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** 20 January 2021
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** UK
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** Johnson’s levelling up council criticised as most members based in London (#1)
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** Structural racism worsens COVID-19 health inequality, study finds (#2)
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** North East smokers make 2021 the year to quit (#3)
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** International
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** US: Teenage cannabis smokers with mental health problems more likely to self-harm, study warns (#4)
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** UK
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** A business council set up by Boris Johnson to rebuild the UK after COVID-19 pandemic has been criticised for being too London-centric and treating most of the country with “contempt” after it emerged that all but five council members are based in or near the English capital.
Announcing the council on Monday 18th January, Johnson said it would “level up [the] opportunity for people and businesses across the UK.” He promised it would “provide an important forum for frank feedback on our recovery plans.”
Frank McKenna from UnitedCity, a pressure group set up to help businesses in Greater Manchester recover from the pandemic, said: “The one thing the government should have learnt from the last nine months, surely, is that we can’t have a one-size-fits-all-approach to rebuilding our economy.”
A government spokesperson defended the appointments, saying: “The Build Back Better Council members have significant operations across the UK, employing tens of thousands of people in factories, R&D campuses, shops and forecourts across the Midlands and the north of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Council members were selected because of their long-term commitment to the UK economy and their combined capability to increase business investment, get the economy moving and create jobs across the entire country.”
Source: The Guardian, 20 January 2021
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** Researchers from the University of Manchester, St George’s University of London, Imperial College London, and Harvard University found structural racism is the root cause of health inequalities among ethnic minorities during the coronavirus pandemic.
The study explores the societal causes behind higher COVID-19 death and diagnosis rates, hospitalisations, and admissions to intensive care units among ethnic minorities. Structural racism – also known as systemic or institutional racism – are social policies, processes, or laws that disadvantage minority groups.
The study explains how repeated exposure to racism and discrimination can cause psychosocial, physical, and chemical stressors that accelerate biological ageing. This could be directly impacting the health of ethnic minorities, by exacerbating the effects of the pandemic. The study shows that living in more impoverished areas, and lower socioeconomic status negatively affects residents’ health outcomes. High-risk jobs, and communities with a higher burden of chronic disease, also contribute to health problems.
The researchers suggest some recommendations to improve the health outcomes of ethnic minorities. These include recognition by the government and public health bodies of racism as a key factor of ill health increased funding of COVID-19 prevention and education programmes for minority groups. The study also suggests the inclusion of ethnic minority groups in the “extremely vulnerable” category for COVID-19 and more supportive work environments to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.
Source: Mancunian Matters, 18 January 2021
See also: BMJ -Mitigating ethnic disparities in covid-19 and beyond ([link removed])
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** Editorial note
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** At this time of uncertainty articles are being included in Daily News if they cover issues likely to have an impact on tobacco control or smoking cessation even if they are not specifically mentioned.
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** According to a new survey from PHE, four out of 10 smokers plan to quit in 2021, and seven out of 10 adults are motivated to make healthier lifestyle changes this year.
Fresh is urging smokers to do something life-changing and make 2021 the year to quit as part of the Don’t Wait campaign. Despite COVID-19, 2020 was a peak year for quitting and many stop smoking services adapted by offering support over the phone and online rather than face to face.
Ailsa Rutter OBE, director of Fresh, said: “2020 was an incredibly challenging year and for most of us, 2021 has brought new anxieties. However, it is clear is that COVID has made many people more conscious of the need to protect their health - and that is incredibly important right now. It is hugely positive to see that nearly half of smokers plan to make a quit attempt in 2021 - I’d would urge anyone quitting to make sure they get the medication and the support they need to keep going and stay off tobacco and consider switching to a less harmful vaping device. As well as improving overall health, quitting can reduce stress levels within a few weeks and save you thousands of pounds. It is never too late.”
Source: Hexam Courant, 19 January 2021
See also: PHE press release - Seven in 10 adults are motivated to get healthier in 2021 due to COVID-19 ([link removed])
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** International
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** A new study reveals that smoking cannabis is associated with an increased risk of death and self-harm among teenagers diagnosed with bipolar disorder or depression. The study, published in JAMA Paediatrics, was a population-based retrospective cohort study using Ohio Medicaid claims data linked with death certificate data. Anonymous cases of more than 200,000 people aged between 10 and 24 diagnosed with mood disorders between 1 July 2010 and 31 December 2017, were reviewed and followed for up to one year from the initial claim until the end of enrolment, the self-harm event, or death.
The researchers found teens with a mood disorder and a cannabis habit are 3.28 times more likely to self-harm and 59% more at risk of dying from all causes. The risk of death from an unintended overdose is 2.4 higher than in people who avoid the drug, and the likelihood of being a victim of murder is 3.23 times higher, the study finds. The researchers say that not only are youths with mood disorders more likely to use cannabis, but the drug can also worsen symptoms and interfere with treatments.
Professor Mary Fristad, the senior author of the study, said: “Decreasing the rates of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder might reduce risk. Individual and family-based therapy models, including cognitive behavioural therapy and motivational enhancement therapy, have been shown to decrease cannabis use in youth.”
Source: Daily Mail, 19 January 2021
See also: Jama Paedistrics - Association of Cannabis Use With Self-harm and Mortality Risk Among Youths With Mood Disorders ([link removed])
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