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Greater Manchester doctor urges smokers to ‘Quit for Covid’
A leading doctor in Greater Manchester is calling on smokers in the city-region to stop smoking to reduce their risk of suffering serious complications if they develop coronavirus (Covid-19). The warning comes as emerging evidence shows smokers in hospital who have coronavirus are at a higher risk than non-smokers of severe illness.
Dr Matt Evison, a leading respiratory consultant at Wythenshawe Hospital, which is managed by Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, said: “If you’re a smoker and worried about coronavirus then now is a good time to think about stopping smoking. Smokers have weakened defences and are more likely to have poor lung health or existing lung conditions which could increase their chances of developing viral pneumonia from Covid-19 [...] it has always been the case that if you’re a smoker, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health and it’s even more important in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Stopping smoking not only benefits the health of the person who quits but has an impact on everyone they live with, especially now we’re all spending so much time in our homes.”
Following growing concerns around the increased risks for smokers, the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership has launched a new campaign to help smokers quit together, while remaining at home.
Source: Rochdale Online, 5 May 2020
See also
Greater Manchester Health Hub - Smoking
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BAT drops plan to sue South Africa over cigarette-sales ban
British American Tobacco (BAT) will begin negotiations with the South African government instead of taking legal action to overturn a national ban on cigarette sales now in its sixth week, it has been announced.
South Africa prohibited the sale of tobacco products in late March as part of a lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus, and was set to lift the restriction last week before a last-minute u-turn. BAT said at the time the government should reverse the decision or face the risk of legal action.
South Africa’s decision to ban the sale of tobacco and alcohol products has resulted in rises in illicit sales and a decline in tax revenues Edward Kieswetter, the commissioner of the South African Revenue Service, told lawmakers on Tuesday 5th May. Both moratoriums could be lifted as part of a phased easing of lockdown restrictions, with controlled sales pencilled in for the next stage of the economy’s re-opening.
Source: Bloomberg, 6 May 2020
See also
Business Day - WHO and scientists back SA’s ban on tobacco sales
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Study: Cost-benefit analysis of funding a smoking cessation program before surgery
For patients undergoing surgery, smoking is linked with a higher risk of experiencing complications following their procedure, and quitting smoking before surgery can help reduce this risk. A new study in Spain examined whether a smoking cessation intervention before surgery delivered a return on investment when funded by the national health service in Spain.
The intervention was a combination of counselling and use of smoking cessation medication 12 weeks before surgery. The benefits were the costs avoided by averting postoperative complications when smoking cessation was successful.
When researchers compared the net economic outcome (benefit minus cost of the intervention) and the return on investment for the intervention funded by the Spanish health service versus the current situation where cessation is not provided, they found that the benefit of funding the programme greatly outweighed the costs. Smoking cessation increased by 21.7% with funding. The cost per averted smoker was €1,753 with a net benefit of €503. Given the annual cost of the intervention, the return on investment was 28.7%, equivalent to €1.29 per €1 of investment.
“There is no published study, as far as we can find, about the efficiency of health programmes or policies aimed at smoking cessation prior to planned surgery with hospitalization. Thus, this work is unique,” said senior author Javier Rejas.
Source: Science Mag, 6 May 2020
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E-cigarette maker Juul plans to move its headquarters from San Francisco to Washington, DC.
Juul, which has around 3,000 global employees, plans to retain a presence in San Francisco, but could close some offices. Juul is contemplating layoffs of up to 950 workers as it faces multiple federal investigations and falling sales amid the coronavirus pandemic. Juul’s valuation has crashed from $38 billion in a partial ownership sale to tobacco company Altria in 2018, down to $12 billion in January 2020before the pandemic struck.
The Journal reported that Juul’s move was fueled in part by its “inhospitable home.” Juul declined to comment on Monday.
Source: San Francisco Chronicle, 4 May 2020
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Documentary claims WHO influenced by tobacco industry during late twentieth century
Questions have been raised over the World Health Organization's (WHO) connections with and influence from the tobacco industry during the latter half to the twentieth century following film maker Lillian Franck's documentary TrustWHO.
Ms Franck said: “One example is the Boca Raton action plan from the year 1988. Senior figures at Philip Morris met up in Florida and drew up a number of sophisticated strategies to limit the power of the WHO."
Franck said the discoveries eventually culminated in the WHO special envoy, Thomas Zeltner, investigating the tobacco industry. In the documentary Mr Zeltner reveals how the tobacco industry attempted to infiltrate the WHO. He says “The tobacco industry founded institutes and bought scientists who would represent their position and made sure their own names didn’t appear anywhere. So the organisations were called things that wouldn’t make you suspect they were really representing the tobacco industry.”
Source: Express, 5 May 2020
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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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