|
|
|
|
Three-quarters of Brits think disposable vapes should be banned
Three-quarters of Brits support a ban on single-use vapes – the brightly-coloured disposable e-cigarette ‘pens’ that are increasingly washing up on the country’s beaches.
The survey was conducted by YouGov on behalf of the Marine Conservation Society, which highlighted growing numbers of the plastic devices in its annual Beachwater litter survey.
The charity noted that not only are single-use vapes made of plastic, which takes decades to break down, but also contain copper, lithium and a number of chemicals that can leach out into the environment.
And while selling vapes to under-18s is illegal, the most recent NHS data showed that 9% of 11- to 15-year-olds used e-cigarettes. Last month, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty branded the marketing of vapes to children as ‘appalling’.
Clare Trotman, Beachwatch officer at the Marine Conservation Society, said: ‘Unfortunately the most common, and many of the oldest, items that we find washed up on our beaches are made from plastic. This is because it takes such a long time to break down, and when it does, it often breaks down into small pieces of plastic which can be harmful to marine life.
‘For the sake of people and planet, we’re urging decision makers to work towards a circular economy where the focus is to refuse, reduce, repair, reuse and recycle.’
Source: Metro, 22 March 2023
|
|
Opinion: Minimum alcohol pricing in Scotland is a success. Now for unhealthy foods
Writing in the Herald, Rebecca McQuillan, a feature writer, points to the latest evidence that minimum unit pricing on alcohol has reduced the number of alcohol related deaths in Scotland by 156 a year and that many of these would be men in deprived areas.
McQuillan states that this public health success story should give ministers the motivation to tackle other issues, such as the marketing of alcohol, vapes and foods high in fat, salt and sugar.
McQuillan writes that two thirds of Scots are overweight or obese. The British Heart Foundation Scotland have estimated that 10,000 deaths a year could be prevented public health action on alcohol, foods high in fat, sugar and salt, and tobacco. The effect of intervention would be felt primarily in deprived areas where people can expect to live 24 fewer years than those in wealthier areas.
McQuillan argues that restrictions on promotions on unhealthy foods in supermarkets, limiting marketing for alcohol products such as sports sponsorship and regulating advertising on vaping products are all ways in which the Scottish government could address what she describes as “Scotland’s dismal public health statistics.”
Source: The Herald, 23 March 2023
See also: The Lancet – Evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland: a controlled interrupted time series study
|
|
Smokeless tobacco and cigarettes confer similar adverse vascular health risks, shows study
A new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine investigated the incidence of peripheral artery disease (PAD) among users of smokeless tobacco products. The findings show that the use of chewing tobacco and snuff is associated with a two-fold increase in the risk for PAD.
"We've long known about the link between cigarette smoking and cardiovascular disease and PAD. There is much less information available about the harmful effects of noncombustible forms of tobacco and nicotine exposure. Building on prior research associating smokeless tobacco use with heart disease and stroke, our results link use of these products to a higher incidence of PAD," explained lead investigator Jeremy R. Van't Hof, University of Minnesota Medical School.
The rate of PAD diagnoses was 4.4 per 1,000 person years among the smokeless tobacco users and 3.4 per 1,000 person years for current cigarette smokers. In comparison, there were only 1.3 cases of PAD per 1,000 person years for individuals who had never used smokeless tobacco products and were not currently smoking cigarettes.
Public health efforts have successfully reduced cigarette smoking in the US over the past 30 years, but smokeless tobacco use is on the rise, with 2.4% of adults reporting use of smokeless tobacco products in 2019. Non-combustible tobacco products are often viewed as "clean" nicotine delivery systems and considered less harmful than cigarettes, leading some to advocate for their use in smoking cessation.
"While smokeless tobacco products may not expose people to the noxious effects of combustion, our study shows that they nonetheless have an adverse impact on vascular health. It is important for clinicians to understand these health implications, screen patients for all forms of tobacco and nicotine use, and counsel accordingly," Dr. Van't Hof advised.
Source: Medical Xpress, 22 March 2023
See also: AJPM – Association of Smokeless Tobacco Use With Incident Peripheral Artery Disease: Results From the Atherosclerotic Risk in Communities Study
|
|
Have you been forwarded this email? Subscribe to ASH Daily News here.
For more information email [email protected] or visit www.ash.org.uk
@ASHorguk
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.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
