of ASH, said the planned French trial “should not put smokers off trying to quit”.
Linda Bauld, Bruce and John Usher professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh — who was not involved in the French study — said it was not entirely unexpected that nicotine could have an impact, as other studies had indicated there was “something weird going on with smokers and coronavirus”. Professor Bauld added that “All over the world, we are trying to repurpose existing medicine to fight the pandemic so it makes sense the French are investigating this.”
Source: Financial Times, 24 April 2020
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** See also: BBC - France bans online sales of nicotine products ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed])
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The National Union for Tobacco Industry and Allied Trades (NUTIAT) has demanded postponement of the 2020 tobacco marketing season until the end of the national lockdown period.
NUTIAT, a union representing more than 2,000 workers from various auction floors, said the safety measures that had been put in place were not adequate to protect employees from COVID-19. The union argues that postponing the marketing season will give all the auction floors time to put in place adequate safety measures and protect employees from COVID-19.
Source: New Zimbabwe, 27 April 2020
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