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** 20 April 2022
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** UK
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** Quitting smoking could be “instant pay rise” amid cost-of-living crisis urges North East public health group (#1)
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** Cancer Research nurses holding awareness roadshows in Glasgow (#2)
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** International
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** Italy: Illicit tobacco plant may have exploited Ukrainian refugees (#3)
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** Study: Physicians need more info on e-cigarettes to communicate with patients (#4)
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** UK
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** Quitting smoking could be “instant pay rise” amid cost-of-living crisis urges North East public health group
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**
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** A leading North East health organisation has urged smokers to quit - and reminded them that doing so could "feel like an instant pay rise".
Coming amid a cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation, regional tobacco-control organisation Fresh has highlighted how ditching the cigarettes will improve both your finances and your health. Fresh has previously highlighted the connection between smoking and poverty - more than four in ten households with smokers in the North East live in poverty - and now the organisation hopes that making vital savings could be the motivation smokers need to quit for good.
According to Fresh’s analysis, a smoker who goes through 10 cigarettes a day will be spending up to £1,642 a year. Fresh wants people to use the idea of what else that money could be spent on - it works out at £31 a week - to motivate them to quit. Fresh is also keen to point out how quitting will benefit your health and reduce stress and anxiety long-term.
Director at Fresh, Ailsa Rutter OBE, said: “Smoking is a massive drain on the finances of many families across the Northeast. Day by day, and week by week, it is frightening to think how these costs mount up. Quitting smoking can feel like an instant pay rise and create a bit of financial peace of mind, but also means you can enjoy a few luxuries for you and the family.”
As part of the support available to help people quit smoking, if you live in the North East and North Cumbria, you can sign up for free support from the Smoke Free app - which can be downloaded at getmesmokefree.com. Fresh have also released a series of ten top tips to help people quit. This includes remembering that sometimes people can quit without planning to; that changing your routine can reduce the temptation to smoke, and that making a list of reasons to quit can boost motivation. The organisation also recommends asking friends and family for support, being aware of the help available from local Stop Smoking Services and considering E-cigarettes.
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** Source: Chronicle Live, 20 April 2022
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** Cancer Research nurses holding awareness roadshows in Glasgow
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** Nurses from Cancer Research UK are planning regular visits at locations across Glasgow to raise awareness of cancer from this month onwards.
Darragh Casey and Christine Campbell will participate in the health roadshows where they will talk to visitors about the signs of cancer and how to spot them early.
According to figures from Cancer Research UK, every year around 33,200 people are diagnosed with cancer in Scotland.
The nurses are keen to address lifestyle habits that can be changed to reduce the risk of cancer, including stopping smoking.
Darragh said: “If you smoke, stopping is the best thing you can do for your health. By using prescription medication, together with support from your local free stop smoking service, you’re around three times more likely to quit than going it alone.”
Source: Glasgow Evening Times, 19 April 2022
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** International
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** Italy: Illicit tobacco plant may have exploited Ukrainian refugees
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** Italian police have taken down an illicit tobacco factory in Pomezia area near Rome, discovering machinery and materials to produce counterfeit cigarettes.
Officers seized 82 tonnes of counterfeit cigarettes and packaging mimicking several top brands.
One arrest was made, and the operation was found to be relying on a number of Ukrainian refugees as workers.
The Guardia di Finanza said the workers were subjected to gruelling shifts and forced to work in an unhealthy environment.
The seized products included 44 tonnes of finished, packaged cigarettes, and 38 tonnes of foreign processed tobacco, which will all be destroyed. The value of the seizure is estimated to be equivalent to around €19m ($21m) in evaded taxes.
The arrested man is facing several charges, including smuggling, counterfeiting, illicit brokering and exploitation of labour, said the Guardia di Finanza in a statement.
Source: Securing Industry, 19 April 2022
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** Study: Physicians need more info on e-cigarettes to communicate with patients
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** Electronic cigarettes may help people quit smoking, but physicians need more information to talk with patients about them, according to a new study by researchers from Rutgers University, USA.
The study surveyed 2,058 US physicians about their communication with patients regarding e-cigarettes. They asked how they would advise two different patients who wanted to quit smoking: a young woman who is a lighter smoker and had not yet tried to quit and an older man who smoked heavily and had tried to quit many times using different methods.
The study found that physicians were significantly more likely to recommend e-cigarettes for the heavy smoker while recommending FDA-approved medications, like nicotine gum or lozenges, for the light smoker.
E-cigarettes are not harmless, but numerous studies suggest they have lower levels of toxins than cigarettes and cigars. A survey of doctors from 2018 and 2019 found more than 60% incorrectly believed that all tobacco products (including e-cigarettes) are equally harmful, according to the researchers.
“As the evidence grows showing e-cigarettes as potentially effective for smoking cessation, they may play a pivotal role in reducing use of cigarettes and subsequently tobacco-caused disease,” study author Michael Steinberg, MD, said in a press release.
Source: Medical Economics, 19 April 2022
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** See also: JAMA Network - Communication Between US Physicians and Patients Regarding Electronic Cigarette Use ([link removed] )
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