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Cigarettes and alcohol keep retail sales rising despite inflation
British consumers increased spending on tobacco and alcohol in April, contributing to an increase in retail sales amidst rising inflation. Data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed that month-on-month retail sales rose by 1.4% in April. City economists had expected a 0.2% decline last month.
The higher-than-expected figures were led by growing sales in supermarkets, which was up 2.8% on the month. The ONS said shoppers had mainly increased their spending on alcohol, tobacco and clothing.
Heather Bovill, deputy director at the ONS, said the UK’s retail sales, “show a continued longer-term downward trend”. Overall sales volumes remained 4.1% below their pre-pandemic levels and fell by 4.2% compared to April last year.
Source: The Times, 20 May 2022
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US: Cancer deaths in Black communities drop but remain higher than other racial and ethnic groups
Cancer death rates have steadily declined among Black people in the US but remain higher than in other minority ethnic groups, a U.S. government study released yesterday (19th May) shows.
Cancer rates among Black people fell 2% each year from 1999 to 2019, from 359 cancer deaths per 100,000 to 239 deaths per 100,000, according to the report published online in JAMA Oncology.
In 2019, the highest cancer death rates were among Black men — 294 deaths per 100,000 — almost double the lowest rate in Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The rate for White men was 249 deaths per 100,000. For Hispanic men, it was 177 deaths per 100,000 and 255 deaths per 100,000 among Native American men. An earlier report from the American Cancer Society found the racial gap was narrowing, driven by bigger declines in cigarette smoking among Black people.
In this new study, based on an analysis of death certificates, deaths from most cancers dropped in Black men and women. The biggest declines were in lung cancer among Black men and stomach cancer in Black women. Both are linked with declines in smoking, which contributes to many other cancers. The persistently higher death rate among Black Americans remains a concern, and likely reflects social and economic disparities including poverty, less access to care and mistrust of doctors, said lead researcher Dr Wayne Lawrence, from the National Cancer Institute.
Source: The Independent, 19 May 2022
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Malaysia considering tobacco product display ban
Malaysia is considering the viability of imposing a tobacco product display ban as part of the country’s “generational endgame” strategy to end smoking. If implemented, shopkeepers will not be able to display tobacco products in their premises – a move that has been implemented in many countries such as the UK, Australia and Singapore.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said: “Among the suggestions is that tobacco products for sale cannot be displayed. There are also proposals for plain packaging on tobacco products, similar to what other countries are doing. These proposals are being studied by the Health Ministry”.
The country’s Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill is currently being finalised and could be tabled in July. The Health Minister, however, said the provisions for the tobacco product display plan, if approved, would not be inserted in the Bill. “The provisions will be part of the rules and regulations [of the smoking ban] that will only be drawn up after the Bill is tabled,” he said.
Source: The Star, 20 May 2022
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Cambodia: Education ministry starts anti-tobacco campaign
The Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, in collaboration with partner organisations, has launched a campaign for banning advertisements and the sale of tobacco products at public and private educational institutions.
The Ministry said the campaign aimed to ban public and private educational institutions from allowing their partners to receive sponsorship, or sign memorandums of understanding, with tobacco manufacturers for any purpose.
Citing UN data, the ministry said that tobacco use was the leading cause of death for some 15,000 Cambodians each year, and cost Cambodia approximately $649 million a year.
The Ministry said: “We will not allow tobacco manufacturers to be given space at the public or private educational institutions or organise promotional programmes or exhibitions. They should have no involvement in any activity related to education”.
Source: The Phnom Penh Post, 19 May 2022
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Blog: Smoking cessation in social housing - maximising the health benefits of residents
Sarah Davis, Senior policy and Practice Officer at the Chartered Institute of Housing discusses the value social housing providers can play as health and social care, in light of the latest report from ASH and the Housing LIN - Smoking and social housing: supporting residents, addressing inequalities
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Hajek et al. (2022) - Electronic cigarettes versus nicotine patches for smoking cessation in pregnancy
A new study by Hajek et al. (2022), published in the journal Nature Medicine, has found that e-cigarettes are as safe to use as nicotine patches for pregnant smokers trying to quit, and may be more effective.
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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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