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** 4 November 2021
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** UK
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** Surge demand for behavioural support services (#1)
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** Opinion: Scotland must keep up a pioneering role with bold policies on health (#2)
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** International
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** Guernsey: Tobacco, alcohol and fuel duties rise above inflation (#3)
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** US: Oregon county bans sale of flavoured tobacco products (#4)
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** Republic of Ireland: Revenue seizes almost 600,000 cigarettes at Dublin Port (#5)
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** UK
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** The City of York Council's team of nine public health trainers - who advise on everything from quitting smoking to drinking less and a healthy, active lifestyle - say referrals to their services “soared” this summer. In three months (from June to August), 162 people turned to them to help quit smoking - more than double the number for the same period the year before.
A further 112 people sought help for other things - including 64 who wanted to lose weight and 53 who wanted to lead a more active lifestyle. Six people sought help with cutting back on alcohol. Sessions can be face-to-face at locations around the city or online. People can be referred to the health training service by their GP or hospital, or they can self-refer.
Councillor Carol Runciman, the council’s executive member for health and adult social care, added: “We’ve all had a really tough year. You might want to feel better both physically and emotionally but find it hard to put in place those healthy habits. Our free health training service aims to help as many York residents as possible to improve their health and wellbeing.”
Source: The Press, 4 November 2021
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** Writing in The Scotsman, Jon Roden, policy and public affairs manager of the British Heart Foundation (BHF), discusses the need for bold policy decisions in Scotland.
Roden highlights that Scotland was the first country in the UK to prohibit smoking in enclosed public spaces and the first country in the world to establish a minimum unit price for alcohol. While both policies have been demonstrated to improve the country’s health, he urges the Scottish government to develop more bold health policies to enable people across Scotland to live longer and healthier.
Roden states that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) like heart disease, cancer, stroke, chronic lung disease, liver disease, and diabetes are responsible for about 40,000 deaths in Scotland, affecting quality of life and contributing to health inequalities. He explains that these diseases could be prevented by addressing key risk factors such as tobacco, alcohol, unhealthy food and drink.
Roden notes that “commitments by the Scottish Government on all three of these issues have been paused during the Covid-19 pandemic,” but that needs to change, and it must involve working “together to bring about their delivery.” Roden states that BHF Scotland has joined with partners to propose recommendations to tackle health inequalities that they believe should be in place by the end of the Scottish parliamentary year in June 2022. These include calls “to bring forward a bill to ban multi-buy offers on junk food; to review and increase the minimum unit price for alcohol to at least 65p per unit; and consult on regulations on the domestic advertising of e-cigarettes.”
Roden concludes that “Scotland has played a leading role in tackling the consumption of health harming products in recent times. But we can’t stop now. Working collaboratively with our partners, we must all ensure that this progress does not slow in the future.”
Source: The Scotsman, 4 November 2021
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** International
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** Guernsey States has approved tax and duty increase on petrol, alcohol and tobacco. Politicians approved the budget for 2022 after a morning of debate that saw no amendments to the plans.
Tobacco duty is rising by 7.5%, while tax on real property (TRP) and alcohol and fuel duties will increase by 4% - above a 2.5% anticipated inflation rate. The tax-free personal allowance is to increase with inflation by £300. Income tax allowances are also set to increase next year by 2.5% - lower than the current inflation rate.
Source: BBC News, 2 November 2021
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** Oregon’s second-most populous county has passed the state’s first ban on flavoured tobacco products. The Board of County Commissioners in Washington County voted 3 to 2 on Tuesday (2 November) to prohibit retail sales of flavoured tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and vape pens.
Board Chair Kathryn Harrington said in a statement: “the Board heard compelling evidence that restricting access of flavoured products results in fewer young people using addictive tobacco and nicotine substances as well as higher quit rates.”
The board’s action prohibits the sale of any tobacco or synthetic nicotine product to anyone under 21; prohibit sales of any flavoured tobacco or synthetic nicotine product in any retail establishment; and prohibit coupons, discounts, and price promotions for any tobacco products. The ban takes effect in 30 days but will not be enforced until 1 January.
Source: Westport News, 3 November 2021
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** Cigarettes branded “Minsk” and bearing a Russian stamp were discovered with the help of Revenue’s detector dog, Waffle. They were found in a container that had arrived from Belgium. They have an estimated retail value of €445,500, representing a potential loss to the exchequer of €350,100.
In a separate operation at Dublin Port last week, Revenue officers seized 180,000 cigarettes with an estimated retail value of €135,000, representing a potential loss to the exchequer of €106,000. The illegal cigarettes branded ‘Minsk’ and ‘NZ Gold’ were discovered with the assistance of Revenue’s detector dog Kelly in a container that had arrived from Lithuania.
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** Investigations into both seizures are ongoing.
Source: The Irish Times, 4 November 2021
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