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The cost-of-living crisis is pricing people out of breathing
Asthma + Lung UK Chief Executive, Sarah Woolnough writes to the New Statesman, describing how the current cost-of-living crisis is deepening health inequalities, highlighting that people with lung conditions are particularly vulnerable.
Someone living in the poorest parts of the country will be seven times more likely to die from lung disease than those living in the wealthiest, she writes. Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), which kills around 30,000 people a year in the UK, is two-and-a-half times more likely to develop in those from the poorest communities than from the most affluent areas Woolnough continues, pointing to structural inequalities like damp housing, smoking and exposure to air pollution in the observed health outcomes.
Patients with asthma and other lung conditions must cover their own prescription costs, and general condition management entails further hidden costs such as unpaid time off work to attend frequent doctors appointments, with Woolnough warning “you can’t pay your way out of a lung condition”. Half a million people with asthma in England have had to choose between paying for their life-saving asthma medication and other necessities including food, bills and school uniform for their children, research recently undertaken by the charity has found.
For patients living with conditions that require mains-powered oxygen concentrators at home, soaring electricity costs are of huge concern, and Woolnough explains that Asthma + Lung UK is receiving unprecedented demand for specific financial guidance on the issue.
The charity’s campaigning work as members of the End Fuel Poverty Coalition, asking for more financial support for people with lung conditions to keep their homes heated this winter, and as part of the Prescription Charges Coalition, to stop people with chronic lung conditions having to pay for their medicines, seeks to address the inequalities exacerbated by the cost of living crisis. However, without more, and targeted help from the government for people with lung conditions, Woolnough writes “millions are at risk of being priced out of breathing”.
Source: New Statesman, 9 August 2022
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Middlesbrough corner shop shut down after HMRC crackdown
A shop selling illicit tobacco in Middlesbrough has been closed down as part of a joint crackdown led by Middlesbrough Council’s Trading Standards team in partnership with HMRC. This is the third shop in a month that has been caught selling illegal tobacco products.
Following numerous complaints, an operation by HMRC in May resulted in the seizure of 101,143 cigarettes and 40.40kg of hand-rolling tobacco from the premises along with associated vehicles. Last week (August 5), Teesside Magistrates granted a three-month closure order, with costs of £738.50 also awarded to the Council.
Judith Hedgley, Middlesbrough Council’s Head of Public Protection, said: “This latest closure shows that Trading Standards will continue to work with other enforcement agencies and using all enforcement sanctions at our disposal to drive out the illicit tobacco trade from Middlesbrough.”
Councillor David Coupe, Middlesbrough Council’s Executive member for Adult Social Care and Public Protection, said: “Illicit tobacco is a bane on our society, it increases health inequalities related to smoking, is the main source of cigarettes to young people and brings crime into our communities [...] The Council will continue to take action to protect the health and wellbeing of Middlesbrough residents.”
Source: Darlington and Stockton Times, 10 August 2022
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US study: Despite drop in popularity, cigarette smoking continues to be a leading cause of US cancer deaths
Cigarette smoking among US adults has dropped from more than 33% in 1980, to just over 12% in 2020, an all-time low, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
But new research from the American Cancer Society shows smoking is still taking a huge toll on American life expectancy and the economy. According to a new study published in the International Journal of Cancer, nearly 123,000 US cancer deaths were caused by cigarette smoking in 2019, making up close to 30% of all cancer deaths for that year. Cancers associated with smoking included cancers of the oral cavity, pharynx, oesophagus, stomach, lungs and bronchus among others.
Researchers also estimated the potential years of life lost (PYLL) as well as lost earnings among adults aged 25 to 79. They found smoking-attributable cancer deaths resulted in 2.2 million years of PYLL and nearly $21 billion in annual lost earnings.
Analyses showed death rates and PYLL were the highest in states with weaker tobacco control policies and higher cigarette use, including Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, West Virginia and several others. Years of life lost was 47% higher in these states, according to researchers.
Farhad Islami, lead author of the study and senior scientific director of cancer disparity research at the American Cancer Society, said: “We must continue to help individuals to quit using tobacco, prevent anyone from starting, and work with elected officials at all levels of government for broad and equitable implementation of proven tobacco control interventions.”
Source: The Hill, 10 August 2022
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