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A Jamie Oliver-backed cooking skills programme in West Yorkshire, teaching people how to cook healthy and affordable meals to help combat health issues, is having its funding withdrawn.
The Ministry of Food scheme has been operating in Leeds for the last 12 years but Leeds City Council, currently funding the scheme, says the remaining commissioning budget for Healthy Living Services would be better spent on smoking cessation support.
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s Executive Member for Public Health & Active Lifestyles said: “Every time a contract comes to an end we are required to go through a commissioning process to select a provider and ensure we are getting value for money for our residents. We are working hard with NHS partners to try to ensure weight management services continue to be provided. We have made the decision to prioritise a stop smoking service from next year, as smoking remains the leading cause of preventable illness and premature death in Leeds."
Source: Yorkshire Post, 21 May 2022
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ASH Scotland is asking local groups to address the harms caused by smoking by applying for a package of tailored support to improve mental, physical and financial wellbeing. In addition to a £500 grant, successful applicants will gain access to free expert advice, training and resources to help their staff and volunteers become more informed of smoking issues.
Chief Executive of ASH Scotland, Sheila Duffy, said: “As community groups are embedded in their local areas and their staff and volunteers are widely trusted, ASH Scotland recognises they have a vital role to play in improving the health and wellbeing of Ayrshire residents through helping to address the long-term threats of smoking tobacco."
Applications from community groups and small charities supporting people in areas of high deprivation are particularly encouraged, given the barriers to good health faced by people in these areas.
Source: Irvine Times, 23 May 2022
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Cigarette butt recycling scheme aims to stub out waste in Catalonia
The Catalan government is considering paying €4 to anyone who hands in a pack’s-worth of cigarette ends at a recycling point. The cost of the proposal would be covered by a 20-cent levy on each cigarette, its proponents say, which would nearly double the price of a pack of Marlboro Red, which currently costs €5 (£4.25), compared with about £13 in the UK.
According to the EU, cigarette butts are the second-most common single-use plastic found on European beaches – and the environmental organisation Ocean Conservancy says that of all the rubbish thrown into the sea, butts are the most numerous. “The idea isn’t to generate income but to reduce the environmental impact of these products,” Isaac Peraire, the head of the Catalan waste agency, told El Periódico. According to the World Health Organization, tobacco waste contains up to 7,000 toxic chemicals. The plastic in cigarette filters takes up to 10 years to biodegrade, releasing toxic arsenic and lead as they do so, harming the area’s marine species.
Details of the levy plan have yet to be confirmed. Meanwhile, the Spanish government is also proposing that cigarette manufacturers should pay the cost of sweeping up butts.
Source: Guardian, 20 May 2022
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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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