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Thousands of children exposed to smoking at home in Northumberland
Council figures show that around 19,000 children in Northumberland are still living in homes where at least one adult smokes. Although the county’s smoking rate has fallen to 8%, this equates to roughly 22,000 adult smokers, prompting health officials to stress that the impact remains substantial.
Smoking is identified as the leading avoidable cause of illness and early death locally, with estimated annual costs of more than £6 million to healthcare, £42 million to social care and £96 million through lost productivity. The council’s stop smoking service, which has supported over 80,000 quit attempts since 1999, aims to reduce prevalence further to 5%.
Source: Northern Echo, 27 January 2026
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Cancer death risk falls in Scotland but smoking remains key concern
Public Health Scotland reports that the risk of dying from cancer has fallen 12% over the past decade, though total deaths have slightly risen due to an ageing population, from 16,011 in 2015 to 16,352 in 2024. Lung, bowel, prostate, and breast cancers make up nearly half of all cases, with lung cancer the leading cause at 22%, most of which could be prevented by eliminating smoking.
Improvements in early detection, screening, and treatment have contributed to falling mortality, including an 11% drop in female breast cancer deaths and a 25% reduction in lung cancer deaths.
Cancer Research UK welcomed the decline but stressed that “there is still much to do,” urging the Scottish Government to fully deliver its 10-year cancer strategy, with a focus on prevention, early diagnosis, and tackling inequalities. Public health experts continue to highlight smoking cessation as the single most effective measure to reduce cancer deaths.
Source: The Daily Mail, 27 January 2026
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Op-ed: The NHS steps in as public services shrink
Writing for the Financial Times (FT), public policy correspondent Laura Hughes and data journalist Amy Borrett discuss how parts of the NHS are expanding into preventative services aimed at tackling the root causes of ill health.
According to the article, hospitals across England are funding home cleaning, arranging urgent repairs, employing housing officers and connecting patients with advice on benefits, debt and loneliness. These measures are supported by NHS trusts who argue that such interventions are a response to the erosion of local government and social care services over the past decade. They maintain that by tackling social and economic barriers early, NHS organisations hope to reduce downstream pressure on healthcare services and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.
However, the authors highlight critics who caution against stretching the NHS too far. Former NHS England chief Amanda Pritchard has raised concerns about mission creep, while the Resolution Foundation warns that growing health spending risks displacing other public services if funding is not openly debated.
Source: Financial Times, 27 January 2026
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European Commission flags suspected manipulation of tobacco tax consultation
The European Commission believes a surge of last-minute responses to its proposed tobacco tax changes may have been orchestrated to skew the consultation process. Officials noted a high volume of anonymous, industry-friendly submissions and misleading entries presented as coming from health specialists. The episode comes as the EU prepares to revisit major tobacco and nicotine laws, a period expected to attract intense lobbying. Plans to substantially raise minimum cigarette taxes have already met resistance from some member states, while broader rules covering newer nicotine products are also set for review.
Source: POLITICO, 27 January 2026
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Risk factors linked to different patterns of dementia-related brain damage
Researchers at Lund University have identified how specific, changeable health risks are connected to distinct brain changes associated with Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. Tracking nearly 500 cognitively healthy adults over four years, the study found that factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease were mainly linked to damage in brain blood vessels, a hallmark of vascular dementia.
The findings suggest that improving vascular and metabolic health could help delay or reduce the combined brain changes that often lead to dementia.
Source: Medical Xpress, 27 January 2026
See also: Isabelle Glans et al. Associations of modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors with longitudinal white matter hyperintensities, amyloid-β and tau - a prospective cohort study. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease. 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.tjpad.2025.100448
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Norway bans cross-border online sales of nicotine products
Norway has banned the cross-border online sale of tobacco and nicotine products, allowing customs to stop and seize orders from foreign retailers. The measure aims to prevent underage access to nicotine and strengthen the country’s tobacco control policies. The ban does not affect domestic online sales, which continue to operate under Norwegian regulations.
Source: Global Business News, 27 January 2026
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