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** 7 May 2020
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** UK
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** Ban on flavoured tobacco coming into effect this month (#1)
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** International
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** Cyprus: Government health expert advises that smoking does not protect against coronavirus (#2)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Lords debate: Income Equality and Sustainability (#3)
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** UK
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New smoking laws will see certain types of cigarettes banned in the UK from this month. From 20 May menthol cigarettes, rolling tobacco and skinny cigarettes will be banned from UK shops.

The ban stems from the EU Tobacco Product Directive, which includes measures to reduce smoking rates among young people. The Directive introduced in 2016 included a four-year plan to phase out flavoured cigarettes, as of 20 May 2020.

These new laws essentially mean it will be illegal to manufacture or supply any cigarette or tobacco in the UK which has a flavouring added - such as menthol or vanilla. The ban includes 'click' cigarettes which can change the flavour from normal to menthol with a button inside the filter.

Health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) explained what comes under the ban. Quoting from the regulations, a spokesperson said: "No person may produce or supply a cigarette or hand rolling tobacco with:

"(a) a filter, paper, package, capsule or other component containing flavourings;
"(b) a filter, paper or capsule containing tobacco or nicotine; or
"(c) a technical feature allowing the consumer to modify the smell, taste, or smoke intensity of the product.
"All cigarettes are harmful and menthol cigarettes are just as dangerous as normal cigarettes."

Source: My London news, 06 May 2020
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Read Article ([link removed])


** International
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Marios Loizou, the doctor leading the Cyprus health ministry’s daily coronavirus briefing has dismissed the findings of a recent French study which suggested that smokers might have a lower risk of contracting coronavirus.

At the moment, he said: “it is as we expected, smoking does not grant any benefits against Covid-19.”

The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention says that people who are immunosuppressed are at higher risk from Covid-19 and this includes smokers.
Professor Chris Whitty, chief medical advisor for the UK, said: “If you are going to give up smoking, this is a very good moment to do it.”

It appears that the British public have taken this news seriously. According to a joint study between YouGov and Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) up to 300,000 people in the UK may have given up smoking during the pandemic.

Source: Cyprus mail, 06 May 2020

See also:
SFAC press release: Around 300,000 smokers have #QuitforCovid. Over half a million more have tried to quit and 2.4 million have cut down ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed])


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During a House of Lords debate yesterday (6 May) on increasing income equality and sustainability in the light of the recent health emergency, Lord Faulkner of Worcester highlighted the impact of smoking-related health inequalities on COVID-19 outcomes:

“People living in poorest areas dying at twice the rate of those in richest areas. … I want to draw attention to the part played by tobacco in these shocking figures. Smoking rates among people in routine and manual jobs are more than twice the national average. Among people who are unemployed, smoking prevalence rises further. Nationally, half the difference in life expectancy between rich and poor is due to higher smoking rates among those on low incomes.

“Smoking caused around 78,000 deaths in England last year and over 400,000 hospital admissions. Data from the UK Covid symptom tracker app shows that smokers are more likely to report Covid-19 symptoms, and smokers with the virus who need hospital care are more likely to die than non-smokers.

“This should be a wake-up call. We must do more to improve population health and reduce health inequalities, not just respond in times of crisis. Investing in tobacco control and stop-smoking services to achieve the Government’s ambition of a smoke-free England by 2030 would reduce health inequalities, save lives and lift over a million people out of poverty.

“While tobacco addiction pushes smokers into poverty, the tobacco industry makes over £900 million in profits in the UK each year.

“A polluter-pays charge on the tobacco industry, as advocated by the APPG on Smoking and Health—I declare an interest as one of its officers—could provide sustainable financing for the tobacco control measures needed to deliver the Government’s smoke-free ambition and support the majority of smokers who want to quit to do so.”

Source: Hansard, 06 May 2020
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For more information call 020 7404 0242, email [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]) or visit www.ash.org.uk

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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