From Action on Smoking and Health <[email protected]>
Subject ASH Daily News for 06 July 2021
Date July 6, 2021 11:33 AM
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** 06 July 2021
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** UK
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** MPs say 1,000 babies die preventable deaths in England each year (#1)
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** Three convicted of smuggling illicit cigarettes into the UK (#2)
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** North West: Thousands of illicit cigarettes seized in Oldham (#3)
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** International
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** Juul is fighting to keep its e-cigarettes in the US market (#4)
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** Parliamentary questions (#5)
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** UK
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In its report published today (6 July), the Health Select Committee says that almost two in five childbirth units still provide care that is unsafe to some extent, despite maternity care improving in recent years after a series of scandals. The cross-party group praises the NHS for the “impressive” 30% fall in neonatal deaths and 25% drop in stillbirths over the last decade. But the MPs said in the report: “The improvement has come from a low base, and if we had the same rate as Sweden approximately 1,000 more babies would survive every year.” The committee’s chair, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, stressed that most births in the NHS were safe, but some families experience “a devastating outcome” when errors occur.

The report highlights how Sweden halved the number of avoidable birth injuries in its hospitals after introducing a no-blame compensation scheme for injuries sustained as a result of medical treatment. It involves maternity staff speaking openly and honestly about why things went wrong that led to a baby, its mother or both suffering serious injury or death. Failings in maternity care cost the NHS in England £2.3 billion a year.

Lack of staff is the main reason maternity care can prove unsafe, the MPs say. Units are short of 1,932 midwives and need 496 more senior doctors, while in a recent survey, 80% of midwives told the Royal College of Midwives that they believed there were too few staff to ensure safe care. The MPs also found that, while stillbirths and neonatal deaths were falling, women from Black, Asian and minority ethnic and poorer backgrounds were still more likely to experience either outcome. The report recommends that the annual budget for maternity care in England be increased by a minimum of £200 million to £350 million.

Dr Edward Morris, the president of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG), said: “We acknowledge that stillbirth rates are still higher in the UK than many other high-income countries, with Sweden leading the way. While huge amounts of progress have been made and the number of stillbirths is going down, the death of any baby is a tragedy.”

Clea Harmer, chief executive of the stillbirth and neonatal death charity (Sands), said: “Babies should not be at a higher risk of death simply because of their parents’ postcode, ethnicity or income.”

Source: The Guardian, 6 July 2021

See also: Sky News - Maternity services in England need urgent improvement and at least £200m more to reduce unnecessary deaths, says MPs' report ([link removed])

BBC News: Culture of blame holding back maternity safety, report finds ([link removed])

The Health and Social Care committee report: The safety of maternity services in England ([link removed])
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** Three men who smuggled more than 20 million illegal cigarettes into the UK have been jailed after conspiring to evade £6 million of excise duty. The men were jailed following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court. They were given sentences ranging between 3 and 5 years after being found guilty of conspiracy to evade excise duty and money laundering.

Richard Paris, assistant director of the HRMC’s fraud investigation service, said: “These sentences should serve as a warning to others involved in the illegal cigarette and tobacco trade. We are determined to dismantle these networks, and we will continue to seize illegal cigarettes and the proceeds of crime.”

Source: Manchester Evening News, 5 July 2021
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** Tens of thousands of illegal cigarettes were found in Oldham raids after tip-offs from members of the public. After being told that tobacco was being sold “under the counter” at a local convenience store, officers from Trading Standards visited with a specialist sniffer dog. During the visit in June 2019, 14,640 illegal cigarettes were discovered and seized from the shop.
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The company director pleaded guilty to two charges at Tameside Magistrates’ Court in June 2021. The 32-year-old was handed a £500 fine and ordered to pay £650 costs. The store was given a £2,000 fine and told to pay £650 after a guilty plea to two charges under Standardised Packaging regulations.

In a separate case in the borough, another trader was prosecuted by the council for selling illicit cigarettes and single cigarettes to customers – despite having been previously given a written warning from trading standards. A total of 404 cigarettes were seized from the trader’s store. The store owner later pleaded guilty to three separate offences and was fined £120 and ordered to pay costs of £425.

Deputy council leader Amanda Chadderton said: “Thanks to the good work of our trading standards team and tip-offs from residents, a lot of illegal cigarettes were seized. Oldham council would always encourage people not to smoke as it’s unhealthy and can have long term consequences.”

Source: Oldham Evening Chronicle, 5 July 2021
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** International
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** Juul Labs sales have plunged by $500 million after operations in 14 nations have been deserted and many US based lobbying campaigns have been shut down.

The company is now focusing its efforts on persuading the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to permit it to promote its products in the United States.

The FDA is trying to meet a 9th September deadline to resolve whether Juul’s e-cigarettes and nicotine pods have sufficient public wellbeing benefit as a safer alternative for people who smoke to keep on the market. Major health organisations, including the American Heart Association, American Lung Association, American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Cancer Society’s Cancer Action Network, have asked the agency to reject Juul’s application.

To date, fourteen states and the District of Columbia have sued Juul, following claims that the company has fuelled vaping among young people across America. A criminal investigation of the company by the Justice Department is still underway.

Source: Chicago Tribune, 5 July 2021
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** Parliamentary Activity
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** PQ1: Pregnancy: Smoking

Asked by Mr Gregory Campbell, East Londonderry

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether it is his policy to include a target in the forthcoming Tobacco Control Plan to reduce the prevalence of women smoking during pregnancy to less than 6 per cent by the end of 2022.

Answered by Jo Churchill, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health and Social Care

The Government remains committed to reducing the prevalence of women smoking during pregnancy. Addressing this issue will be a priority for our new Tobacco Control Plan, which we will publish later this year. A number of targets are currently under consideration, which will support our ambition to be Smokefree by 2030.

Source: Hansard, 2 July 2021
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** PQ2: Alcoholic Drinks and Tobacco: Misuse

Asked by Crispin Blunt, Reigate

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 10 June 2021 to Question 11460, if she will ask the ACMD to advise whether alcohol and tobacco should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971; and for what reasons her Department makes a distinction between alcohol and tobacco and controlled drugs when there is no provision in the MDA that specifically excludes legally regulated drugs such as alcohol and tobacco.

Answered by Kit Malthouse, Minister of State for Crime and Policing

We have no plans to control alcohol or tobacco under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and no plans to commission advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) on this matter. Parliament considered arguments about their inclusion at the time of the Bill’s passage, including the reasons for the distinction between them and controlled drugs. Alcohol is regulated under the Licensing Act 2003 in England and Wales and tobacco is regulated under The Tobacco and Related Products Regulations 2016.

Source: Hansard, 5 July 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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