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** 13 January 2021
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** UK
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** Mental Health Act reforms aim to tackle high rate of black people sectioned (#1)
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** Rising health risks mean stronger regulations needed for smokeless tobacco (#2)
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** International
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** India: Farmers' body FAIFA asks PM to withdraw bill on cigarettes and tobacco (#3)
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** US: Groundbreaking research could eliminate withdrawal symptoms to help more smokers quit (#4)
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** US: Attorney Fred Levin, who fought tobacco industry, dies at 83 (#5)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary Questions (#5)
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** UK
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**

Reforms to the Mental Health Act will help tackle the disproportionate number of black people sectioned, the government has announced.

The package of reforms includes piloting culturally appropriate advocates so patients from all minority ethnic backgrounds can be better supported to voice their individual needs and allowing sectioned people to nominate family members to represent their best interests if they are unable to do so themselves. The reforms will also ensure neither autism nor a learning disability are grounds for detention under the act and improve access to community-based mental health support to prevent avoidable sections.

The proposed changes build on the recommendations made by Sir Simon Wessely’s independent review of the Mental Health Act in 2018 and will ensure the act’s powers are used in the least restrictive way, the Department of Health and Social Care said.

Mental health advocates welcomed the proposals and described it as an important step forward to treating people with respect and dignity. Sarah Hughes, Centre for Mental Health chief executive, said, “The need for change could not be clearer. we continue to see that black people are subjected to much higher levels of coercion at every stage of the system. We cannot allow this to continue, and we welcome the government’s commitment to change it”.

Source: Guardian, 13 January 2021

See also: Government Press Release ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed])


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Researchers at the University of York are calling for more stringent regulatory measures to reduce the health burden of smokeless tobacco, a product often found in UK stores without the proper health warnings and as a result of illicit trading. Smokeless tobacco is dangerous as it contains cancer producing toxic chemicals, which increase the risk of head and neck cancers among users.

In a study of 25 wards across five boroughs—Birmingham, Bradford, Blackburn, Leicester, and Tower Hamlets—researchers looked at the types of products sold in local shops and assessed their compliance with UK regulations. They found that illicit trading was rife as large amounts of smokeless tobacco are smuggled into the UK through land and sea routes via Europe in addition to local production through small scale setups. Fifty-two percent of local shops surveyed sold products under different brand names, illegal for sale in the UK.

The research, funded by Cancer Research UK, showed that almost half of identified products did not meet packaging requirements. Products were often sold in colourful packaging and carried misleading information on taste and experience. Only 15% of these products were found to have health warnings. Products were considerably cheaper than cigarettes, with some available for as low as 70p.

The use of smokeless tobacco is particularly common amongst South Asian communities in Britain and researchers suggested a tailored approach to tackling the issue in these communities, including community engagement activities to raise awareness of health risks and dedicated cessation support services for smokeless tobacco in the same way as for smoking.

Source: Medical Xpress, 12 January 2021
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See also: BMJ - Smokeless tobacco products, supply chain and retailers’ practices in England: a multimethods study to inform policy ([link removed])
Read Article ([link removed])


** International
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**

Farmers’ body FAIFA has asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to recall a proposed new bill amending the law regarding cigarettes and other tobacco products, saying it will be a ‘death knell’ for Indian tobacco farmers.

The Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COPTA) Amendment Bill bans the retail sale of loose sticks of cigarettes, prohibits sale of tobacco products to persons below 21 years of age, and places controls on in-shop advertising and promotion, amongst other measures.

FAIFA claimed in a statement that the bill will encourage illicit trade in India whilst adversely impacting the legal tobacco trade, a familiar line of argument amongst groups opposed to tobacco control reform. FAIFA claims that some of the measures in the bill go beyond what is required by the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC).

FAIFA also claim the bill will result in a loss of earnings and livelihood for millions of tobacco farmers. “There has still been no talk or action taken regarding the actual problems that the tobacco farmers are going to face due to these proposed stringent laws,” FAIFA General Secretary Murali Babu said.

Source: CNBCTV, 13 January 2021
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Read Article ([link removed])


**

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** Findings from a new study could help more smokers quit by eradicating the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting smoking unaided. The work, led by Dr. Ricky Stull of Western Michigan University, proposes using enzymes to swiftly degrade nicotine in the body, flushing it from the system without any adverse effects.

The study leads on from a 2018 study which generated global reports but was ultimately found to be flawed. That study found that rats addicted to nicotine, when injected with a lab-engineered form of the enzyme NicA2, which occurs naturally in bacteria found in tobacco fields, eliminated their addiction. The problem was that the enzyme, as they used it, degraded so slowly that researchers had to use so much in order to produce benefits that the enzyme could never be used on humans.

Dr. Stull and colleagues found that by addressing an incorrect understanding of the electron acceptor for the enzyme in the original study, they were able to rectify the issue. Stull and colleagues suggested that the enzyme might best be used for patients attempting to quit but at high risk of relapse. "If they're being treated with this enzyme during a re-exposure event, the nicotine would not actually reach their brain, which would prevent them from becoming addicted once again." Stull said.

Source: Medical Xpress, 12 January 2021
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** See also: Nature - A cytochrome c is the natural electron acceptor for nicotine oxidoreductase ([link removed])
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Read Article ([link removed])


**

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** Florida attorney Fred Levin, who won a major legal battle against the tobacco industry in the 1990s, died on Tuesday 12^th January, several days after contracting COVID-19. He was 83.

In the 1990s, Levin was able to get the Florida Legislature to change Florida´s Medicaid law, allowing it to recoup money for the cost of treating lung cancer. That change helped Levin lead an effort to reach a $13 billion settlement with the tobacco industry.

Source: Daily Mail, 13 January 2021
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Read Article ([link removed])


** Parliamentary Activity
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**
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**
PQ1: COVID-19, passive smoking
Asked by Owen Thompson MP, Midlothian

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether any research has been carried out on the effect of passive exposure to exhaled e-cigarette vapour or cigarette smoke on the transmission of COVID-19.

Answered by Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care

The Department has not carried out any research in this area and is not aware of any external research at present. Being in close proximity to anyone with COVID-19 infection would carry a risk of passing on that infection regardless of whether they are smoking or vaping. Public Health England has published COVID-19 advice for smokers and vapers which recommends that vapers avoid exhaling clouds of vapour in the presence of others. This advice is available at the following link:
[link removed] ([link removed])

Source: Hansard, 12 January 2021

Link: [link removed]


Asked by Gavin Robinson MP, Belfast East

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential merits of banning the advertising of hybrid nicotine-based products.

Answered by Jo Churchill, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health and Social Care

No specific assessment has been made recently. Product standards and requirements of e-cigarettes, including how they are advertised, is regulated by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR).

The Department will be carrying out a post implementation review of TRPR, and this will include a public consultation on the regulations which will be published shortly. The consultation will provide an opportunity to comment on the current advertising regulations for e-cigarettes.

Source: UK Parliament, 11 January 2021

Link: [link removed]
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