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** 02 March 2022
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** UK
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** White people at much higher risk of most cancers in England, study finds (#1)
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** Opinion: Hiding vapes from view in Scotland won't help to prevent smoking (#2)
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** Private healthcare boom adds to fears of two-tier system in UK (#3)
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** Betting firm 888 fined £9.4m after customers lost thousands in pandemic (#4)
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** UK
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New analysis from Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has found that Black, Asian, and mixed-heritage people are much less likely to develop cancer than white people in England. The analysis, published in the British Journal of Cancer, is based on three million cancer cases in England from 2013-17. It found that white people in England were more than twice as likely to develop skin cancer, oesophageal, bladder, and lung cancers than Black, Asian, or mixed-heritage people.
Cancer Research UK said that around 40% of all cancer cases in the UK are preventable and due to behavioural factors. The research found that lower levels of smoking among most Black and Asian groups is one reason that they are at lower risk of some lifestyle cancers, such as bowel, breast, and lung, than white people. Other possible reasons included access to screening, appropriate vaccines, and support to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
However, the research did find that prostrate and blood cancer are two to three times more common among Black people. Black people are also more likely to develop stomach and liver cancers. Cancer types linked to infections, such as hepatitis, are also more common among people belonging to some ethnic minorities, and this could be why Asian people are more likely to develop liver cancer. The researchers also warned that the overall trend of lower cancer rates among Black, Asian and mixed-heritage groups could change in the future as rates of childhood obesity in these groups are higher than among white children.
Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said "We already know that the burden of cancer weighs heaviest on the most deprived in the UK […] more research is needed to understand the challenges faced by different ethnic groups and how the cancer journey differs".
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** Source: BBC News, 01 March 2022
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** See also: British Journal of Cancer - Differences in cancer incidence by broad ethnic group in England, 2013–2017 ([link removed])
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** Pete Cheema, chief executive of the Scottish Grocers’ Federation, argues that further restrictions on how vaping products are promoted will not help to achieve a smokefree Scotland by 2034, in light of a new Scottish government consultation on the issue.
Cheema says that the proposals set out in the government consultation will unintentionally hamper people from stopping smoking. He argues that smokers must be able to see alternatives to cigarettes to switch to them. He says that Scottish Grocer Federation research shows that many e-cigarette users get their information about vapes from convenience stores.
Cheema responds to the argument that the measures are needed to protect youngsters from experimenting with vapes and then move on to tobacco. He says there is no evidence showing that young people who have never previously smoked are taking up vaping. He also notes that strict safeguards are in place to stop vaping products being sold to under-18s. Finally, he cites the business argument, saying that an advertising ban would hit retailers financially.
Source: The Times, 2 March 2022
Editorial note: The Scottish Grocers’ Federation receives funding from the tobacco industry and has previously campaigned against several public health measures. For more info, see here ([link removed]) .
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** A new report has warned that growing numbers of Britons are paying for private medical treatment in a shift that the report says could undermine the NHS and create a “two-tier” health system. The report says that COVID-19 has worsened declining access and quality of NHS care, meaning that one in six people are now prepared to go private rather than waiting for NHS care.
The report is conducted by the left-leaning IPPR thinktank. YouGov polling for the IPPR found that 17% of people would go private if they knew they were going to have to wait longer than 18 weeks, the maximum time the NHS says anyone should have to wait before having planned hospital treatment. YouGov also found that 31% (1,095) found it hard to access healthcare during the pandemic with 12% of these going private and another 26% considered doing the same but ultimately not doing so.
The report warns that getting fast, high-quality care on the NHS could become as difficult in the future as the situation that already exists regarding state-funded dental treatment, which has become a postcode lottery. The report says that a move away from public healthcare would not mean a sudden shift to an American-style health system but would instead just lead to an opt out by those who can afford it. It says that this trend could threaten public support for the NHS and leave millions of patients vulnerable because of their ethnicity, income, or job.
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** Source: The Guardian, 2 March 2022
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** See also: IPPR - The state of health and care 2022 ([link removed])
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Online casino company 888 has been ordered to pay a £9.4m fine, the third highest in the history of British gambling regulation, over multiple failings that led to customers accruing huge losses during the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gambling Commission highlighted a series of transgressions by 888 that could force it to consider its suitability to hold a license to operate in the UK.
The regulator said 888 was not properly identifying customers who were at risk of harm because it did not carry out financial checks until they had deposited £40,000. In one case, the company did no checks on a customer until they had lost £37,000 in just six weeks during 2020, when the commission had asked companies to be cautious about people who might be more vulnerable due to COVID-19.
In another case, 888 placed a deposit cap of £1,300 a month on the account of an NHS worker whom it knew earned £1,400 a month. An audit carried out in October 2020 found that most of the company’s social responsibility interactions with customers consisted of a single email describing the available responsible gambling tools and did not involve customer interaction.
The online casino company, which is in the process of buying William Hill’s UK assets, also failed to carry out proper “source of funds” (SOF) checks to prevent money laundering. In one case, a customer was allowed to spend £65,835 in just five months without SOF checks being carried out. The latest fine comes just weeks before the government is due to publish proposals to reform gambling regulation, potentially including affordability checks to make sure people can afford the amounts they are betting.
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** Source: The Guardian, 1 March 2022
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