Read articles from United Kingdom

March 01, 2021 by thesun.co.uk

MILLIONS of Brits are facing a ban on vaping, The Sun on Sunday can reveal.

They will be hit if World Health Organisation recommendations on outlawing e-cigarettes are adopted. And experts condemned the idea, with one saying it would drive up deaths from tobacco.

Clive Bates, a tobacco harm expert and the former director of anti-smoking group ASH, said: “The advice is completely irresponsible and bizarre.

“If governments take it seriously, they will be protecting the cigarette trade, encouraging smoking and adding to a huge toll of cancer, heart and lung disease. Something has gone badly wrong here.”

February 26, 2021 by theguardian.com

In 1942, the American political scientist Quincy Wright published a lengthy book about how to organise the world beyond endless wars. [...] He was one of the first major voices to call for what would later be known as the “war on drugs”. As early as 1924, Wright argued that the use of drugs “for purposes other than medicinal or scientific” is an “evil”. While working as an adviser to the state department, Wright advocated for the US to lead a global assault against drugs.

February 25, 2021 by thesun.co.uk

New research shows nearly half of smokers who try to quit manage to last only a week or less before taking up smoking again. It found that 85 per cent of smokers had tried to quit smoking in the past with 25 per cent having tried to quit two times and 15 per cent trying three times.

The most common reason smokers gave for being unable to quit was a lack of willpower with 52 per cent saying they didn't have the motivation.

February 22, 2021 by vapingpost.com

VPZ, a premium vape brand and retailer chain in the United Kingdom has issued a petition to parliament, calling on the government to change the industry’s status to “essential” so it can operate during lockdown periods.

If the petition VPZ is circulating among the domestic industry, and consumers reach 10,000 signatories, the government promises to respond with some action. At 100,000 actions, the government will bring the proposal to discussion before Parliament.

February 22, 2021 by metro.co.uk

Parents who smoke outside school gates and in public playgrounds will have to cough up £100. The tough new fines are being introduced in Wales in a bid to ‘denormalise smoking’ for children. Parents and carers – including childminders – will be banned from lighting up while waiting for their kids in outdoor areas, including hospital entrances.

The measure, to be introduced from the beginning of March, will also mean Welsh homeowners are no longer allowed to smoke when workers are in their property.

February 09, 2021 by vapingpost.com

In 2017, the Scottish government had announced that it was setting in place a tobacco plan in order to become “smoke-free” by 2034. At the time, the University of Edinburgh and NHS Health Scotland had carried out an inquiry to determine whether efforts to reduce smoking were being effective. This had indicated that while the local tobacco control strategy was working, smoking continued to be a problem amongst low income communities.

February 02, 2021 by dailyrecord.co.uk

Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable disease and premature death in Scotland, and the joint campaign, ‘Don’t Wait’, between Scotland’s three largest health boards focuses on the harms smoking can cause and the free NHS stop smoking services available to help stub out the addiction.

The campaign features NHS respiratory consultant, Dr Colin Church, emphasising that it’s never too late to see the benefits that come from quitting smoking.

Shirley Mitchell, Tobacco Control Programme Manager, NHS Lanarkshire commented: “It’s inspiring to see that people are still looking to quit smoking, during such challenging times.

February 01, 2021 by thehindu.com

A new sensor is under observation by a research team. It's intended use is to track smoking habit. When attached to e-cigarettes, the tiny device will track smoking and vaping patterns, and its goal is to help users quit the harmful habit.

Researchers at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in UK are conducting a study in which they observe participants who use a small monitoring device attached to e-cigarettes. "We’re using a powerful scientific method to enable us to build a picture of each participant’s smoking and vaping behaviour. [...]

January 29, 2021 by longfordleader.ie

A smoker could pay anywhere from €6,000 to €60,000 than their non-smoking counterpart for life assurance according to figures released today by Royal London.

Experts at the leading protection specialist say that many policyholders are unaware of the significant cost savings that can be made on their life insurance premiums if they have given up smoking – with non-smokers benefiting from a reduction in premiums of up to around 50%.

January 29, 2021 by telegraph.co.uk

Super-skunk cannabis has contributed to a record 100,000 people admitted for NHS treatment for drug-related mental health problems.

The number admitted with drug-related mental or behavioural disorders rose by three per cent to 99,782 in the past year, while hospital admissions for drug-related mental crises were up by 21 per cent in the decade that has seen super-strength cannabis emerge.

The new strains have seen the amount of Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive component of cannabis, increase up to five-fold – from five per cent 10 to 15 years ago to as much as 20 to 25 per cent.