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Communities Secretary criticises Manchester’s outdoor smoking ban
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick has claimed that plans to ban smoking at new outdoor pub or restaurant seating areas will hinder pubs and cafes bouncing back from the lockdown in a letter to Manchester City Council’s neighbourhoods cabinet member Rabnawaz Akbarhim.
The intervention comes after Manchester City Council announced it will make all new outdoor seating areas serving food and drink smokefree to avoid a new health crisis. The city’s neighbourhoods lead Rabnawaz Akbar had conversely argued that, after months inside, people would not want “a face full of smoke” while trying to enjoy a meal or drink.
Source: The Sun, 9 August 2020
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Green Party Blog: Nanny state of the nation
After taking part in a webinar with supporters of pro-smoking group Forest, Greens Peer Natalie Bennett has written a piece on how policy should ensure that profits from large multinationals should not be prioritised over protecting public health. The article discusses the proposal of a charge on the tobacco industry as a logical way to fund the government’s smokefree 2030 ambition, as well as the importance of the ‘choice’ of hospitality staff to avoid secondhand smoke when at work.
Source: Green World, 12 August 2020
See also: FOREST – Tobacco Tactics profile
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Spanish region bans smoking over concerns of increased COVID-19 risk
The Spanish region of Galicia has effectively banned smoking in public places over concerns it increases the risk of COVID-19 transmission. It has issued a ban on smoking in the street and in public places, such as restaurants and bars, if social distancing is not possible. The north-western region is the first to introduce such a measure, although others are considering following suit.
This comes as Spain faces the worst infection rate in western Europe. Daily cases have risen from fewer than 150 in June to more than 1,500 throughout August. It recorded 1,690 new cases in the latest daily count on Wednesday (12 August), bringing the country's total COVID cases to almost 330,000.
Galicia's smoking ban was announced in a press conference on Wednesday (12 August) after experts recommended the measure to the regional government. The move is supported by health ministry research, published last month, that outlined a link between smoking and the increased spread of coronavirus. It said the risk was heightened due to smokers handling and taking off masks. It also said people project droplets when they exhale smoke, and risk infection by touching the cigarette before bringing it to their mouth, and warned of the known health risks from smoking stating: "It has been proven that tobacco use, in any of its forms, worsens the course of respiratory diseases."
"Smoking with no limits... with people close by and without any social distancing [poses] a high risk of infection," regional President Alberto Núñez Feijóo told the press conference.
"We know that this is an unpopular measure for smokers," added Alberto Fernández Villar, a member of the clinical committee advising government, according to the El País newspaper. "But I believe we are in an exceptional situation."
Source: BBC News, 13 August 2020
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Study: Young people who have ever vaped in US more likely to have COVID-19 symptoms
US scientists have found a correlation between ever use of e-cigarettes and later reporting COVID-19 symptoms.
Researchers analysed survey responses from 4,351 people aged between 13 and 24 from across every US state. Participants were asked in May whether they had ever used e-cigarettes or conventional cigarettes and if they had vaped or smoked in the last 30 days. They also answered questions about whether they had suffered coronavirus symptoms and been tested for or diagnosed with the disease.
Among people tested for COVID-19, those who had used e-cigarettes at any time in the past were five times more likely to receive a positive result than those who had not, the study found. That figure rose to 6.8 times more likely among respondents who had used both e-cigarettes and tobacco (dual users) in the previous month.
This research shows an association between smoking and vaping behaviours and development of COVID-19 symptoms, but it remains unclear if this is causal or indicates other risk factors such as densely populated living environment or willingness to engage in risky activities.
Source: The Independent, 11 August 2020
See also: Journal of Adolescent Health. Association Between Youth Smoking, Electronic Cigarette Use, and Coronavirus Disease 2019. August 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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