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** 16 July 2020
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** UK
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** Income funds retreat from banks and move to tobacco in the hunt for a dividend (#1)
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** LGA responds to ASH report on a million smokers quitting due to coronavirus (#2)
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** ‘Today is the Day’ - Wakefield Council supports campaign calling for smokers to quit (#3)
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** North East: Convicted fugitive finally jailed (#4)
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** Wales: Thousands quit smoking as ban extension proposed (#5)
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** International
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** South Africa: Tobacco group wanting to re-challenge cigarette ban is only in it for the money, says the state (#6)
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** UK
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Investment fund managers are increasingly investing in tobacco companies during the coronavirus pandemic, according to new data from Octopus Investments. HSBC, BP and Royal Dutch Shell are among the companies to have fallen out of favour in equity income funds after cancelling or cutting the dividends they payout to shareholders.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced many companies to slash payouts as they look to preserve cash during the crisis, hurting investors such as pension funds which rely on them for income.

Sectors such as pharmaceuticals, tobacco and mining — who have either been boosted by the downturn or who are committed to paying a dividend regardless of performance — are more in demand. British American Tobacco is now a top 10 holding in almost half of the income funds, compared with 38% in January, while Imperial Brands is a top holding in 33% of funds, compared with just 20% in January.

Source: Financial Times, 15 July 2020

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Responding to a new report by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), about how a million people in the UK have stopped smoking since the pandemic began due to concerns over coronavirus, Councillor Paulette Hamilton, Vice-Chair of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:

“Smokers are at particular risk of COVID-19, and it is inspiring to see that a million people have quit for good. It is also encouraging that we are seeing younger people giving up smoking earlier on in life, but this needs to be replicated across all age groups.

“Councils’ public health teams are working hard to continue to reduce smoking rates in their areas, alongside local charities and community groups, and these latest findings are a testament to their efforts. We need to continue to support people to give up smoking altogether, both through the current crisis and beyond, if we are to save lives in the immediate and longer-term.

“This includes reaching out to those most in need, including preventing children from taking up [smoking] and developing further health problems later in life, relieving pressure on other services such as the NHS, social care and welfare.

“Councils can help the Government to achieve its ambition of eliminating smoking in England by 2030, through their tobacco control and other public health and support services but need certainty over their long-term funding to help do so.”

Source: West Wales Chronicles, 15 July 2020

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** See also: ASH press release - A million people have stopped smoking since the COVID pandemic hit Britain ([link removed])

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** Wakefield Council is supporting a new advertising campaign - ‘Today is the Day’ - which encourages smokers to quit today. The new campaign, launched by Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), features a heartfelt plea from respiratory doctor Ruth Sharrock for smokers to quit today to protect themselves from smoking-related diseases and increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19.

Smoking is the largest cause of preventable death in Wakefield, where the average number of deaths attributable to smoking every year is estimated to be around 620. While smoking prevalence is falling in Wakefield, it is still estimated that about 850 children take up smoking each year. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, 92,681 smokers in Yorkshire and the Humber have quit smoking, according to a new analysis by ASH and University College London.

Anna Hartley, Wakefield’s Director of Public Health, said: “It’s never too late to quit and experience health benefits, even if you are already unwell. Quitting smoking is the best thing smokers can do to improve their health, so I’m proud to be supporting the Today is the Day campaign.”

The campaign, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care, will be directing smokers to effective forms of support to quit on the NHS Smokefree website. The campaign builds on successful campaigns in the North East and Greater Manchester. It will target smokers across Yorkshire and the Humber through a combination of radio, digital audio, and online adverts.

Source: Pontefract and Castleford Express, 15 July 2020

See also: Today is the day ([link removed])
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** A fugitive who helped smuggle more than 12 million cigarettes, worth £3.6 million in duty and VAT, into the North East between 2013 and 2015, has been caught and jailed for two years. Haroldas Bernotas from Lithuania fled the UK but was convicted after a trial at Durham Crown Court in May 2018 and sentenced to two years in jail in his absence.

Investigators from Her Majesty Revenue and Customs (HMRC) tracked Bernotas to Lithuania and arrested him on 6 June 2020. On 10 July, he appeared at Durham Crown Court where his two-year jail sentence was confirmed.

Nicol Sheppard, assistant director of the Offender Management and Enforcement Team at HMRC, said: “Bernotas attempted to cheat justice, but even during lockdown HMRC has been working with partner authorities to relentlessly pursue fugitives of the law. Within seven days of his extradition being agreed with the Lithuanian authorities, our officers had extradited Bernotas to the UK, and he is now behind bars.”

Source: Chronicle Live, 14 July 2020

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** About 33,000 people in Wales have stopped smoking since the coronavirus pandemic began, a survey by charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) suggests. The figures are extrapolated from a UK-wide survey of over 10,000 people between April and June 2020. The UK-wide survey by ASH in conjunction with YouGov suggested over one million people have quit smoking since April, with 41% saying it was because of coronavirus.

The news comes after the Welsh health minister, Vaughan Gething, suggested town centres could in future become smoke-free zones. Extensions to existing laws will see smoking banned in playgrounds, hospital, and school grounds as well as in outdoor areas of cafes and restaurants.

Suzanne Cass, chief executive of ASH Wales, said: "What we've seen during the pandemic is a year's worth of quitting figures in just four months. We know that smokers are at significantly higher risk from the COVID-19 virus, and we welcome the news that so many are quitting as a result."

Source: BBC News, 15 July 2020
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** International
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** On Wednesday (15 July), the Pretoria High court heard an application by the Fair Trade Independent Tobacco Association (FITA) for leave to appeal a previous ruling that kept the cigarette ban in place.

The virtual hearing was held via Zoom, and the state has argued that FITA seeking again to challenge the ban on the sale of cigarettes is focused solely on the financial interests of its members and not the public interest.

The same court, in late June, dismissed with costs FITA's initial legal challenge to have the ban on the sale of tobacco products overturned.

Judgment has been reserved until next week.

Source: Fin 24, 15 July 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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