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Illegal cigarettes and vapes seized after Darlington shops raided
Thousands of illegal cigarettes, oversized vapes and tobacco have been seized after police raided several shops throughout Darlington.
The council’s trading standards team and police visited seven shops across the town, accompanied by detection dogs to sniff out hidden cash, tobacco, and cigarettes in six of the premises.
The visits, which took place between 30 November and 5 December, were part of Operation Cece, a National Trading Standards initiative.
In total, 489 illegal vapes, 19,580 cigarettes and 7.65 kilograms of hand rolling tobacco were seized, further disrupting the illicit trade in the town. Investigations in relation to the seizures are ongoing.
Source: Northern Echo, 20 December 2022
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ICSs risk becoming “rebadged CCGs” warns Hewitt
Integrated care systems (ICSs) could become “rebadged clinical commissioning groups” or “another layer of performance management”, former health secretary Patricia Hewitt has warned.
Ms Hewitt was commissioned last month by chancellor Jeremy Hunt and health and social care secretary Steve Barclay to review the role of ICSs. The review’s terms of reference include a desire for ICSs to have more autonomy and accountability.
Ms Hewitt was asked to make her initial recommendations on 16 December, in time to influence the 2023-24 planning guidance. However, her full report is not expected until mid-March and the former health secretary has begun a consultation process with NHS leaders and other stakeholders.
A letter from Ms Hewitt to stakeholders, seen by HSJ, states: “ICSs provide the biggest opportunity in a generation to improve population health outcomes, transform health and care services, reduce health inequalities and create the best value for public funds. If ICSs are to fulfil their potential, however, then we all need to change the way we work… there is a risk that NHS integrated care boards become just a rebadged CCG or another layer of regulation and performance management.” The letter adds success will also require the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England “to give ICSs the freedom and support they need to tackle local problems and pursue local priorities”.
The call for evidence which accompanies the letter adds: “NHSE is already making a significant cultural and behavioural shift to partnership-based working, as it set out in its new operating framework. It is co-creating NHS policy, strategy, priorities and delivery solutions with both local system leaders and national partners. It has signalled its intention to give system leaders greater agency and autonomy to identify the best way to deliver agreed priorities in their local context.”
Responses to the consultation must be submitted by 9 January.
Source: Health Services Journal, 16 December 2022
See also: Hewitt review: call for evidence
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French ski resort is first in Europe to ban smoking on slopes
French skiing spot Les Gets introduced a smoking ban, which took effect from Saturday 17 December.
The resort, in the Haute-Savoie department of France, is the first European ski resort to make such a move. Visitors are able to smoke in Les Gets village, with a ban now enforced on the ski slopes and ski lifts.
It comes as part of a plan to make the resort tobacco-free where possible, aiming to protect Les Gets from the pollution caused by cigarette ends being discarded on the slopes and ski lifts.
In a statement published on the resort’s website, Les Gets says: “In 2022, more than 3,000 cigarette butts were collected in the ski area and in the village during the “Clean Mountain” day. In France, about 20 to 25,000 tons of cigarette butts end up in the wild every year.”
Cigarette breaks are allowed in five designated areas of Les Gets, although throwing a cigarette butt onto the ground is forbidden. Ashtrays and rubbish bins with ashtrays will help to combat this, say authorities, who hope to minimise the amount of discarded cigarette ends on the ground.
Source: Independent, 16 December 2022
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