Disposable vapes to be banned over concerns of sharp increase in children’s use

Published

4 months ago

January 29, 2024

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Rishi Sunak has announced plans to ban disposable vapes in a bid to crack down on their use among children.

The prime minister is also set to unveil new powers to restrict vape flavours as a means to make them less appealing to children.

The Scotland and Wales governments will also ban single-use vapes.

The proposed ban, which will form part of legislation that has to be approved by parliament, comes amid concern at the rise of vaping among children, with teachers reporting pupils showing signs of nicotine dependency in the classroom.

The prime minister will also make it illegal to sell tobacco products to anyone born on or after 1 January 2009 as part of his pledge to create a smoke-free generation, while vaping alternatives such as nicotine pouches will also be outlawed.

Announcing the move ahead of a visit to a school on Monday, Mr Sunak said: “As any parent or teacher knows, one of the most worrying trends at the moment is the rise in vaping among children, and so we must act before it becomes endemic.

“The long-term impacts of vaping are unknown and the nicotine within them can be highly addictive, so while vaping can be a useful tool to help smokers quit, marketing vapes to children is not acceptable.

“That is why I am taking bold action to ban disposable vapes – which have driven the rise in youth vaping – and bring forward new powers to restrict vape flavours, introduce plain packaging and change how vapes are displayed in shops.

“Alongside our commitment to stop children who turn 15 this year or younger from ever legally being sold cigarettes, these changes will leave a lasting legacy by protecting our children’s health for the long term.”

Smoking remains the UK’s single biggest preventable killer, causing around one in four cancer deaths and leading to 80,000 deaths per year, while the health effects of vaping remain unknown.

Will the smoking ban be subject to a ‘nanny state’ backlash?

Tamara Cohen

Political correspondent

@tamcohen

As smoking has been increasingly curtailed in public, it’s easy to forget that it’s still one of the leading causes of death and illness in the UK.

It kills around half of those who smoke, making it the biggest one that’s entirely preventable. The habit kills 76,000 people a year, according to the NHS.

From a public health perspective, Rishi Sunak’s plans are being hailed as a game-changer, and the vaping ban will reassure the message boards full of worried parents of teenagers.

But there’s still something about the ban on cigarettes altogether, that sits uneasily, particularly with politicians on the right.

Read analysis in full here

The new measures follow a government consultation into smoking and vaping which was launched last year, in which nearly 70% of parents, teachers, healthcare professionals and the general public indicated their support for further restrictions.

Enforcement agencies, including Border Force and HMRC, are in line to receive £30m in new funding a year to enforce the measures.

The government will also bring in new fines for shops in England and Wales that sell vapes illegally to children, in addition to the maximum £2,500 fine that local councils can already impose.

Further restrictions on vaping have been touted after recent figures show the number of children using vapes in the past three years has tripled.

Under its plans, the government is expected to use the Environmental Protection Act to ban disposable vapes and hopes to achieve its aim by the end of 2025 at the latest.

The move has been welcomed by health and environmental campaigners. It is estimated that five million disposable vapes are thrown away each week – up from 1.3 million last year.

Dame Rachel de Souza, the Children’s Commissioner for England, said parents would be “extremely relieved” at the proposals.

“When I asked children a couple of years ago about all aspects of their health and wellbeing, I was shocked and concerned to hear from children as young as 12 who told me that vaping was normalised among their peers – even on school premises,” she said.

“This announcement will help tackle that issue and I know that many children and parents will be extremely relieved.”

Your e-cigarette health questions answered

How safe are e-cigarettes?

Vaping is not completely risk-free, but it poses a small fraction of the risk of smoking cigarettes.

The long-term risks of vaping are not yet clear.
E-cigarettes do not produce tar or carbon monoxide, two of the most harmful elements in tobacco smoke.

The liquid and vapour contain some potentially harmful chemicals also found in cigarette smoke, but at a much lower level

What about risks from nicotine?

While nicotine is the addictive substance in cigarettes, most of the harm from smoking comes from the thousands of other chemicals in tobacco smoke, many of which are toxic.

Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been widely used for many years to help people stop smoking and is a safe treatment.

Are e-cigarettes safe to use in pregnancy?

Little research has been conducted into the safety of e-cigarettes and e-liquids in pregnancy. It is not known whether the vapour is harmful to a baby in pregnancy.

If you’re pregnant, licensed NRT products such as patches and gum are the recommended option to help you stop smoking.

But if you find using an e-cigarette helpful for quitting and staying smoke-free, it’s much safer for you and your baby than continuing to smoke.

Source: nhs.uk

And Libby Peake, head of resource policy at the Green Alliance, said: “This ban can’t come soon enough, not only for the health of future generations, but also for the health of the planet.

“This bold move by the government is nothing but good news.”

Around 9% of 11 to 15-year-olds are now using vapes and teachers have expressed concern that children are struggling to concentrate in lessons without them.

However, former prime minister Liz Truss said Mr Sunak should “reverse” the ban.

“While the state has a duty to protect children from harm, in a free society, adults must be able to make their own choices about their own lives,” she said.

“Banning the sale of tobacco products to anyone born in 2009 or later will create an absurd situation where adults enjoy different rights based on their birthdate.

“A Conservative government should not be seeking to extend the nanny state.”

Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, said: “What has taken the government so long? Labour put forward measures to tackle vapes being aimed at children more than two years ago, but these were blocked by the Conservatives.

“In the meantime, the numbers of young people vaping have soared.”

UK

What is cryptosporidium? The diarrhoea-causing parasite found in Devon drinking water

Published

4 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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What is cryptosporidium? The diarrhoea-causing parasite found in Devon drinking water

An outbreak of a waterborne disease in Devon has prompted urgent warnings for residents to boil their tap water.

At least 22 cases of cryptosporidiosis disease have been confirmed in and around the town of Brixham in South West England.

But what is the parasite that is making people sick, what are the symptoms of being infected with it and how serious can it be?

What is cryptosporidiosis disease?

Cryptosporidiosis is the disease caused by the parasite cryptosporidium.

Often shortened to crypto, infections can be caused by drinking contaminated water or swallowing contaminated water in swimming pools or streams.

It can also be acquired through contact with the faeces of infected animals or humans.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of cryptosporidiosis include:

• profuse watery diarrhoea
• stomach pains
• nausea or vomiting
• low-grade fever
• loss of appetite

How long does it last?

Most people develop symptoms within one to 12 days of picking up the parasite.

Symptoms usually last for about two weeks, but can last up to six weeks or longer when the immune system is not working properly.

During the illness, you might think you are getting better but the illness returns a couple of days later before you fully recover.

How serious is it?

Most people recover, but in people with severely weakened immune systems it can cause severe disease and can be fatal.

Serious cases and death used to be more common, according to Paul Hunter, professor in medicine at the University of East Anglia (UEA).

This is because before effective antiretroviral treatments were introduced for HIV/AIDS, people living with these illnesses would not recover if they picked up cryptosporidiosis.

Who is most at risk of serious illness?

People with weak immune systems are at greater risk of serious illness. This includes:

• people on some immunosuppressive drugs, for example cancer or transplant patients
• people with untreated HIV/AIDS
• malnourished children

Does it need treatment?

There is no specific treatment for cryptosporidiosis.

It important to drink plenty of fluids as diarrhoea or vomiting can lead to dehydration, according to advice from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

You might also want to talk to a pharmacist about oral rehydration sachets to help replace the sugar, salts and minerals the body has lost.

Dr Lincoln Sargeant, Torbay’s Director of Public Health, said anyone with “severe symptoms like bloody diarrhoea” should contact NHS 111 or their GP.

Severe cases may require hospital treatment.

How do you know if you have crypto?

The symptoms of crypto are similar to other stomach bugs, so the only way to know for sure if you have it is for your doctor to send a sample of your faeces to be tested in a laboratory.

How can you stop the illness spreading?

If you are ill, stay away from nursery, school or work while you have symptoms, and for at least 48 hours after they stop.

You should also avoid swimming for two weeks after being unwell.

You should not prepare food for anyone else until 48 hours after diarrhoea has stopped.

Make sure you’re using good handwashing practices too, washing your hands thoroughly when handling food and after using the toilet.

The UKHSA also advises washing bedding and towels on the hottest possible cycle.

UK

Lucy Letby: Families of victims want inquiry live streamed to stop ‘grossly offensive’ conspiracy theories

Published

4 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Lucy Letby: Families of victims want inquiry live streamed to stop 'grossly offensive' conspiracy theories

The inquiry into how nurse Lucy Letby was able to murder babies at a hospital in Chester will begin to hear evidence in September.

Lawyers for the families of Letby’s victims told a preliminary hearing that the inquiry should be live streamed to the public to prevent the spread of “grossly offensive” conspiracy theories.

Letby was sentenced to 14 whole-life orders after she was convicted of murdering seven babies and attempting to murder six others while working on the neo-natal unit at the Countess of Chester Hospital in 2015 and 2016.

At the preliminary hearing, inquiry chair Lady Justice Thirlwall heard submissions on whether the hearings should be publicly broadcast.

Peter Skelton KC, on behalf of the families of six babies, said Letby’s crimes continued to be the subject of conspiracy theories online.

“One of the most effective antidotes to those theories and the damage they cause will be to see and to hear the people involved in the hospital give a true and comprehensive account of the facts,” he said.

But Andrew Kennedy KC, representing the Countess of Chester, said there was a “high level of anxiety” from staff at the prospect of giving evidence which was live streamed.

He said: “If a witness is concerned about live-streaming then if we can remove that concern we can, we would suggest, encourage candour, frankness and openness.”

Richard Baker KC, representing some of the other families, said: “Their desire in this case is for change and so that others do not experience what they have experienced.”

They were “saddened” and “concerned” at the suggestion the lack of transparency might continue, he said.

Lady Justice Thirlwall will give her decision on whether the hearings will be broadcast at a later date.

She had begun the proceedings with a pause for reflection on the “lives lost”, “injuries sustained” and “suffering” of the families.

The hearing was told 188 requests for information had been made to individuals including midwives, nurses, doctors, managers and members of the hospital board.

The inquiry hearings are scheduled to begin on 10 September at Liverpool Town Hall.

The parents of the babies will be among the first to give evidence.

Counsel to the inquiry Rachel Langdale KC told the hearing: “There are no sides. It is a search for the truth.”

Last month Letby asked the Court of Appeal for permission to mount a full legal challenge to her conviction. Judges are due to rule on this at a later date.

The former nurse is due to face a re-trial next month on one charge of the attempted murder of a baby in February 2016.

UK

Kent: 25 workers ‘poisoned’ at Swaleside prison by ‘inmates working in staff canteen’, union says

Published

4 hours ago

May 16, 2024

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Kent: 25 workers 'poisoned' at Swaleside prison by 'inmates working in staff canteen', union says

More than two dozen staff at a prison in Kent were “deliberately poisoned” with the drug spice, a union has said.

Workers were allegedly given the narcotic by “prisoners working in the staff canteen” at HMP Swaleside in Kent, the Criminal Justice Workers Union said.

Spice, a synthetic cannabinoid, can cause dizziness, breathing difficulties, chest pain, seizures and paranoia, according to the NHS website.

Some 25 staff were “poisoned” at the men’s high-security jail, union official Andy Hamlin said.

Nine ambulances attended and an emergency incident unit was set up “within the establishment”, Mr Hamlin added.

Five people were taken to hospital last week, he said, although South East Coast Ambulance Service said three had needed hospital treatment.

While it is not unusual for prisoners to be working in staff canteens, they are expected to be “low-risk”, Mr Hamlin commented.

That “clearly hasn’t happened in this case”, he added, and is calling for a “full investigation”.

HM Prison and Probation Service “must do more to protect the health and safety of its staff”, he said.

It is understood that none of the those affected were in a critical condition and all have since been discharged from hospital.

A Prison Service spokeswoman said: “A number of staff were taken ill following an incident at HMP Swaleside last week but have all now returned to work.

“There is an ongoing investigation and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage.”

A South East Coast Ambulance Service spokesman said: “I can confirm that South East Coast Ambulance responded to a medical incident at HMP Swaleside in Eastchurch, Sheerness, after being called at approximately 2.10pm on Thursday 9 May.

“Ambulance crews attended and worked alongside the prison medical team to assess and treat a number of patients at the scene before three were taken by ambulance to hospital for further checks.”

Kent Police said officers attended to assist the ambulance service.