Latest news with #GrahamMoore
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The generation which has never known smoke-filled pubs
They are the first adults in Wales to have never known a smoke-filled bar or club. To have lived their whole lives unaccustomed to the smell of cigarettes lingering on clothes after a night out. It is 18 years since the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in Wales to reduce the effect of second-hand smoke. The legislation was a milestone in shifting attitudes, according to one public health expert. But with smoking still the norm in some areas, Professor Graham Moore said further work was needed to achieve smoke-free goals. The Welsh government said children's exposure to smoke had reduced and fewer people were being admitted to hospital for heart attacks and childhood asthma. How many people still smoke in the UK? Outdoor smoking ban at pubs being considered - PM Plan to make Wales 'smoke-free' by 2030 Smoking rates have fallen dramatically, though questions have been raised around the glamorisation of cigarettes in popular culture. "It surprises me actually how many of my friends do smoke, or have smoked and then given up," said 21-year-old Swansea University student Henry Gillard. "I suppose it's one of those things that you think is cool when you're younger, and you try it. "Even with a smoking ban in pubs, people do still smoke quite a lot." His friend Anton Beugelink, 21, said vaping was "definitely a lot more popular". Cameron Mattu, 20, said he does not smoke but a lot of young people were afraid to admit it because of the associated health risks. "It's a lot more hidden. People do it in secret now." Jenny Phuwichit, 20, said she vapes every day, and does not feel that health warnings around smoking had impacted young people. "I see people on the streets, smoking and vaping, next to younger kids as well, they're not really caring," she said. "[The risk] is just kind of ignored," she said, "people will do it anyway." Pub owner Vicky Morgans, from Swansea, recalled the "smelly clothes and stained ceilings" before she introduced the ban a month earlier at West Cross Inn. "It was going to come anyway. Some customers weren't particularly happy, others were delighted with it," she said. "It did have a massive impact on our drinking culture. It nose-dived overnight. But, we were making progress in our food-led side of the business. "Fortunately, we survived, where perhaps others didn't." Professor Graham Moore, from Cardiff University, said "targeted work and support" would be required for those who wanted to give up, in areas where smoking rates remained high. "When you grow up with it, where smoking is the norm, you are much more likely to take it up yourself," he said. "In particular neighbourhoods you are much more likely to be surrounded by retail outlets selling it, so it becomes more pervasive in their lives. "There are still areas where smoking is quite the norm. "There are definitely groups where smoking rates haven't been tackled as extensively as at a population level. Historically people with mental health difficulties for example - rates of smoking are really high and have not come down as much as the population level." However, previous research showed the 2007 legislation had helped to shape a different attitude. "A lot of young people have no real experience of being exposed to tobacco, but of those that did, there was a sense of disgust where they encountered it in the street." He added that around 7% of children leave secondary school as smokers, but recent surveys have suggested a slight drop in smoking, after previously flatlining. While the goal was to protect the next generation from the harms of smoking, the health service still sees the ongoing cost of generations of adults who smoked, with deprived communities disproportionately affected. It is estimated there were 17,195 hospital admissions per year in Wales due to smoking - an average of 3.4% of all admissions of those were aged 35 and over. Research by Public Health Wales also showed on average among that age group, 10.7% of all deaths in Wales (3,845) were also associated with smoking. Lung cancer was also the leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with around 1,900 deaths in Wales alone each year. Work is still underway on a bill - introduced by the previous UK government - to ban the sale of tobacco to everyone born after 1 January 2009. The ban on smoking in "enclosed" or "substantially enclosed" public places was brought in by Wales and Northern Ireland, including workplaces and vehicles on 2 April 2007 The ban had already been in place in Scotland for a year, and was rolled out in England three months later In 2015 rules in Wales were extended to include cars carrying children. By March 2021 outdoor childcare settings, school grounds, public playgrounds and hospital grounds were also included. The Welsh government has a goal for Wales to be smoke-free by 2030, meaning a prevalence rate in adults of 5% or less. Public Health Wales research suggested in 2022/23 prevalence was 13%. The Welsh government said: "The introduction of smoke-free spaces 18 years ago was the first big step in making smoke-free the norm, helping to encourage people to stop smoking and changing our view of smoking. "Since then, Wales has taken further action, including becoming the first part of the UK to ban smoking in hospital grounds, public playgrounds and school grounds. "This was real step forward in improving Wales' public health. Children's exposure to harmful second-hand smoke has reduced; more people have made the decision to stop smoking and fewer people are being admitted to hospital for heart attacks and for childhood asthma." Children's voices used to shame hospital smokers NHS offers 'improved' stop smoking pill Disposable vapes to be banned from June
BBC News
01-04-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Smoking ban in public places in Wales introduced 18 years ago
They are the first adults in Wales to have never known a smoke-filled bar or club. To have lived their whole lives unaccustomed to the smell of cigarettes lingering on clothes after a night is 18 years since the ban on smoking in public places was introduced in Wales to reduce the effect of second-hand legislation was a milestone in shifting attitudes, according to one public health with smoking still the norm in some areas, Professor Graham Moore said further work was needed to achieve smoke-free Welsh government said children's exposure to smoke had reduced and fewer people were being admitted to hospital for heart attacks and childhood asthma. Smoking rates have fallen dramatically, though questions have been raised around the glamorisation of cigarettes in popular culture."It surprises me actually how many of my friends do smoke, or have smoked and then given up," said 21-year-old Swansea University student Henry Gillard."I suppose it's one of those things that you think is cool when you're younger, and you try it."Even with a smoking ban in pubs, people do still smoke quite a lot."His friend Anton Beugelink, 21, said vaping was "definitely a lot more popular". Cameron Mattu, 20, said he does not smoke but a lot of young people were afraid to admit it because of the associated health risks."It's a lot more hidden. People do it in secret now."Jenny Phuwichit, 20, said she vapes every day, and does not feel that health warnings around smoking had impacted young people."I see people on the streets, smoking and vaping, next to younger kids as well, they're not really caring," she said."[The risk] is just kind of ignored," she said, "people will do it anyway." Pub owner Vicky Morgans, from Swansea, recalled the "smelly clothes and stained ceilings" before she introduced the ban a month earlier at West Cross Inn."It was going to come anyway. Some customers weren't particularly happy, others were delighted with it," she said."It did have a massive impact on our drinking culture. It nose-dived overnight. But, we were making progress in our food-led side of the business."Fortunately, we survived, where perhaps others didn't." Professor Graham Moore, from Cardiff University, said "targeted work and support" would be required for those who wanted to give up, in areas where smoking rates remained high."When you grow up with it, where smoking is the norm, you are much more likely to take it up yourself," he said."In particular neighbourhoods you are much more likely to be surrounded by retail outlets selling it, so it becomes more pervasive in their lives."There are still areas where smoking is quite the norm."There are definitely groups where smoking rates haven't been tackled as extensively as at a population level. Historically people with mental health difficulties for example - rates of smoking are really high and have not come down as much as the population level."However, previous research showed the 2007 legislation had helped to shape a different attitude."A lot of young people have no real experience of being exposed to tobacco, but of those that did, there was a sense of disgust where they encountered it in the street."He added that around 7% of children leave secondary school as smokers, but recent surveys have suggested a slight drop in smoking, after previously flatlining. While the goal was to protect the next generation from the harms of smoking, the health service still sees the ongoing cost of generations of adults who smoked, with deprived communities disproportionately is estimated there were 17,195 hospital admissions per year in Wales due to smoking - an average of 3.4% of all admissions of those were aged 35 and by Public Health Wales also showed on average among that age group, 10.7% of all deaths in Wales (3,845) were also associated with cancer was also the leading cause of cancer deaths in the UK, with around 1,900 deaths in Wales alone each is still underway on a bill - introduced by the previous UK government - to ban the sale of tobacco to everyone born after 1 January 2009. Smoking ban timeline The ban on smoking in "enclosed" or "substantially enclosed" public places was brought in by Wales and Northern Ireland, including workplaces and vehicles on 2 April 2007The ban had already been in place in Scotland for a year, and was rolled out in England three months laterIn 2015 rules in Wales were extended to include cars carrying March 2021 outdoor childcare settings, school grounds, public playgrounds and hospital grounds were also Welsh government has a goal for Wales to be smoke-free by 2030, meaning a prevalence rate in adults of 5% or less. Public Health Wales research suggested in 2022/23 prevalence was 13%. The Welsh government said: "The introduction of smoke-free spaces 18 years ago was the first big step in making smoke-free the norm, helping to encourage people to stop smoking and changing our view of smoking."Since then, Wales has taken further action, including becoming the first part of the UK to ban smoking in hospital grounds, public playgrounds and school grounds."This was real step forward in improving Wales' public health. Children's exposure to harmful second-hand smoke has reduced; more people have made the decision to stop smoking and fewer people are being admitted to hospital for heart attacks and for childhood asthma."
Miami Herald
31-01-2025
- General
- Miami Herald
‘Long-lost' Iron Age artifacts discovered by veterans near UK airfield. Take a look
The island of Anglesey, Wales, is home to Royal Air Force Valley, an air force base and training facility for the next generation of fighter pilots in the United Kingdom. First opened in 1941, the airfield sits on thousands of years of history, and when construction began in September on improvements to the airfield, the Royal Air Force (RAF) called for help from archaeologists to sift through the sediment. It wasn't just historians and researchers who answered the call. A number of military veterans, through a program called Operation Nightingale, joined the search, according to a Jan. 27 news release from the Defense Infrastructure Organization (DIO). The program 'sees injured and sick personnel and veterans taking part in archaeological investigations across the defense estate, providing unique experiences in the field,' according to the organization, and now they've made a significant discovery that's been declared a 'national treasure.' As the veterans searched near the airfield, they discovered 'long-lost' artifacts from the Iron Ages, likely part of the 'famed Llyn Cerrig Bach' hoard which was originally discovered in the 1940s, according to the DIO. One of the artifacts was a terret ring, which would have been used on Celtic chariots to help guide the horse reins, the organization said. The piece is likely 2,000 years old. 'We'd been briefed on the sort of things we could expect to find, so when I uncovered the piece, I was pretty sure it was an Iron Age terret ring,' veteran David Ulke said in the release. 'To say I was over the moon is probably an understatement! I've been involved in archaeology for many years and this was by far the most significant recovery I have ever made.' A current servicemember, Graham Moore, discovered a bridle bit dating to about 60 A.D., according to the DIO. 'The search for the lost hoard was hard work and we had a huge area to cover. It wasn't until the final day — with just 10 minutes to go — that I discovered the horse bridle-bit,' Moore said in the release. 'At first the team thought I was joking, but quickly realized I'd found something special. Words could not explain how I felt in that moment, but it was a wonderful experience.' Adam Gwilt, a curator at Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales where the pieces will be donated, said the items were well-preserved and likely dragged onto the land that now makes up the airfield 80 years ago from a nearby lake. The items were likely thrown into the lake as part of a religious practice at the end of the Iron Age, around the time the Romans invaded Wales, and the island of Anglesey, Gwilt said in the release. The entire hoard now includes more than 150 bronze and iron objects from between 300 B.C. and 100 A.D., according to the DOI. 'These finds at RAF Valley are extremely exciting for all involved; the Llyn Cerrig Bach hoard is of national importance for Wales, and the United Kingdom as a whole,' DIO senior archaeologist Richard Osgood said in the release. 'These new discoveries have confirmed the suspicions of earlier archaeologists that there was more to be found from this particular hoard.' Anglesey is on the northwestern coast of Wales, on the coast of the Irish Sea.
