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Four warning signs of lung cancer the NHS doesn’t want you to ignore
Lung cancer is the biggest cause of cancer-related deaths in England and the fifth biggest cause of death overall. The Help Us Help You NHS campaign launched this summer was aimed at people who are at the highest risk for developing the disease, specifically those aged 60 and over, as well as people who are reluctant to visit their GP to highlight warning signs and symptoms people should look out for.
Persistent breathlessness: Paula Chadwick, Chief Executive of Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, said: “It is absolutely vital that if you are experiencing symptoms like a persistent cough or shortness of breath that you take action and contact your GP team. Don’t worry about bothering your doctors. It is always best to check because if it is lung cancer, catching it early can make all the difference.”
Recurring chest infections: Another warning sign of lung cancer is chest infections that keep coming back, the NHS says.
Coughing up blood: Coughing up blood is always cause for concern, and you should see your doctor immediately if this happens.
Loss of appetite: Sudden loss of appetite or unexplained weight loss could be a warning sign of lung cancer. Patients may also experience difficulty swallowing or pain when swallowing and wheezing.
Cally Palmer, NHS England’s National Cancer Director said: “We know for a fact most people who get diagnosed with lung cancer early go on to survive so it is imperative that people are aware of the symptoms and come forward as quickly as possible. The NHS is here to help and our services are open so people should not hesitate to come forward if they notice potential lung cancer symptoms”.
Source: Independent, 30 November 2022
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Government has already scrapped 140 EU environment regulations since Brexit, Thérèse Coffey says
The government has already scrapped 140 European environmental regulations since Britain left the EU, Thérèse Coffey has said to a parliamentary committee on Wednesday morning, adding that more rules would be scrapped over the coming 12 months, with reducing "bureaucracy" the focus. Coffey said she was also keen to overturn regulations where the UK government had previously opposed a rule at EU level but then been outvoted by other countries. She described the exercise as an "opportunity to think about how we can do things differently".
The deregulation exercise is part of the government's Retained EU Law Bill, which requires government departments to go through EU regulations on-by-one by the end of next year. Regulations will be automatically scrapped at the end of 2023 under a "sunset clause" unless ministers actively decide to keep them and create a new version in UK law.
Coffey added some of the legislation taken off the statute books was no longer relevant to the UK but at prime minister's questions on Wednesday prime minister Rishi Sunak hinted that the changes from the bill could be further-reaching.
Lord Grantchester, who sits on the committee, expressed concerns for regulation, cautioning: "The bill in its current form does not contain a provision to maintain existing levels of environmental protection." The sweeping bill has also been criticised across the economy, including trading standards inspectors, safety groups, businesses, and environmental groups. Friends of the Earth campaigner Kierra Box told The Independent that the planned bill could mean sensible legal protections are downgraded without proper parliamentary scrutiny or public participation.
Source: Independent, 30 November 2022
Editorial note: The retained EU law bill could have a significant impact on tobacco control as EU-derived legislation for list of tobacco regulations is considered in the scope. See the Retained EU Law dashboard.
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Young people and parents in the UK: share your views on vaping
Amid an increase in the levels of youth vaping in the UK, the Guardian community team has put out a call for parents, young people and teachers to submit their thoughts on and experiences on vaping. They cite ASH’s survey on the rise in the proportion of 11-18 year olds vaping from 4% in 2021 to 8.6% in 2022.
Prompts to parents include: How old were they when they started? How do you feel about it? Are you concerned about their health? Is it common among their friendship group? Have you spoken to them about it?
The team would also like to speak to young people over 18 who began vaping in their teens on their vaping behaviour, including why they started and how often they vape.
Submit your views via the form here.
Source: Guardian, 30 November 2022
See also: ASH Smokefree GB Youth survey 2022 - Use of e-cigarettes (vapes) among young people in Great Britain
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Man sells vapes to students near school in Wimborne
A man has been selling vapes to students near a Dorset school, with police taking action after people “threatened to take action into their own hands”. It is illegal to sell vapes or e-cigarettes to under 18s.
Katie Boyes, headteacher of Queen Elizabeth’s School in Wimborne, said: “At the end of last week we were made aware of someone selling vapes. While they were not doing this in the school grounds, we were concerned and contacted the police who acted quickly. We have a ‘no vapes’ policy which is strictly enforced.”
East Dorset Police reassured locals in a Facebook post that they are dealing with the issue in conjunction with Trading Standards and school staff.
Source: Bournemouth Echo, 30 November 2022
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Opinion: Australia could look to New Zealand and Canada for how to do tobacco control
Dr Coral Gartner, Director, NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence on Achieving the Tobacco Endgame, Professor Janet Hoek and Professor Richard Edwards from the University of Otago welcome Australia’s latest announcement of tobacco control measures, including banning menthol products and proposing health warnings on individual cigarettes, though suggest there is still scope for more comprehensive action to reduce the burden smoking imposes on Australia, with a clear equity focus for Australia’s Indigenous peoples.
Looking largely to New Zealand and Canada, the authors suggest three further broad measures:
New and more varied health warnings will refresh Australia's existing policy, first brought in 16 years ago, as will introducing pack inserts providing “how to quit” information and making the cigarette paper an unattractive colour.
Standardised pack size, filters, and banning terms such as “light” and “organic” or gimmicks such as flavoured “crushballs” or “bonus” cigarettes.
Greater transparency regarding industry activity, including disclosing tobacco sales volumes and pricing and advertising, promotion and sponsorship activities, as well as product ingredients and emissions.
Source: The Conversation, 1 December 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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