Monday 1st February 2016- The World Health Organisation: Films showing smoking scenes should be rated to protect children from tobacco addiction

‘WHO is calling on governments to rate movies that portray tobacco use in a bid to prevent children and adolescents from starting to smoke cigarettes and use other forms of tobacco.

Movies showing use of tobacco products have enticed millions of young people worldwide to start smoking, according to the new WHO “Smoke-free movies: from evidence to action”, the third edition since its launch in 2009.’

‘“With ever tighter restrictions on tobacco advertising, film remains one of the last channels exposing millions of adolescents to smoking imagery without restrictions,” says Dr Douglas Bettcher, WHO’s Director for the Department of Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases.

Taking concrete steps, including rating films with tobacco scenes and displaying tobacco warnings before films with tobacco, can stop children around the world from being introduced to tobacco products and subsequent tobacco-related addiction, disability and death.

“Smoking in films can be a strong form of promotion for tobacco products,” adds Dr Bettcher. “The 180 Parties to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) are obliged by international law to ban tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship.”’

‘Studies in the United States of America have shown that on-screen smoking accounts for 37% of all new adolescent smokers. In 2014, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that in the United States alone, exposure to on-screen smoking would recruit more than 6 million new, young smokers from among American children in 2014, of which 2 million would ultimately die from tobacco-induced diseases.

In 2014, smoking was found in 44% of all Hollywood films, and 36% of films rated for young people. Almost two thirds (59%) of top-grossing films featured tobacco imagery between 2002 and 2014. That same year, the US Surgeon General reported that adult ratings of future films with smoking would reduce smoking rates among young people in the USA by nearly one-fifth and avert 1 million tobacco-related deaths among today’s children and adolescents.’

Related Articles:

Films showing smoking scenes should be rated to protect children from tobacco addiction

Smoking in the Movies- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

WHO calls for adult ratings on films that feature smoking- The Telegraph

Films portraying smoking should get adult rating, says WHO- The Guardian

Sunday 3rd January 2016- BBC News: New laws on e-cigarettes to be introduced across EU

‘To some, they are the perfect way to quit smoking. For others, they are a new health risk.

Laws on electronic cigarettes will change across Europe this year, with new health warnings and controls on how they are sold.

In some parts of the EU, e-cigarettes are currently banned.’

See:

New laws on e-cigarettes to be introduced across EU

Tuesday 29th December 2015- The Telegraph: E-cigarettes are no safer than smoking tobacco, scientists warn

‘Vaping is no safer that smoking, scientists have warned after finding that e-cigarette vapour damages DNA in ways that could lead to cancer.

Researchers at the University of California created an extract from the ‘smoke’ of e-cigarettes and used it to treat human cells in a lab.

The exposed cells developed DNA damage and died far sooner than those left untreated. Nicotine free e-cigarettes caused 50 per cent more DNA strand breaks, while for those containing nicotine the damage rose three fold over eight weeks.’

‘”There haven’t been many good lab studies on the effects of these products on actual human cells,” said Dr Jessica Wang-Rodriquez, professor of pathology at the University of California, San Diego, and one of the lead researchers on the new study.

“Our study strongly suggests that electronic cigarettes are not as safe as their marketing makes them appear to the public.

“We were able to identify that e-cigarettes on the whole have something to do with increased cell death. We hope to identify the individual components that are contributing to the effect.

“Based on the evidence to date I believe they are no better than smoking regular cigarettes.”

Scientists and health officials are divided over whether they are safe. Earlier this year Public Health England urged smokers to switch to vaping, saying e-cigarettes were far safer than traditional tobacco.

But the World Health Organisation and scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University of Liverpool remain concerned about their safety.’

Related Articles:

E-cigarettes are no safer than smoking tobacco, scientists warn

E-cigarettes may be ‘no better’ than regular cigarettes- The Guardian

Vaping ‘no better’ than smoking regular cigarettes- The Independent

Thursday 1st October 2015- BBC News: Car smoking ban comes into force

‘A law banning smoking in vehicles carrying children has come into force in England and Wales.

Drivers and passengers who break the law could face a penalty fine of £50 – but police say they will take a non-confrontational approach initially.

Whenever an under-18 is in the car, smokers will still be liable even if the windows are down or sunroof open.

But the law will not apply to people who are driving in a convertible which has the roof down.

Nor does it apply to e-cigarettes.

The Scottish Parliament is expected to consider bringing in its own law banning smoking in cars carrying children next year.’

See:

Car smoking ban comes into force

Tuesday 11th August 2015- The Guardian: Motorists alerted over upcoming ban on smoking in cars to prevent surge in fines

‘Motorists and passengers in England and Wales are being warned they will soon be breaking the law if they smoke in a vehicle carrying a person under 18. From 1 October, they face fixed penalty fines of £50– with drivers at risk of being fined twice if they have failed to stop a passenger smoking and are smoking themselves.

The Department of Health is stepping up publicity to increase awareness of the new rules seven weeks before they are introduced to prevent a surge in fines.

The chief medical officer, Dame Sally Davies said: “Children breathe faster than adults so they are much more exposed to the dangers of second-hand smoke. Their airways, lungs and immune systems are still developing so are much more at risk from harm.’

See:

Motorists alerted over upcoming ban on smoking in cars to prevent surge in fines

Sunday 21st June 2015- The Independent: Growing popularity of e-cigarettes pushes Hawaii to raise legal smoking age to 21

‘Hawaii has become the first US state to raise the legal smoking age to 21, amid fears that the growing popularity of e-cigarettes is encouraging teenagers to develop a taste for tobacco.

The state’s Democratic governor, David Ige, signed a bill raising the smoking age, following the lead of dozens of local administrations including Hawaii County and New York City, in a move that is likely to embolden other state governors across the US.’

‘According to campaigners, 86 per cent of adult smokers in Hawaii began smoking when they were teenagers.

Cigarette smoking kills more than 480,000 people in the US annually, or one in every five deaths.’

See:

Growing popularity of e-cigarettes pushes Hawaii to raise legal smoking age to 21

Wednesday 1st April 2015- World Health Organisation: Namibia: Pictorial health warnings on tobacco products from 1st April 2015

‘The Honourable Minister for Health… issued regulations in March 2014 that require pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. Despite tobacco industry attempts to interfere with the implementation of the regulations in Namibia, the Government of Namibia stood firm and successfully introduced pictorial health warning on cigarettes packs. The picture messages will discourage youth from starting to smoke and inform smokers and the public in general about the dangers of smoking.’

See:

Namibia: Pictorial health warnings on tobacco products from 1st April 2015

Monday 21st January 2013- The Guardian: Child asthma admissions fall after smoking ban

‘Research shows there was a 12.3% fall in admissions in the first year after the law was introduced in July 2007…[, and] NHS statistics analysed by researchers at Imperial College London showed the decline was equivalent to 6,802 fewer hospital admissions in the first three years of the law coming into effect.’

Related Articles:

• Child asthma admissions fall after smoking ban