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North East campaigners urge Government to put vital health information on alcohol labels
Campaigners in the North East are calling on the Government to put health warnings on alcohol.
The Alcohol Health Alliance (AHA) wants a law making comprehensive ingredients lists and the long-term impact of drinking alcohol to be mandatory on products.
After looking at 369 alcoholic products, the AHA found just 20% had a full list of ingredients, 41% showed the calorie content and only 6% displayed sugar content.
Despite this, a survey by North East charity Balance found that 7/10 adults in the region would support a general health warning on alcohol.
Director of Balance, Ailsa Rutter OBE said: "People have a right to know what their drinks contain and the risks of drinking, even if this is just to make informed decisions.”
“The fact is evidence is now clear that alcohol causes seven types of cancer, is linked to heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke, and is full of calories. But unlike tobacco it contains no information about health and people are left in the dark."
Source: ITV News, 15 June 2022
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Vaping - is it a risk-free option?
E-cigarettes are a major part of the government's plan in England to get the remaining six million smokers to quit by 2030. So how safe is vaping, particularly for young people who have never smoked?
Izzy Esposito, 18, from Borehamwood, started vaping last and now, reportedly, vapes at all hours of the day. She says: "I can just sit in bed and vape and be on Facetime to my friends at the same time. It's always in my hand, so you just do it all the time. It got to the point where I was getting through two vapes a week, with 3,500 puffs in each."
Disposable vapes are the latest trend in vaping. They are cheaper than a pack of cigarettes and can be used straight from the packet. Once finished, they're thrown away. Izzy is attracted by the colours and the flavours, and the fact she can buy one to match her outfit on a night out. She used to smoke occasionally at weekends, but she finds vaping a lot more convenient.
E-cigarettes have helped many thousands of people stop smoking by removing the dangerous and toxic tobacco smoke. But the e-cigarette vapour which is inhaled can still contain smaller amounts of chemicals, including nicotine, which could carry health risks of their own. There is concern that young people are taking up vaping because they see it as completely risk-free.
Prof John Britton, honorary professor at the University of Nottingham, who advised the government on its recent report on ending smoking, says: "It's inconceivable to say that vaping is safe, it is a balance of risks. If you don't use nicotine in any shape or form, it is madness to start vaping."
"So what you've got is young people and teenagers who are probably experimenting with them, but they don't become long-term users," says Prof Linda Bauld, professor of public health at the University of Edinburgh. Before, they might have become teenage smokers which would have been far more harmful, but she says more should still be done to protect young people.
The UK has some of the strictest e-cigarette regulations in the world. Almost all forms of e-cigarette marketing are banned, the amount of nicotine in the product is limited and only those aged 18 and over can buy them legally.
The latest data shows most teenagers aren't vapers - only 11% of 11 to 17-year-olds tried it in 2021. But new data for 2022 hasn't been published and some are predicting a rise.
Source: BBC News, 14 June 2022
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Comment: The dangerous rise of Elf Bars
Writing for the Spectator, journalist Alex Barton discusses his concerns over the apparent rise in popularity of a brand of disposable e-cigarettes (vapes) known as Elf Bars among young people in the UK:
Barton describes Elf Bars as causing a “wave of dependence across all age groups” and highlights the relative affordability, bright colours and range of flavours as a key driver for their popularity.
Barton cites research by University College London, which found a marked increase in young people’s use of disposable vapes between January 2021 and 2022 arguing this increase is likely due to ease of access, as some retailers (illegally) do not require age verification upon purchase, and popularity on social media platforms.
He also cites research by ASH which found 11.2% of 11 to 17-year-olds in Britain tried vaping last year. Around 1.2% of 11-17-year-olds vape more than once a week while the majority have never tried (77.7%) or are unaware (10.5%) of e-cigarettes.
Barton highlights the recent publication of Javed Khan’s review of smoking policies, which he argues, treats e-cigarettes as a “panacea”, despite the fact that they are addictive and “we don’t know much about the long-term effects of vaping.”
He compares the regulated appearance of tobacco cigarettes to the unregulated, attractive appearance of e-cigarettes and concludes: “Elf Bars need to be less sexy. They are far from risk free and shouldn't be treated like a silver bullet.”
Source: The Spectator, 15 June 2022
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Oral Question – NHS Backlog and tobacco lobbying
Andrew Gwynne, Shadow Minister (Health and Social Care)
More than 2 million people are affected by the backlog in cancer care. Smoking is the leading cause of cancer, and we know that a key component of tackling the backlog is prevention. Given that, can the Secretary of State assure the House that no current or former tobacco lobbyist working in or with No. 10 will have any influence on the Government’s tobacco control plan, prevention strategy or planned response to the Khan review?
Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care
As the hon. Gentleman will know, all decisions are rightly made by Ministers. I agree about the importance of tackling smoking. The Government are committed to a smoke-free 2030, which is exactly why I commissioned the independent Khan review. I welcome its findings and we are carefully considering them.
Source: Hansard, 14 June 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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