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** 27 September 2024
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** UK
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** Our largest seizure yet': Huge amount of illegal cigarettes and vapes seized in Walsall (#1)
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** International
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** EU gives go-ahead for France to ban disposable vapes (#2)
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** Link of the Week
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** Seminar: Tobacco Addiction & Nicotine Dependency (#3)
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** Ludgate Lecture with Prof. Javed Khan OBE: A smoke-free future? (#4)
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** UK
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** Our largest seizure yet': Huge amount of illegal cigarettes and vapes seized in Walsall

A council Trading Standards team has made its 'largest seizure yet' of illegal tobacco goods.

A huge number of illegal cigarettes, tobacco and disposable vapes with a retail value of almost £400,000 was seized from a storage container and traders across Walsall on September 20 by the council’s Trading Standards as part of a crackdown on the illicit tobacco trade.

The members of the team. in partnership with West Midlands Police and a specialist search dog team, searched one storage facility, six retail premises and one associated vehicle.

This activity took place under Operation CeCe, a National Trading Standards initiative in partnership with His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to tackle illegal tobacco.

The traders were visited by the Trading Standards team and the police after receiving intelligence that illegal tobacco was being sold.

Illegal goods were found in a storage unit and three of the six shops visited. One vehicle was also found to be storing illegal cigarettes.

The seizures included more than 515,000 cigarettes, 2kg of illegal hand rolling tobacco and 400 illegal disposable vapes.

Councillor Garry Perry, leader of Walsall Council said: “This is our largest seizure yet, a joint success for our Trading Standards and police colleagues.

“While more illicit goods are now off our streets, it serves as a reminder that this sort of crime cannot go on.

"Illegal tobacco funds organised criminal activity, with links to human trafficking, drugs and even terrorism. It also causes anti-social behaviour and exploits vulnerable people in our communities.

“I would like to thank our colleagues across Trading Standards, West Midlands Police and our sniffer dogs Griff, Bran and Cooper for carrying out this work.

“We take this sort of activity very seriously and we will ensure every enforcement approach and technique is used to ensure that this is disrupted.”

Source: Express and Star, 25 September 2024
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Read Here ([link removed])


** International
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** EU gives go-ahead for France to ban disposable vapes

The European Commission has backed France’s bid to ban “puffs” (disposable or single-use vapes).

The Commission confirmed its decision on Wednesday (September 25), after six months of deliberation.

France started the process of banning single e-cigarettes in December 2023 via a vote in the Assemblée nationale, and the proposal was supported by the French Senate in February 2024 followed by a joint committee in March.

Europe’s validation was the final step in making the ban possible.

“This is a great victory for the environment and for the health of our children, who are the main targets of these marketing campaigns,” said Francesca Pasquini, co-writer of the bill.

There is no set date for the ban to come into force in France.

The next step is for MPs and the Senate to vote definitively on a ban before it is formally put into effect.

Disposable vapes first appeared on the French market in 2021 and have quickly grown popular among young people.

This is likely due to their cheap price tag, ease-of-use, bright colours and fruity flavours.

This vaping boom has caused an uproar among anti-smoking and environmental associations who, like French MPs, oppose the sale of these products.

Source: Connexion, 25 September 2024
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**
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Read Here ([link removed])


** Links of the Week
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** Seminar: Tobacco Addiction & Nicotine Dependency

Fresh, the regional tobacco control programme, hosted a seminar on tobacco addiction and nicotine dependency which is available to watch online. The session features Ailsa Rutter, Director of Fresh, and Dr Sharon Cox, Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group at University College London.
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Watch Here ([link removed])


** Ludgate Lecture with Prof. Javed Khan OBE: A smoke-free future?

Bright Blue interview Professor Javed Khan, author of the 2022 Khan review: making smoking obsolete report ([link removed]) . In the interview, Khan discusses his report and takes questions about current tobacco control policy and the future of tobacco control, including the smokefree generation.
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Watch Here ([link removed])
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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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