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** 27 August 2024
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** UK
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** Women smoking during pregnancy in the north west at record low thanks to NHS support (#1)
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** Mobile units detect 100 lung cancers in Sussex (#4)
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** International
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** No smoking in your own home, California city orders residents (#5)
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** Australians are the world's biggest gamblers - could banning ads help? (#6)
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** UK
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** Women smoking during pregnancy in the north west at record low thanks to NHS support

This year saw the biggest annual fall in smoking during pregnancy in the north west since records began, meaning 873 fewer pregnant women smoked in the region compared to the previous 12 months, protecting hundreds of babies from potential harm.

NHS England is working to ensure all maternity services can offer pregnant woman who smoke specialist support to quit - with focused treatment including nicotine replacement therapy. More than 90% of inpatient and maternity services are now delivering smoking cessation services for patients.

The most recent Statistics on Women's Smoking Status at Time of Delivery shows that in the north west, 8.4% of women were known to be smokers at the end of their pregnancy in 2023/24 – down on last year, when the rate was 10.3%. The number of women smoking in pregnancy nationally also reduced significantly from 8.8% in 2022/23 to 7.4% in 2023/24.

Claire Mathews, chief midwife for NHS England – North West, said: “It is extremely encouraging to see that the number of pregnant women smoking has reached an all-time low, with thanks to our brilliant teams of midwives and the specialist support we provide to expectant mums through our maternity services.”

“We want to help even more pregnant women to live smokefree and will continue to provide dedicated support to anyone accessing our maternity services – so if you are considering having a baby or recently pregnant and looking for support to quit, please do speak to your maternity team, they are here to help.”

Source: Lancaster Guardian, 26 August 2024

See also: ONS - Statistics on Women's Smoking Status at Time of Delivery: England ([link removed]) |
Forbes - Smoking In Pregnancy At An All-Time Low In England ([link removed])
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** Mobile units detect 100 lung cancers in Sussex

More than 100 lung cancers have been detected across Sussex after the NHS introduced mobile health checks.

Between July 2022 and June 2024, nearly 50,000 people in Sussex were invited for screening as part of the Targeted Lung Health Check (TLHC) programme.

Around 30,000 people took up the offer leading to the detection of 114 lung cancer cases.

Dr James Ramsay, chief medical officer for NHS Sussex, said the testing means cancers can be identified "before patients have any symptoms".

NHS Sussex said the TLHC programme had been particularly effective in Brighton, Hove, Crawley and Hastings and St. Leonard's.

It said these locations experience some of the highest rates of lung cancer deaths and smoking in Sussex. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in the UK, often because it is diagnosed too late.

The NHS said the TLHC programme offered "proactive outreach to those most at risk".

Dr James Ramsay, chief medical officer for NHS Sussex is a respiratory specialist and said he saw "the consequences of patients being diagnosed with lung cancer late".
"The treatments we can offer patients are limited and the outcomes are poor," he added.

He said the scans are "simple and take minutes [...] giving an opportunity to diagnose lung cancer at a much earlier stage".

The NHS said the programme had reduced lung cancer mortality by up to 61% in women and 26% in men.

Source: BBC News, 26 August 2024
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** International
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** No smoking in your own home, California city orders residents

A California beach town is banning residents from smoking inside their own homes, saying the health benefits outweigh concerns over government overreach.

Carlsbad, a surfing hot spot near San Diego, has decided to prohibit people from lighting up inside apartments, condos and other shared buildings where multiple families live.

From January residents will not be able to smoke or vape cannabis and nicotine products indoors or on balconies, porches and decks. The law does not apply to single-family homes or hotels and motels.

At least 84 of California’s 483 municipalities — including Beverly Hills, Cupertino and Pasadena — have enacted similar bans in multi-family private residences, according to the American Nonsmokers’ Rights Foundation.

Cigarette smoking causes more than 480,000 deaths in the US each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Source: The Times, 26 August 2024

See also: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention - Health Effects of Cigarette Smoking ([link removed].)
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** Australians are the world's biggest gamblers - could banning ads help?

Dozens came forward to testify in a bipartisan parliamentary inquiry into the impacts of gambling in Australia - which wagers more per capita than any other country.

The probe found that there were “few safeguards” to protect those battling addiction and recommended 31 reforms to avoid “grooming” a new generation of children to gamble, starting with a three-year phased ban on advertising.

Now, pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese - both externally and from within his party - to act, with polling suggesting a majority of people support the move.

But the government has signalled it may instead opt for a cap to limit advertising. It has cited the role gambling ad revenue plays in propping up the nation’s ailing free-to-air broadcasters, as well as warnings from wagering companies that a ban could drive consumers offshore.

Doing so would result in huge tax losses on Australian betting platforms which currently fund “vital services”, the peak body representing the industry says.

Betting occupies a unique space in Australian culture. In the 1980s, it became the first country to deregulate its gambling industry, making it possible for slot machines - once only permitted inside casinos - to expand into licensed pubs and clubs.

Today, Australia is home to roughly 0.33% of the world's population, but a fifth of all “pokies”- the colloquial term used for the machines. The last two decades have also seen an explosion in the popularity of online betting, particularly when it comes to sport. Estimates show Australians are spending approximately A$25bn ($16.8bn; £12.9bn) on legal wagers each year - with 38% of the population gambling weekly.

Experts argue that sophisticated marketing has aided that boom, while sponsorship deals, partnerships, and kickbacks given to prevalent sporting bodies, have helped legitimise the industry.

One academic paper found 90% of Australian adults and roughly three-quarters of children aged eight to 16 years see betting as a "normal part of sport”. Advocates like Martin Thomas argue this is evidence that the practice “has seeped into every corner of society”.

The peak body representing Australia’s wagering companies has described a blanket ban as “a step too far” and thrown its weight behind the government’s proposed cap – which would limit ads online and during general TV programming.

“By doing this, the expectations of the community to see less advertising would be met, while also maintaining the crucial support to sporting codes and local broadcasters,” Responsible Wagering Australia’s CEO Kai Cantwell said in a statement.

But Dr Andrew Hughes, a lecturer in marketing at The Australian National University, has cast doubt over how crucial that financial support is - given that Nielsen data shows that the lion’s share of ad money the nation’s broadcasters take in comes from a range of other sectors, rather than betting platforms.

Several medical bodies have also thrown their support behind a ban, as has an expert panel appointed by the government to probe how to bring down rates of domestic violence in Australia – adding to the mounting pressure Mr Albanese is facing.

Source: BBC News, 26 August 2024

See also: Pitt H, Thomas SL, Bestman A, Stoneham M, Daube M. "It's just everywhere!" Children and parents discuss the marketing of sports wagering in Australia ([link removed]) . Aust N Z J Public Health. 2016
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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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