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** 20 April 2021
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** UK
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** NHS turns to Facebook to target middle-aged men at risk of diabetes (#1)
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** Call for smoking to be banned outdoors at pubs in the UK (#2)
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** Comment: The UK needs a joined-up health system to ensure everyone recovers from the pandemic (#3)
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** International
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** US: Biden administration plans to limit nicotine levels so that cigarettes are less addictive (#4)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary questions (#5)
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** UK
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**
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** Middle-aged men will be targeted with advertisements on Facebook trying to persuade them to sign up for NHS weight-loss programmes to cut their risk of diabetes. The NHS Facebook campaign will send lifestyle quizzes to men aged 40 and over, with those found at risk offered places on the scheme, which gives health coaching, diet plans, and exercise tips.

The health service will post a series of sponsored Facebook ads over the next three weeks, which will let users click through to a quiz by Diabetes UK. If participants' score is moderate or high, they can refer themselves directly to a local service for support, with 200,000 places available each year. Access to the programme has been fast-tracked after research found that people are twice as likely to die from COVID-19 if they have Type 2 diabetes.

Obesity levels have doubled in the UK since the early 1990s, with two in three adults overweight or obese. Nine in 10 cases of diabetes are type two, which is driven by excess weight.

Public health minister Jo Churchill said: “We want to be a healthier nation, and obesity is one of our biggest health challenges - Covid has shown us it is vital we act now. This initiative between the NHS and Diabetes UK is designed to support people, particularly 40-year-old men, on how to avoid Type 2 diabetes. Now is a great time to check your risk and do something about it. The Government has recently announced £100 million to support people achieve and maintain a healthier weight, and this is another initiative to help. By working together, we can achieve our healthy weight strategy goals and halve the number of children living with obesity by 2030, protecting people and the NHS for a brighter future.”

Source: The Telegraph, 19 April 2021
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** In a recent study conducted by the retailer, Vape Club, 1 in 5 ex-smokers stated that a ban on smoking on pub premises, including pub gardens and outdoor seating, would help them quit for good.

The Quitting Smoking for Mental Health study asked 1,000 current and ex-smokers across the UK what measures could be the greatest help for smoking cessation:

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** About 26% of the participants said a smoking ban in all public places, including hospitals, parks and bus stops
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** 20% said a ban on smoking on pub premises, including pub gardens and outdoor seating
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** 19% said a workplace ban on smoking on the premises and cigarette breaks
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**
The study also found that 43.9% of ex-smokers stated that their mental health has improved since quitting smoking. Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) have also reported that the coronavirus pandemic has driven an 'astonishing' quit rate among young smokers. However, with the pubs reopening, many have stressed their concerns about relapsing back into the habit.

There is also evidence that previous smoking restrictions have done a lot to encourage people to quit smoking. Research from Cancer Research UK found that around 1.9 million people in Britain have stopped smoking since doing so was banned in pubs, clubs, bars and restaurants.

ASH has called for “pop up” pavement licences to be made 100% smokefree; helping smokers to “quit and stay quit,” providing family-friendly spaces, and preventing harm caused by secondhand smoke.

Source: Teesside Live, 19 April 2021

Editorial note

Vape Club is a member of the UKVIA, which is affiliated with the tobacco industry.
For more information, see here: Tobacco Tactics - UK Vaping Industry Association (UKVIA) ([link removed] )
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** Writing in the Telegraph, Louise Marshall and Adam Briggs, senior fellows at The Health Foundation, argue that the UK needs a strong and united public health system to level up society and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. They state that the government needs to take urgent action to prioritise the nation’s health and address underlying factors that drive inequalities. This would help tackle the coronavirus pandemic and accelerate the country’s economic recovery.

They highlight that the government promises that “health will be a core priority for the whole of government” and that the public health reform plans – including a cross-government ministerial board on prevention – will “enable more joined-up, sustained action between national and local government, the NHS and cross-government”. However, the authors argue that the new reforms create a more, rather than less, fragmented public health system. They also state that the new reforms fall short of creating crucial independent scrutiny of the government’s actions and their impact on health and health inequalities, and say nothing about how success will be measured.

The authors point out that the public health grant – the money used to provide local services for things like obesity, smoking, alcohol, and sexual health – has been cut by 24 % per head in real terms over the last five years, equivalent to £1 billion. As the Office for Health Promotion moves into the Department of Health and Social Care, it is unclear if it will have any dedicated budget at all.

The authors conclude that “the government needs a public health system that can work more closely across health security, health promotion and inequalities if it is to achieve its ambitions for levelling up Britain.”

Source: The Telegraph, 19 April 2021
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** International
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**

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** According to the Wall Street Journal, the Biden administration is considering requiring tobacco companies to reduce the nicotine levels of cigarettes sold in the US to make them less addictive.

Public officials are reportedly also considering a total ban on menthol products, which have long been considered a gateway product for younger smokers. The 2009 Tobacco Control Act banned candy, fruit and spice flavourings in cigarettes because of their potential appeal to children, but did not deal with menthol.

The administration is also weighing whether to adjust nicotine levels at the same time as a menthol ban or introduce it as a separate policy. A decision will need to be made by 29 April.

The idea behind reducing nicotine levels would be to make cigarettes less addictive and perhaps encourage smokers to quit or move to other safer products.

Source: Daily Mail, 19 April 2021

See also: The Independent - Biden ‘to slash amount of nicotine in cigarettes’ ([link removed] )
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** Parliamentary Activity
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**

PQ1: Smoking – Diseases

Asked by Mary Glindon Labour, North Tyneside

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating smoking-related illnesses in each of the past five years.

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

We have made no such estimate. However, we are committed to reducing smoking prevalence and the associated costs to the National Health Service. A new Tobacco Control Plan will be published later this year.

Source: Hansard, 19 April 2021
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** PQ2: Electronic Cigarettes – Disinformation

Asked by Mary Glindon Labour, North Tyneside

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps he is taking to tackle online misinformation on the vaping industry.

Answered by Caroline Dinenage, Minister of State, Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

The Department of Health and Social Care and PHE meet with the Independent British Vape Trade Association to discuss industry concerns and wider regulatory matters, including misinformation.

E-cigarettes in the UK are tightly regulated by the Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016 (TRPR) and the Nicotine Inhaling Products (Age of Sale and Proxy Purchasing) Regulations 2015 (NIP). These regulations aim to reduce the risk of harm to children; to protect against any risk of renormalisation of tobacco use; and to provide assurance on relative safety for users. The regulations include restrictions on mainstream TV and radio advertising; prevent sale to under 18s; and limit both tank sizes and nicotine content.

DCMS works closely with the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) who facilitate the self-regulation of the UK advertising sector through the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising (BCAP Code) and The UK Code of Non-broadcast Advertising and Direct & Promotional Marketing (CAP Code) - which applies to online advertising. The ASA has a clear framework for advertisers to follow in relation to what is and is not allowed when making health claims about vapes or e-cigarettes.

The Better Health national marketing campaign on smoking cessation, delivered by Public Health England, has been effective at helping challenge misinformation surrounding e-cigarettes. The campaign is supported by public health professionals at a local level, helping smokers switch to e-cigarette products.

The key consideration for advertisers is whether their marketing communications do anything further than provide basic, factual information about the products. Any content that appears to make the product seem more attractive is likely to be regarded as promotional and therefore likely to be ruled against by the ASA and removed.

Source: Hansard, 19 April 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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