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** 17 February 2021
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** UK
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** Cloudy outlook leaves shares in British American Tobacco out of puff (#1)
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** Hotel quarantine farce as guests say they can leave rooms to smoke whenever they want (#2)
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** London ranks as the no-smoking rental capital of Europe (#3)
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** UK inflation up to 0.7% in January with food price hike (#4)
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** International
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** Spain: Beaches in Barcelona will be smokefree this Summer in new trial (#5)
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** Australia: Fire stations call on smokers to throw their cigarette butts in the bin with novel sign (#6)
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** UK
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**

Shares in British American Tobacco (BAT) fell by 6% to £25.88 on Wednesday 17th February, with the company warning that currency concerns mean a potential loss of around 7% on earnings per share growth this year. BAT’s revenue dropped by 0.4% drop to almost £25.8 billion for the financial year.

However, BAT’s full year results beat expectations as results for the year to December revealed a near 10% rise in pre-tax profit to £8.67 billion, as higher prices and a larger product range somewhat offset lower volumes. Revenue from new categories including vaping, tobacco heating products, and nicotine pouches rose by 15% overall.

However, BAT’s earnings were boosted by £660 million of cost savings, so there are concerns about the sustainability of future growth. Looking ahead to 2021, BAT expects global tobacco industry volume to be down ‘around 3%’, with the key US market subject to COVID-19 uncertainties.

Source: Shares Magazine, 17 February
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Guests self-isolating in UK hotels following the Government’s new guidelines for travellers returning to the UK have revealed that they are able to leave their rooms to smoke whenever they want, contravening the Government’s own regulations which state that the only exception to room quarantine is ‘’to exercise’’.

Leaked tender documents to hotels however revealed that security staff were instructed to ‘’accompany individuals to access outside space should they need to smoke or get fresh air’’. Guests reported being accompanied by security guards who were often wearing their masks below their noses.

Professor Mike Toole, a top Australian epidemiologist whose Burnet Institute has advised state governments on quarantine, warned that the UK’s lax approach was ‘’very risky’’. He said that those quarantining should be confined to their rooms 24/7 with staff tested every day and required to wear the highest-grade surgical masks.

Source: The Telegraph, 16 February 2021
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The latest research from international rental marketplace Spotahome suggests London is Europe’s leading no smoking rental hotspot. Spotahome’s research ranked 14 major European cities based on the percentage of properties available for rent which allowed smoking, with London coming out top.

Of
all the rental homes listed via Spotahome in London, just 7.2% allowed smoking within them. Berlin was the only other city to see smoking friendly rental properties account for less than 10% of its rental stock, with only 8.5% of its rental homes listed on Spotahome allowing tenants to smoke within them. Brussels (13.1%), Dublin (14.4%), and Madrid (17%) completed the top 5, whilst Valencia (36.8%), Rome (31.4%), and Porto (29.1%) accounted for the 3 most lenient cities.

Source: Fintech Zoom, 16 February 2021
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Official figures have revealed that UK inflation increased last month on the back of higher food prices and more expensive household goods. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said Consumer Prices Index (CPI) inflation increased to 0.7% in January from 0.6% in December.

The figure exceeded expectations as economists had predicted an inflation figure of 0.5% for the month. Other inflation measurements also pointed to an above expected increase, with the Retail Price Index (RPI), a separate measure of inflation, increasing to 1.4% from 0.9% in December. The CPI, including owner-occupier’s housing costs (CPIH), rose to 0.9% in January from 0.8% previously.

The ONS said that the largest contribution to the increase in inflation came from furniture and home furnishings, with the sector witnessing significantly reduced discounting in January. The 0.6% rise in food and non-alcoholic drink prices also a major factor, alongside volatility in fish prices following the UK’s exit from the EU, with price increases for prawns, frozen fish fingers, and fresh salmon.

Source: ITV News, 17 February 2021
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** International
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**

Barcelona City Council plans to trial a scheme in which four Barcelona beaches will go smokefree this Summer, with a view to making the scheme permanent and extending it to all other beaches and potentially public places like parks and bus stops if successful. The pilot scheme will operate during the Summer high season between May 29th and September 12th 2021.

Councillor for Health, Ageing and Care, Gemma Tarafa, said that the scheme aimed to protect public health, especially that of the most vulnerable. Some 2,200 people die each year in Barcelona from causes directly attributable to tobacco, representing 13.8% of the total number of deaths in the city, according to the latest reports from the Public Health Agency.

Authorities said that the ban was not about punishing those who smoke on the beach but about raising awareness. Instances of non-compliance could be handed over to the Guardia Urbana local police, who would instruct smokers about the ban and then only issue fines if smokers still refused to comply.

Source: Euro Weekly News, 16 Feb 2021
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A fire station in Port Macquarie in New South Wales in Australia is encouraging smokers to properly dispose of cigarette buds with a novel sign. The sign reads ‘I like binned butts & I cannot lie’, riffing on a famous line from the popular 1992 song ‘Baby Got Back’ by Sir Mix-A-Lot.

A photo of the sign posted online sparked the imagination of other punsters, with one adding ‘You other smokers can’t deny!’. Other commenters commended the fire station for their efforts to stop cigarette litter.

Cigarette butts thrown on the ground are a particular problem in Australia, where they have been known to start bushfires. Drivers who are caught tossing a butt from their vehicles can be handed a fine of up to AUD$11,000 (£6,145).

Source: This Is Money, 17 February 2021
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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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