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** 6 November 2020
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** UK
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** Trade body seeks essential status for vape stores (#1)
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** South East: Illegal cigarettes, tobacco and cash seized from Chatham shops by police (#2)
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** International
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** Smoking in public places banned in eastern Turkey (#3)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary questions (#4)
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** House of Lords Debate: Health Protection (Coronavirus) (Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 (#5)
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** Link of the Week
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** Webinar: Managing winter pressures through reductions in smoking (#6)
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** UK
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** The UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) has written to ministers to urge them to give essential status to vape stores to enable them to stay open during the new national lockdown in England.
The trade body said these premises were among the fastest to adopt social distancing, online sales, and new safety measures following the previous lockdown.
Mark Pawsey, chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Vaping, believes that the country’s public health is best served by “keeping vape stores open.” Pawsey said: “Given it’s [vaping’s] vital role in smoking cessation, even when compared to NRT, the case for vaping’s essential status is growing ever stronger. Vape retailers do not just provide the tools for harm-reduction, but also the expert advice and support, which empowers consumers to make a positive change. Now, more than ever, we should be safeguarding the country’s public health; vaping is an important part of that. Let’s support this sector, and all those who rely on it by keeping vape stores open.”
Editorial note
The UK Vaping Industry Association includes tobacco companies in its membership.
Source: Talking Retail, 5 November 2020
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Read Article ([link removed] )
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** More than 70,000 illegal cigarettes, tobacco and cash have been seized following two raids on shops in Chatham.
Officers from the Medway Community Safety Unit and Community Policing Unit visited two businesses in the town. They were working in partnership with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Medway Council’s Public Health Team, and Home Office Immigration Enforcement. Court warrants were secured ahead of the visits, which allowed officers to access private areas of the shops and conduct thorough searches.
Police officers, with the help of search dog Yoyo, uncovered 20.15kg of hand-rolled tobacco and £5,000 in cash which was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act, in addition to the illicit cigarettes, during the visits on Monday, 30 October.
Councillor David Brake, Medway Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Services, covering public health, said: ‘It is fantastic news that tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes have been stopped from being sold in Medway. This a great example of how we are working with our partners at Kent Police and HMRC to protect our residents. … I would encourage residents to continue to report shops selling illegal tobacco to us.”
Source: Kent Online, 5 November 2020
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** International
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** Smoking in all public places has been banned in the eastern Turkish province of Mus in a bid to contain coronavirus, local officials said on Thursday.
Smoking cigarettes and similar tobacco products are forbidden in all public places, including streets, squares, and parks, according to a statement. The press release states that: “Violators of the ban will be fined in accordance with General Public Hygiene Law and Turkish Penal Code.”
Turkey has so far registered 384,509 virus cases, including 10,558 deaths and 330,665 recoveries.
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** Source: Haberler, 6 November 2020
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** PQ1: Tobacco - DHSC
Asked by Martyn Day Scottish National Party, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans his Department has to consult on updates to tobacco and related products legislation.
Answered by Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
The Government has a commitment to undertake a Post Implementation Review of both the Tobacco and Related Product Regulations 2016 and The Standardised Packaging of Tobacco Products Regulations 2015 by 20 May 2021.
To form part of this, review the Department will launch a public consultation by the end of the year.
Source: Hansard, 5 November 2020
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PQ2: Tobacco – DHSC
Asked by Martyn Day Scottish National Party, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the safety of tobacco-free nicotine pouches.
Answered by Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
No assessment of the safety of tobacco-free nicotine pouches has been made by the Department. These products are not covered under the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 but by The General Product Safety Regulations 2005.
Source: Hansard, 5 November 2020
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PQ3: Electronic Cigarettes and Tobacco - DHSC
Asked by Martyn Day Scottish National Party, Linlithgow and East Falkirk
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, which body is responsible for the regulation of novel nicotine products.
Answered by Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care
The Department is the responsible Government Department for The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016. This regulation covers the relevant tobacco and nicotine related products within it.
Source: Hansard, 5 November 2020
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** The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 were debated in the House of Lords on 4 November.
During the debate, Baroness Meacher argued that vape shops should stay open during the new national lockdown in England as they are essential in helping smokers quit and prevent relapse.
Baroness Meacher said: “I have a third concern: these regulations should not exacerbate serious addictions. Why exclude vape shops—not normally places I visit, but still—from the list of businesses that can remain open for health purposes as listed in paragraph 47 of Schedule 1? Tobacco-related illnesses kill 70,000 people every year. The anti-smoking campaign has been hugely successful, and the 3.2 million vapers are ex-smokers or current smokers attempting to stop. Closing the vape shops could set back the anti-smoking campaign terribly badly. Will the Minister take away my request for vape shops to be slipped into that list of businesses that can remain open for health reasons?”
Source: Hansard, 5 November 2020
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** Link of the Week
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** On Tuesday 3 November ASH, in collaboration with PHE hosted a webinar on the importance of managing winter pressures through reductions in smoking. The webinar was recorded and a recording of three of the main presentations is available online.
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View Webinar ([link removed])
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