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** 24 February 2023
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** UK
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** Could Dundee be the first UK city to ban disposable vapes? (#1)
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** International
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** US: Disputed study claims risk of miscarriage is higher for certain e-cigarette flavours (#2)
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** Tobacco group Philip Morris admits it may never sell its Russian business (#3)
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** Links of the week
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** No Smoking Day 2023 - Communications Toolkit (#4)
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** Health and Social Care Committee - Oral evidence: Prevention in health and social care (#5)
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** UK
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** Could Dundee be the first UK city to ban disposable vapes?
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**
Dundee could be the first in the UK to place a ban on the purchasing of disposable vapes after one environmental campaigner highlighted their growing problem.

Councillors overwhelmingly backed a proposal after a campaign by climate activist and environmental science PhD student, Laura Young.

The ban would stop local retailers from selling disposable vapes.

A recent survey of children by ASH UK found that over the previous year, a new generation of disposable vapes known as “puff bars” have come on to the market. While it is illegal to sell vapes to under-18s, social media carries posts from teenagers showing vapes and discussing flavours such as pink lemonade, strawberry banana and mango. The ASH survey found the proportion of children aged 11 to 17 currently vaping increased from 4% in 2020 to 7% in 2022.

It's not yet clear when an official ban might be brought into place in Dundee but after receiving the overwhelming support of councillors and of North East Scotland MSP Mercedes Villalba, it might not take long: "The proposal for a ban isn't about punishing anyone. "It's just about stopping the practice at source at the producer stage so that we're not seeing single-use, complex plastic products with batteries, which can cause so much environmental damage. We're not stopping selling them all in shops. So when you go in, you still be able to get your vape, but it would be a reusable one."

Source: ITV News, 23 February 2023

See also: ASH - Use of e-cigarettes among young people in Great Britain ([link removed])
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** International
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** US: Disputed study claims risk of miscarriage is higher for certain e-cigarette flavours
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A disputed study from the US has claimed mothers-to-be who use certain flavours of vapes may be more likely to suffer a miscarriage.

Health data taken from 600 pregnant women prompted the study’s researchers to state that vaping women should be encouraged to quit “prior to and during early pregnancy”.

But leading experts have today criticised the research, calling it “irresponsible” and “nonsense”.

Experts have warned of a catalogue of flaws in the study, including its small sample size and the fact it included abortions in the foetal death data.

Professor Michael Ussher, an expert in behavioural medicine at St George’s University of London who is studying vaping and pregnancy, said: “This study is not designed in a way that can assess whether vaping in pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes.” He said as the level of traditional smoking was not included among those who vaped the reason for the observed rise in foetal deaths couldn't be determined.

Professor Lion Shahab, an expert on health psychology at University College London and a past president for the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco- Europe, also criticised the study. He added that it failed to account for other factors that could influence the outcome of pregnancy, such as exposure to second-hand smoke in the home.

Professor Shahab also homed in on the results for alcohol flavoured vapes reducing risk of foetal death as another example that the data might not be reliable. “This finding makes no sense whatsoever, suggesting this is an unreliable analysis and should not be trusted,” he said.

Hazel Cheeseman, deputy chief executive from the health charity Action on Smoking and Health, said pregnant women struggling to quit traditional tobacco products should not be put off using vapes to help. “Many women in the UK are successfully using vapes to avoid smoking in pregnancy”, she said.

“It is irresponsible to discourage them from doing so without clear evidence of harm given the known and very substantial risks to mother and baby from smoking in pregnancy.”

Source: Daily Mail, 23 February 2023

See also: Preventive Medicine - E-cigarette use during pregnancy and its association with adverse birth outcomes in the US ([link removed])
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Read Here ([link removed])


** Tobacco group Philip Morris admits it may never sell its Russian business
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Philip Morris International has admitted it would “rather keep” its business in Russia than sell on stringent Kremlin terms.

Chief executive Jacek Olczak told the Financial Times the tobacco group, which sells Marlboro cigarettes outside the US, had been in discussions with at least three “serious” potential buyers but “the talks have stalled because nobody knows how I can make it work”.

Many western companies vowed to exit Russia immediately after last year’s invasion of Ukraine, but less than 9% of EU and G7 groups in the country had left by the end of December, according to research by the International Institute for Management Development.

While the asking price for PMI’s Russian operations has not been disclosed, the group has $2.5bn worth of assets in the country, according to company filings.
As the first anniversary approaches of the February 24 invasion, some of the biggest names in international business have left the country.

Olczak responded to criticism, including from within the Ukrainian government, that by not immediately leaving Russia, PMI is helping to bankroll the Kremlin war effort, saying: “I’m not supporting anybody. I just get trapped in that situation and . . . what’s the way out ?”

Source: Financial Times, 22 February 2023

See also: Tobacco Tactics – Philip Morris International ([link removed])
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Read Here ([link removed] )


** Links of the week
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** No Smoking Day 2023 - Communications Toolkit

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** The No Smoking Day 2023 communications Toolkit is designed to support local campaign activity for No Smoking Day 2023. This year’s theme is: “Stopping smoking improves your brain health”, in collaboration with Alzheimer’s Research UK. Only 18% of smokers know that smoking causes dementia, compared to over 70% who know that smoking causes lung diseases and cancers.
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** Health and Social Care Committee - Oral evidence: Prevention in health and social care
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**
Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Witty, on Tuesday 21 February, presented oral evidence on Prevention in health and social care to the Health and Social Care Committee. Mr Witty discussed the importance of acknowledging e-cigarettes as an effective smoking cessation aid, whilst preventing marketing e-cigarettes to children.

Also present: Steve Brine (Chair); Lucy Allan; Paul Blomfield; Paul Bristow; Martyn Day; Chris Green; Mrs Paulette Hamilton; Dr Caroline Johnson; Rachael Maskell; James Morris; Jonathan Marron, Director General, Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, Department of Health and Social Care; and Dr Jeanelle de Gruchy, Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England.
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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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