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Professor Simon Gilbody champions tailored quit support for people with mental health conditions
University of York professor Simon Gilbody has urged global health services to prioritise strategies to cut the high rate of smoking-related illness in people with mental health conditions. Writing in the New England Journal of Medicine, Professor Gilbody and colleagues explain that people with conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia are around three times more likely to smoke than the rest of the population, contributing to lower life expectancy of 15-20 years.
Drawing on findings from the SCIMITAR+ study, the largest trial of a smoking-cessation programme designed for people with mental ill health, Professor Gilbody notes that bespoke interventions, delivered by trained mental health staff with enhanced engagement, can support quitting. These interventions have influenced new training for NHS practitioners and are being adapted for health systems in countries including Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Professor Gilbody argues that such tailored cessation support is cost-effective and can be implemented by mental health professionals if they are given the correct training.
Source: Medical Xpress, 15 December 2025
See also: Simon Gilbody, M.B. et al. The Epidemic of Tobacco Harms among People with Mental Health Conditions. New England Journal of Medicine. December 2025. DOI: 10.1056/nejmp2500491
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Comment: Financial pressures are exposing the limits of the ICB model
Writing in the Health Service Journal, deputy editor Dave West examines the pressures on integrated care boards. West argues that recent events in Cheshire and Merseyside, where the CEO has left after five months due to financial issues, expose how vulnerable integrated care boards are when financial pressures escalate.
West contends that this environment makes it unrealistic for ICBs to pursue the bold service changes they are encouraged to make. Rather than reshaping provision or moving care decisively into the community, boards are incentivised to protect local NHS providers and focus on short-term financial stability, diluting the original ambitions of system reform, he argues.
West also suggests that the government’s restructuring of ICBs into large clusters risks worsening the problem. Unclear lines of authority undermine effective decision-making, leaving ICBs caught between central oversight, structural complexity and an integration agenda that remains more theory than practice.
Source: Health Service Journal, 15 December 2025
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Study examines cardiovascular risks linked to vaping
A new meta-analysis published in the BMC Public Health journal found that people who stop smoking by switching to e-cigarettes may face a higher risk of heart attacks and, to a lesser extent, strokes compared with those who do not use these products. The researchers stress that further investigation is needed to confirm these links.
Source: Daily Express, 15 December 2025
Editorial note: This study is a pre-print and therefore has not yet been through peer review. It is a meta-analysis of 12 studies, assessing whether vaping is linked to CVD and stroke risk. While it includes some interesting findings the authors highlight several limitations: the majority of studies were of a low quality, were cross sectional (meaning that they cannot prove a causal link) and were based in the US so may not be generalisable to other countries. The study also does not look at vaping frequency and may not have fully captured former smoking among participants.
The study found an increased risk of myocardial infarction and to a lesser extent stroke among people who vaped, compared to those who did not. The highest level of risk was among former smokers who vape. However, there was no increased risk among exclusive vapers compared to non-vapers, raising questions over whether other factors impacted the findings.
It is also unclear how current/former smoking was controlled for e.g. among current vapers.
The 2022 vaping evidence review carried out by academics at King’s College London concluded that people who vape are exposed to significantly lower levels of harmful substances linked to cancer, respiratory and cardiovascular conditions than people who smoke.
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How GP interventions could aid Europe’s tobacco control efforts
Europe continues to experience the highest smoking rates of any WHO region, with tobacco causing 700,000 deaths each year in the EU. Although prevalence has fallen over the past two decades in the WHO European Region, to 24.1% in 2024 from 34.9% in 2000, progress is too slow to meet global reduction targets
The article argues that success will rely not only on legislation but also on everyday clinical practice. The article identifies that General Practitioners are well placed to influence quitting, yet many face barriers. Naomi van Westen-Lagerweij, from Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tobacco Control, explains that General Practitioners face time pressure and limited training, but many healthcare professionals are now recognising the importance of smoking cessation. Associate Professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology Maria Sofia Cattaruzza identifies that in Italy, smoking cessation remains poorly embedded in medical education and routine care, and over 80% of GPs in Italy would like additional training on smoking cessation.
Van Westen-Lagerweij highlights that even very brief advice delivered during consultations with patients can increase the likelihood that patients seek specialist support, particularly when clear referral pathways and funded treatments are available. The article concludes that strengthening training, integrating cessation into routine primary care, and backing clinicians with consistent policies and resources are essential steps alongside tighter regulation of tobacco.
Source: Medscape, 15 December 2025
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Written answers
Asked by Kevin Hollinrake, Conservative, Thirsk and Malton
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential impact of a pub vaping ban on the viability of local pubs which are designated as local community assets.
Answered by Ashley Dalton, Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Labour, West Lancashire
We plan to consult on making most indoor settings, that are subject to existing smoke-free legislation, vape-free. This would include inside pubs and other hospitality venues. Many businesses and enclosed public places, including pubs, already have voluntary schemes in place to prohibit vape usage inside their premises.
An impact assessment will be prepared and published in advance of secondary legislation, which will consider the economic impacts of the proposed regulations.
It is useful to note that the tobacco industry opposed previous indoor smoke-free legislation arguing that it would be disastrous for the hospitality industry. However, a year after implementing smoke-free places, 40% of businesses reported that the ban had a positive impact on their business, compared to only 3% reporting a negative impact. Office for National Statistics survey data shows that 69% of respondents visited pubs about as often as before, while 17% visited more often than before smoking restrictions.
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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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