ASH Wales Calls For Review Of E-Cigarette Recommendations In Wales

ASH Wales is calling for a review of recommendations around e-cigarettes in Wales, after a study showed they make quitting smoking easier.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1549021711160{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}”]The study led by Queen Mary University of London tested e-cigarettes and nicotine replacement products (NRT) such as patches and gum on 900 smokers in the first study of its kind.

It found that 18.0% of those using e-cigarettes managed to successfully quit smoking and were smoke free after a year, compared to just 9.9% of smokers using other forms of NRT.

The smokers taking part in the study were attending UK NHS stop smoking services and were provided with the products for up to three months. Each participant also received weekly one-on-one behavioural support and CO monitoring for up to four weeks.

The only previous trial comparing e-cigarettes with other NRT used early forms of e-cigarettes which delivered low doses of nicotine and involved no face to face contact with those taking part.

ASH Wales supports the use of e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool, based on clear evidence which shows e-cigarettes are substantially less harmful than conventional cigarettes.

ASH Wales CEO Suzanne Cass said: “Currently 7% of adults in Wales use e-cigarettes – roughly 179,000 people, the vast majority of which are using them to try to quit or cut down smoking.

“Based on these figures there are tens of thousands of Welsh smokers that are yet to try an e-cigarette.

“Health professionals working in smoking cessation have a golden opportunity to promote a product which is both popular and highly effective, as this study shows.

“ASH Wales is calling for a more consistent approach on the part of health professionals when it comes to recommending e-cigarettes as a smoking cessation tool.”

Lead researcher Professor Peter Hajek of Queen Mary University of London, said he believes the results of the study will lead the way for more health professionals to recommend the use of e-cigarettes: “Although a large number of smokers report that they have quit smoking successfully with the help of e-cigarettes, health professionals have been reluctant to recommend their use because of the lack of clear evidence from randomised controlled trials. This is now likely to change.”

Currently in Wales 19% of adults smoke, leading to over 5,000 deaths and 26,489 hospital admissions every year at a cost of £302 million to the Welsh NHS.

Relight your fire by giving up smoking this St Dwynwen’s Day

THIS St Dwynwen’s Day why not ditch the hearts and flowers and give your beloved the gift of a smoke-free life instead.

As a smoker, your habit will endanger the health of those around you and could be a deal breaker in some relationships. Meanwhile research has shown that smoking is a major turn-off for prospective partners, with a survey carried out by oxygen therapy provider Inogen last May finding that 70% of women are put off by those who smoke and 56% would not consider dating a smoker. Of the men that were surveyed 46% said they wouldn’t date a smoker and 65% said they found smoking unattractive.

An earlier survey by the Department of Health carried out in 2012 found that around half of respondents would think twice about starting a relationship with a smoker.
At the time, the relationship website eHarmony.co.uk said 81% of its members said they would not want a heavy smoker as a partner. Meanwhile at Match.com 72% of male members and 73% of female members said they wanted a non-smoking partner.
If your partner agrees that smoking is the ultimate passion killer, here are a few reasons why stubbing out your cigarettes could relight your fire this St Dwynwen’s Day.

An unhealthy habit ?
There are numerous health risks associated with smoking. Smoking results not only in coughs, colds wheezing and asthma but fatal conditions such as pneumonia, emphysema and lung cancer. Around 84% of deaths from lung cancer and 83% from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are caused by smoking.
Smoking also causes major damage to the heart, increasing the risk of coronary heart disease, heart attack, stroke, peripheral vascular disease and cerebrovascular disease. Nicotine and carbon monoxide from smoking puts a strain on the heart leading to a higher risk of blood clots. Other chemicals in cigarette smoke damage the lining of the coronary arteries and double a smoker’s risk of having a heart attack. Other cancers linked to smoking include head and neck cancer, stomach cancer and kidney cancer.

Second hand smoke ?
When you smoke it’s not just your health that is affected. Second hand smoke poses a serious health risk to those around you, particularly children. Research has shown that exposure to second hand smoke raises an infant’s risk of lower respiratory tract infections by around 50%. Meanwhile adult non-smokers have a 20 to 30% of developing lung cancer and a 25 to 35% higher chance of coronary heart disease if they are exposed to second hand smoke.

Smoking in the home ?
Did you know that 80% of cigarette smoke is invisible and continues to linger in the home for up to five hours after a cigarette has been extinguished? And because cigarette smoke is made up of particles smaller than household dust it moves easily, spreading its poison from room to room.
Third hand smoke is the tobacco residue left behind after smoking, which builds up and stains surfaces and furnishings. It can be easily ingested by children who put their hands in their mouths after touching contaminated surfaces. Smoking also poses a major fire risk in the home with somebody dying from a fire caused by a cigarette every three days in the UK.

Bad teeth ?
The nicotine and tar in cigarettes causes smokers’ teeth to become stained yellow or brown and can lead to gum disease and tooth loss. Not surprisingly too, many smokers also suffer from bad breath

Money ?
Smoking is an expensive habit with 20-a-day smokers forking out around £56 a week and £243 a month on cigarettes. Even those who smoke 10 cigarettes a day face a hefty shopping bill at £120 a month and £1,460 a year. For those addicted to cigarettes, smoking can exacerbate existing financial problems, leading to debt and a lower quality of life.

If you would like to give up smoking NHS Wales’ Help Me Quit service can find the smoking cessation support that will suit you best. Contact them at 0800 085 2219 or click here.

You may find it easier to quit if you have the support of others in the same boat. Our friendly Facebook group Quit Smoking (Wales), provides the opportunity to share your experience of quitting with both smokers and ex-smokers. Join the group here.

Wales’ top tobacco sniffer dog faces death threats from criminal gang

Meet Scamp, the elite tobacco sniffer dog who is so successful that his owner claims smugglers have put a price on his head.

During his five-year career, the springer spaniel has sniffed out £6 million worth of illegal tobacco, thanks to his powerful sense of smell and natural hunting instincts.

Owner Stuart Phillips who runs B.W.Y Canine in Pembrokeshire, says Scamp’s success rate at sniffing out illegal tobacco hauls means he poses a big threat to the criminals who smuggle in and sell the goods.

“We had to stop working in one part of the country last year, because there was a £25,000 bounty put on his head,” said Stuart.

“It was believed to be linked to an organised crime group and the relevant authorities were informed. I’ve also had death threats, my windscreen has been smashed and my tyres slashed,” he added.

“It’s understandable really, when you’re upsetting some really nasty people.”

Stuart trains specialist detection dogs to sniff out tobacco, firearms, drugs, explosives, meat and even human remains and works with more than 100 local authorities across the UK.

He says the scale of the illegal tobacco industry is vast with products smuggled in from as far afield as China or Russia and sold from shops or homes across Wales.

“It is a massive problem in terms of the volume available and the fact that it’s so readily available in shops. It’s available on social media, through Facebook, and in Wales we have what are generally called fag houses, people selling from their houses. Some of these people have been selling from their houses for years. They’re known throughout their communities for selling cheap cigarettes and cheap hand rolling tobacco.”

The cigarettes are sold at what Stuart describes as ‘pocket money prices’ making them readily available to children and to smokers who would not otherwise be able to afford them.
Even more disturbing however is their link to serious organised crime, with those buying illegal cigarettes often unwittingly funding the activities of organised crime groups.

“The public are not fully aware of what illegal tobacco is linked to,” said Stuart. “They are not just buying cheap cigarettes and cheap hand rolling tobacco. It has knock on effects with other criminality. Illegal tobacco is linked to drugs, to firearms, it’s linked to people trafficking and child sexual exploitation.”

In a special report by BBC Wales earlier this month, Trading Standards officers called for a government taskforce to tackle the problem, warning that criminals selling illicit tobacco target Wales due to a lack of investment in enforcement. New figures show that since 2013 150,000 illegal tobacco products have been seized in Wales.

Stuart whose dog YoYo has sniffed out £4.5 million worth of tobacco since he began work in 2014 is now training the next generation of sniffer dogs, using his tried and tested methods.
“Spaniels are especially good at being sniffer dogs because they have traditionally been used for hunting,” said Stuart.

“Their natural instinct is to sniff out birds and rabbits. Some days we could be searching five or six shops with each search taking around 25 minutes. We need dogs that are capable of doing that work day in, day out. These dogs are made to work, they are not made to sit around on a sofa all day.

Stuart trains the dogs to use their sense of smell starting off with games of fetch using a rubber toy. The next stage of the training is Odour ID Testing where the whole toy is hidden in one of a row of metal containers. The dog has to find the one that contains the toy and learn to give the handler an indication that it has found it. After that the dog must find increasingly small fragments of rubber from the toy and learn not to be distracted by decoy objects. It then progresses to sniffing out cigarettes.

An experienced dog like Scamp can find the tiniest fragment of rubber and everything from a single cigarette to a whole pallet load. He has also been trained to sniff out bank notes and has uncovered wads of cash worth up to £60,000.

He is the best weapon the authorities have in the war against illegal tobacco – a war Stuart says the authorities are a long way from winning: “My work load is huge. There’s not enough days in the week because it’s a massive problem,” he said.

A survey carried out by ASH Wales in 2014 revealed that up to 15% of all tobacco sold in Wales – around 1 million cigarettes a day – is illegal, the highest level in the UK. Meanwhile 45% of all smokers in Wales have been offered illegal tobacco and 70% of buyers agreed that it allows them to smoke when they can’t afford it.

END

Editor’s Notes
Enquiries:
Diana Milne, Communications Officer, ASH Wales 02920 490621 or 0781 851 8567 diana@ashwales.org.uk
Beth Mahoney, Marketing and Communications Manager, ASH Wales 02920 490621 beth@ashwales.org.uk

ASH Wales welcomes plan to tackle obesity in Wales

ASH Wales has welcomed the launch of Wales’ first strategy to tackle obesity – praising the government’s focus on the nation’s health and well-being.

As an organisation campaigning for tobacco control policies to reduce smoking prevalence in Wales, ASH Wales supports any efforts to tackle preventable diseases by helping to change people’s lifestyles.

The Welsh Government’s consultation Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales sets out a 10-year plan to reduce obesity in Wales amidst warnings that obesity could overtake smoking as a leading cause of preventable disease in the country.

Like obesity, smoking prevalence is linked to inequality, with the highest rates being in the country’s most deprived areas.  ASH Wales is calling for a targeted strategy to tackle both smoking and obesity and the links to inequality.

Smoking is the single biggest driver of health inequalities in Wales where 19% of the adult population smoke, a fifth of the population.  Smoking rates in the most deprived areas of Wales stand at 28% compared to 13% among the least deprived adults.

Across Wales lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths – there were 1,891 deaths from lung cancer in 2017 and it accounted for over two in every 10 cancer deaths – more than bowel and breast cancer combined.

ASH Wales CEO, Suzanne Cass, said:

“We support all efforts to improve the health and well being of  the nation and welcome the launch of a strategy to tackle obesity, in particular among children.

“ASH Wales campaigns not just to reduce smoking prevalence but to prevent future generations from taking up the habit by lobbying for tobacco control policies that help to de-normalise smoking.

“Strategies for tackling both smoking and obesity and protecting the health of future generations must be included in all Welsh Government health plans.”

Could Dry January help you to quit smoking?

For many smokers, drinking and lighting up a cigarette go hand-in-hand, which is why Dry January could be the golden opportunity to quit. We asked Andrew Misell, Director for Wales, Alcohol Change UK, about the relationship between drinking and smoking and why the two habits often feed off each other.

What is the relationship between smoking and drinking alcohol. Do smoking and drinking tend to go hand-in-hand?

Smoking was at one time very much rooted in pub culture, and people would expect to be able to smoke whilst out drinking. All that’s changed over the last ten or so years, but alcohol and tobacco still go hand-in-hand for a lot of us. People who drink heavily are more likely to smoke, and smokers tend to drink alcohol more often and more heavily than non-smokers.

How can drinking make it more difficult for smokers to give up?

There is some evidence that people who drink alcohol find it more difficult to quit smoking than those who don’t drink. One reason for this is probably that alcohol makes us less cautious and less inclined to stick to commitments or worry about consequences. We may also be in the habit of drinking and smoking at the same time, and so having an alcoholic drink may feel like a ‘trigger’ to have a cigarette.

Does the social side of drinking affect smokers’ ability to give up cigarettes?

If you’re part of a social group that tends to drink and smoke together, that can make it harder to avoid smoking. It’s a tricky one, because no one wants to ditch their mates in order to improve their health. In the end, it’s a matter of self-confidence – making clear to your friends that you’re cutting back or giving up, that it’s no judgement on their smoking or drinking habits, but that they need to support you in your choices.

Why is Dry January a good opportunity for smokers to consider giving up their habit?

The main aim of Dry January is to encourage those of us who drink to take a pause for thought – to reset the clock on our drinking. Some smokers might think that dealing with one thing at a time is plenty to be getting on with. Trying to stop smoking and drinking in the same month might seem like a bit too much all at once. On the other hand, Dry January could provide you with a chance to think about whether your smoking and drinking habits are feeding off each other and about whether drinking is undermining your will to quit smoking.

Could you summarise the combined health benefits of giving up smoking and drinking?

Both smoking and drinking increase the chances of developing various forms of cancer, and taken together they make the risk of illness even higher. One obvious example is liver cancer, which is a particularly high risk for anyone who drinks and smokes. Cutting back on drinking and giving up smoking will reduce your cancer risk and improve your general cardiovascular health – reducing your risk of a heart attack or a stroke.

To sign up to Dry January click here. Sign up to the Dry January app here

If you are a smoker who would like to quit, there is support available from NHS Wales’ Help Me Quit service. Contact Help Me Quit on 0800 085 2219.

Our new Facebook page Quit Smoking (Wales) provides access to an online community of smokers and ex-smokers in Wales and an opportunity for people to share their experiences of quitting smoking.

If you would like to become a member of the group visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/733935793649137/.

Join Wales’ first quit smoking support group on Facebook

We all know that giving up smoking can be tough. And unless your family and friends are in the same boat, it can be lonely too.

Our new Facebook page Quit Smoking (Wales) provides access to an online community of others in the same boat and an opportunity for people to share their experiences of quitting smoking.

It is the first Wales-specific quit smoking support group on Facebook and is open to both smokers and non-smokers.

Quit Smoking (Wales) is a non-judgemental space where members give each other support and encouragement and share their thoughts and feelings about the highs and lows of giving up smoking.

If you’re battling nicotine addiction and hope one day to give up, the experiences of others in the group could provide just the inspiration and motivation you need. Indeed you may find it easier to quit if you have a support network you can rely on.

And if you’ve just embarked on your quit attempt, you can meet and chat to others on the same journey. Perhaps you want to compare notes on different forms of nicotine replacement therapy or simply sound off about cravings.

Meanwhile, former smokers are welcome to tell the stories of how they gave up, revealing the quit smoking method that worked for them. They may also be seeking motivation to stay on track if the urge to smoke strikes.

If you would like to become a member of the group visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/733935793649137/.