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Gambling adverts linked to addiction
Children and people already gambling too much are most likely to be influenced by gambling advertising, research has found.
A study by Sheffield and Glasgow universities has found that the more people are exposed to betting advertising, the more likely they are to gamble and the greater the risk of them developing an addiction.
The research, published in the journal Public Health, concluded that restrictions on gambling advertising could reduce harms caused by betting including debt, relationship breakdowns, physical and mental health problems and crime. It added that restrictions would most help those in vulnerable groups, such as children.
Elizabeth Goyder, professor of public health at the University of Sheffield’s school of health and related research, said: “Gambling-related harms represent a significant potential driver of health inequalities, because those already experiencing financial, social and mental health disadvantage are also at increased risk of experiencing gambling-related harm. And those already at risk of harm from their gambling have consistently been shown to be more likely to be prompted to gambling by exposure to advertising.
“The substantial evidence we found . . . supports the use of restriction to reduce exposure to gambling advertising. This is particularly likely to reduce risk of harm to children and young people and adults who are already vulnerable to gambling-related harms.
“Such restrictions could not only reduce overall harm, but also mitigate the impact of advertising on gambling-related inequalities.”
Source: The Times, 26 January 2023
See also: Public Health- What is the evidence that advertising policies could have an impact on gambling-related harms?
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UK sugar tax ‘prevents 5,000 cases of obesity in year 6 girls annually’
The tax on sugary drinks may have prevented more than 5,000 cases of obesity every year among girls in their final year of primary school, research suggests.
Experts led by the University of Cambridge analysed the impact of the sugar tax, which came into force in 2018 as part of plans to tackle childhood obesity.
The tax has led to drinks companies reformulating their drinks to contain less sugar. Failure to do so leads to firms paying a levy.
The new study, published in the journal PLOS Medicine, looked at the impact of the levy on reception-age children (aged four and five) and those in year 6 (aged 10 and 11) 19 months after the tax came into force.
The data found that the sugar tax seems to have had a measurable effect on older girls’ obesity levels, leading to an 8% drop in obesity in year 6 – preventing 5,234 cases of obesity a year in this group alone.
Reductions were greatest (9%) among girls whose schools were in deprived areas (40% of schools studied), where children are known to consume the largest amount of sugary drinks.
However, the experts found no measurable effect of the sugar tax on obesity levels among year 6 boys.
The researchers suggested this may be because boys are more susceptible to advertising by food firms, are more likely to believe energy-dense foods will boost athletic performance, and that girls are more likely than boys to make healthier food and drink choices.
Across the whole of England, 23.4% of children in year 6 were obese, of whom 5.8% were severely obese. A further 14.3% were overweight, meaning almost four in 10 children aged 10 and 11 are overweight or obese in England.
Dr Nina Rogers from the Medical Research Council epidemiology unit at Cambridge University, and first author on the study, said: “We urgently need to find ways to tackle the increasing numbers of children living with obesity, otherwise we risk our children growing up to face significant health problems.”
Source: The Guardian, 26 January 2023
See also: PLOS medicine- Associations between trajectories of obesity prevalence in English primary school children and the UK soft drinks industry levy
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USA: Smoking throughout pregnancy is tied to five-fold-plus risk of sudden unexpected infant death
A Rutgers University analysis of infants born to non-Hispanic Black and white mothers in the United States has found infants exposed to maternal smoking throughout pregnancy were more than five times as likely as infants of never-smokers to suffer a sudden unexpected infant death (SUID).
While a smaller percentage of Black than white mothers reported smoking, the risk of SUID rose as the duration of smoking increased for infants of both groups. The highest risk levels were found when smoking continued throughout pregnancy.
"The message is simple," said Barbara M. Ostfeld, program director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey, professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and lead author of the study, which was published in the Journal of Perinatology. "Smoking greatly elevates the risk of sudden unexpected infant death. Everyone who plans to get pregnant has a profoundly important reason to quit."
Among smokers whose infants died of SUID, 78 percent of white smokers and 67 percent of Black smokers had smoked throughout pregnancy.
"Given the strong connection between smoking and SUID, it was concerning that the majority of those in either racial group who had been smokers continued to smoke through the pregnancy," said Thomas Hegyi, medical director of the SIDS Center of New Jersey, professor of pediatrics at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and a co-author of the study. "This finding underscores the difficulty smokers have with quitting and suggests that there is a national need for more effective approaches as well as better access to these services."
Source: Medical Xpress, 26 January 2023
See also: Journal of Perinatology- Racial differences in the impact of maternal smoking on sudden unexpected infant death
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Stop Smoking London launch new website
Stop smoking London has launched with a new website, giving tailored smoking cessation advice to those who want to quit. The website can be found here.
The website is also available in Polish, Romanian, Turkish and Urdu.
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