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** 15 December 2020
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** UK
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** Pre-existing inequality led to record UK COVID death rate, report finds (#1)
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** North East: Illegal cigarettes sized at a commercial property in Stockton (#2)
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** International
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** Guernsey: Health Improvement Commission calls for an increase in tobacco and alcohol (#3)
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** Zimbabwe increases tobacco crop (#4)
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** UK
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** Pre-existing social inequalities contributed to the UK recording the highest death rates from COVID in Europe, a leading authority on public health has said, warning that many children’s lives would be permanently blighted if the problem is not tackled.

Sir Michael Marmot argued in a new report that families at the bottom of the social and economic scale were missing out before the pandemic, and were now suffering,even more, losing health, jobs, lives, and educational opportunities. Sir Michael cited contributing factors as “poor governance”, social and economic inequalities, and reductions in spending on public services before COVID-19. He also highlighted that the worsening health and socioeconomic inequalities stemming from extensive cuts to local government meant that the country was ill-prepared to tackle the pandemic.

In the report, Marmot said these social inequalities must be addressed whatever the cost and it was not enough to revert to how things before the pandemic. “We can’t afford not to do it,” he said.

Professor Dame Parveen Kumar, the BMA board of science chair, said: “It is absolutely unacceptable that in a country of such means there is such a strong divide between the richest and poorest in society. This report should serve as an important call to action for the government to invest in the health of this nation in the long term as, in these challenging uncertain times, closing the gap has never been more important.”

Source: The Guardian, 15 December 2020

See also: LocalGov - Government urged to 'Build Back Fairer’ in new Marmot review ([link removed])

Report - Build Back Fairer: The COVID-19 Marmot Review ([link removed])
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** A police dog has helped sniff out a hidden room filled with illegal cigarettes worth £250,000 and cash at a commercial property in Stockton.

Officers raided the property which was believed to be linked to serious and organised crime. With the help of police dog Chip, officers managed to locate a hidden room containing a quarter of a million pounds worth of illicit cigarettes and tobacco, suspected cannabis sweets and bundles of cash worth thousands of pounds.

Neighbourhood Sergeant Gavin Weidman said: “We are committed to tackling serious and organised crime groups in this area and disrupting their illegal activity in whatever way we can. As well as the sale of class B drugs and counterfeit cigarettes, many of these groups can also be linked to the distribution of class A drugs, modern day slavery and child exploitation.”

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** Source: Northern Echo, 7 December 2020
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** International
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** Guernsey politicians are set to debate the 2021 budget today (15 December) and will look at whether the cost of alcohol and tobacco should be increased even further than initially planned. The Health Improvement Commission says last month’s budget proposals to increase the tax on alcohol and tobacco by 1.5% does not go far enough and is a decrease in “real terms.”

The budget was announced by the island’s government last month with it saying the coronavirus pandemic has had a “serious impact” on its finances. It is expecting a budget deficit of £59 million for this year and a £23 million hole forecast for next year.

Deputies Lindsay de Sausmarez and Peter Roffey have submitted an amendment to the original proposal of a 1.5% increase to the alcohol and tobacco, saying tobacco should rise by 4.5% and alcohol by 3%.

The Commission says the amended taxes would help protect islanders against the harmful effects of drinking and smoking. It says in the last five years, Guernsey has increased the rate of excise duty on cigarettes by 5% plus the rate of inflation. It says with inflation now around 2%, the proposed tax increases for tobacco in the original budget not only shows a decrease in real terms but also goes against the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention for Tobacco Control.

Source: ITV, 15 December 2020
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** Zimbabwe might be on its way to reclaiming its status as one of the top producers of tobacco in the world in the 2020/2021 cropping season. As of 25 November, about 28,292 hectares of tobacco had been planted compared to 27,181 hectares in the previous season. Last year, output declined 27% to 183 million kilogrammes from a record 252 million kg realised in 2018.

The increased crop might put the Government in conflict with the global tobacco control community. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that eight million smokers would have died from smoking-related diseases by year-end. Of concern is that 80% of smokers live in low-and middle-income countries such as Zimbabwe.

There is concern in tobacco manufacturing countries that restrictions on tobacco smoking will impact the cigarette manufacturing industry, as countries around the world double down on public health policies meant to reduce fatalities associated to tobacco-related diseases. And for Zimbabwe - a major tobacco producer - this might mean charting a new course towards value-adding tobacco, which eschews heavily relying on cigarette manufacturing in the medium to long-term and considering the feasibility of convenient tobacco harm reduction products such as e-cigarettes.

Source: All Africa, 14 December 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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