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This will be the last ASH Daily News bulletin until 4th January 2022.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from everyone at ASH.
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A new study published on 21 December 2021 in BMJ Global Health has argued that junk food ought to carry cigarette-style health warnings on packaging in order to tackle obesity. The paper said that ultra-processed foods were the ‘new tobacco’ and called for the inclusion of messages on their packaging alerting consumers to the risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and early death.
The study defines ultra-processed foods as those high in salt, sugar, and saturated fats, with more than five ingredients, chemically or physically transformed using industrial processes, and usually coming as ready-to-eat packaged foods with long shelf life. The research found that more than half of the total calories consumed in high-income countries come from ultra-processed foods.
The study criticized the marketing tactics used to promote such products, which are “among the most aggressively promoted and marketed products in the world”. They say that consumers are “bamboozled” by “decades of persuasive marketing” which have created associations between these foods and positive emotions. The warning system for ultra-processed foods is currently voluntary and just involves a traffic light label system with figures for fat, sugar, salt, and calories.
The researchers say that the public health community should build a meaning around the term ‘ultra-processed’ in much the way junk food companies have forged their brands. They criticize use of the term ‘non-communicable disease’ as an example of “clunky” public health communications that most members of the public do not understand. However, they said that the success of tobacco is a lesson in how to effectively convey the harms of a dangerous product.
Source: Daily Mail, 22 December 2021
See also:
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Psychiatrists are warning of a rise in problem gambling amongst the over-65s after an analysis of Gambling Commission data by the Royal College of Psychiatrists found that the largest increase in online betting since before the pandemic began was amongst this age group. The analysis found that around 620,000 more over-65s are gambling at least once a month than in 2019.
The analysis found that 13.5% of over-65s gambled online in 2021, up from 8.7% in the year to September 2019. This was the sharpest rise of any age group, with 45- to 54-year-olds next with a rise of about 340,000 during the pandemic. The number of people in the UK gambling on games increased by 1.5% during the same period, with figures not including playing the national lottery.
Campaigners believe that isolation and increased reliance on Facebook and TV for contact with the outside world is likely to have exposed over-65s to more gambling advertising and to less regulated, more addictive online gaming. They also cite anxiety caused by isolation during lockdown, financial worries, and a disruption to normal routines as possible reasons.
Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling, says that older people might sign up to bet on racing or sports during lockdown but will be cross-sold other addictive games like slots and given free spins. The risk of addiction is higher with online gambling because of greater accessibility and lower restrictions on stakes and speed. Limits of £2 a spin for fixed-odds betting terminals in bookmakers do not apply to slot games online where users can bet and spin every 2.5 seconds.
Source: The Guardian, 20 December 2021
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HSJ understands that the move to put integrated care systems (ICSs) on a statutory footing and to close clinical commissioning groups has been delayed by three months. Sources told HSJ that ICSs, including NHS integrated care boards, would now go live on 1 July 2022 not 1 April 2022. Sources also told HSJ that other measures in the Health and Care Bill would likely be delayed.
The sources cited the Parliamentary timetable for the Bill as the reason for the delay to ICS roll-out. The Bill’s committee stage in the House of Lords is due to last until late January 2022 and if amendments are made, as is likely, it will require further consideration in the House of Commons. This would leave a very small window for the Bill to gain royal assent and legal commencement, and for implementation. The delay to go-live for ICSs is expected to be confirmed in the NHS 2022-23 planning guidance, which may be published this week (beginning 20 December).
Source: HSJ, 21 December 2021
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Stop Smoking London has created a stop smoking guide to accompany the ’12 days of Christmas’ with tips to help smokers quit each day. The tips include advice on everything from motivation and being aware of relapse triggers to debunking myths around smoking and coping with stress.
Alongside the tips, Stop Smoking London are sharing the story of former smoker Dan Lescure: “The push finally came for me when we were trying for a baby. We were having some difficulty and my GP told me that there were some tests we could do but that I would need a clear system to make them worthwhile. It would take me three months of no alcohol or cigarettes for my system to be clear. It was the reason I needed. I suddenly could see the bigger picture. It worked, and when we did get pregnant, I made up my mind to stop smoking for good. I decided I wanted to be here to see my child grow up. I knew it was up to me to be the role model they would need.”
Dr Somen Banerjee, Director of Public Health for Tower Hamlets and Joint Chair of the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) London, said, “Stopping smoking is one of the best gifts you can give your family this Christmas. Almost a million people in London smoke, 12% of the city’s population. We are urging smokers in London to consider quitting this Christmas and set the date for January."
Source: The London Post, 21 December 2021
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New Jersey Assembly Health Chair Herb Conaway has requested the approval of the legislative leadership to post a bill to ban indoor smoking at Atlantic City’s casinos. The bill has been proposed since 2006 but has consistently failed to advance in the Legislature. Indoor smoking is banned at most facilities across New Jersey but not in Atlantic City casinos.
“I’d like to get it done,” said Conaway. “We have a number of employees who, as a condition of their work, are exposed to this carcinogen.” The casino industry opposes the bill on the grounds that casinos would lose business, while outgoing Senate President Steve Sweeney has resisted calls to introduce the legislation. However, Conway rejected this argument, saying “[A smoking ban] hasn’t killed any other business. It has not been cited as a drag on our economy. Certainly it has been better for the overall health for the people who work there.”
New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy spoke favourably of the proposals, saying that “If a bill came to my desk that did ban it, I would sign it.”
Source: Politico, 21 December 2021
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Respiratory Futures and the British Thoracic Society have produced a set of resources for clinical tobacco dependency leads to help navigate the process of delivering a successful tobacco dependency programme within an NHS trust in 7 simple steps. The resources focus on the Long Term Plan for England but will be useful for those working in the devolved nations too.
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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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