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** 13 October 2020
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** International
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** Australia: Cigarettes on prescription considered as part of a bold new anti-smoking plan (#1)
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** Finland: Thousands quit smoking during coronavirus pandemic (#2)
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** Trinidad and Tobago: Government urged to increase alcohol, tobacco tax further (#3)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** House of Lords oral question (#4)
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** International
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** Smokers could have to get their cigarettes from pharmacies using a prescription under a new plan from tobacco control advocates.
The plan to stub out smoking forever is being explored by the University of Queensland. Associate Professor Coral Gartner, from the University of Queensland's Centre for Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame (CREATE), says smoking may never be outlawed, but there must be an 'endgame' goal to permanently reduce the use of tobacco which causes nearly 'one in seven deaths' in Australia and is responsible for '9% of the disease burden'.
Strategies that will be explored include reducing the number of tobacco retailers and restricting sales to particular suppliers – pharmacies. Other proposals include ending sales to everyone born after a specific year and phasing out commercial cigarette sales and regulated markets or non-profit supply models.
Source: Daily Mail, 13 October 2020
See also: Insight Plus - CREATE a new path to a smoke-free Australia ([link removed])
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** Thousands of people in Finland gave up smoking this year due to coronavirus concerns, according to a survey commissioned by the tobacco policy and public health group ASH Finland.
The survey found that 15% of respondents quit smoking because of coronavirus related health concerns.
In addition to those who quit, 11% of those currently smoking said they had tried to quit smoking, and 15% said they had reduced the number of cigarettes they smoked due to concerns about the coronavirus. Health concerns were considered by 84% to be the most common reason to want to give up cigarettes. That is up from 73% when the polling was last carried out in 2018.
Financial reasons were the second most common reason for quitting, given by 65% of respondents, with more than half saying they thought smoking was a “pointless habit.”
Source: Yle, 12 October 2020
See also: Suomen ASH - Thousands quit smoking due to coronavirus ([link removed])
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** The Trinidad and Tobago NCD Alliance (TTNCDA) has welcomed the increased taxation of 20% on tobacco products, local and imported, and the imposition of higher fines on those who sell tobacco and alcohol to minors as commendable steps. However, it has called for increases in taxation, noting that alcohol is recognised as one of four major common risk factors for Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), and tobacco use is the leading preventable risk factor for NCDs.
The group recommended that tobacco taxation be further increased, in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation that taxation makes up 70% of the cost. It also suggested that the revenue derived from the sale of tobacco and alcohol be directed to the prevention of NCDs and the promotion of health interventions. The TTNCDA made the suggestions in response to the 2021 national budget.
The TTNCDA supports the policies that the budget introduces to address the health and well-being of citizens. They said: “We believe that the government’s proposed policies take into consideration elements of its regional and international health commitments and will move the nation closer to its vision for the prevention and control of NCDs.”
Source: Loop, 12 October 2020
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** PQ: Smoking - DHSC
Asked by Baroness Kennedy of Cradley
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the level of smoking amongst the population in England during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answered by Lord Bethell, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
Public Health England (PHE) has produced an online monitoring tool ‘Wider Impacts of COVID on Health’ which is designed to allow users to explore the indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population's health and wellbeing. The tool presents a range of health and wellbeing metrics, including bringing together several indicators on smoking and alcohol consumption in England over the pandemic period.
Data from PHE’s latest summary on the Wider impacts of COVID-19 on health published 24 September 2020 suggest considerable volatility in smoking behaviours.
Source: Hansard, 12 October 2020
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