Latest news with #ProfessionalFootballers'Association
Scottish Sun
27-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Brit holiday warning as major destination BANS nicotine pouches – and visitors face ‘terrifying' six-figure fine & jail
With the new law, carrying a pouch in France is now legally more dangerous than carrying heroin BRITS heading to France have been warned they could face five years in jail and a £320,000 fine simply for carrying nicotine pouches under radical new laws. The crackdown, which kicked in on Monday, introduces the toughest nicotine pouch ban in Europe — and experts have branded it 'terrifying' and 'completely disproportionate'. Advertisement 4 Brits face jail in France for nicotine pouches under a tough new law Credit: Getty 4 Tourists risk getting a £320,000 fine and five years in prison for carrying pouches Credit: Getty Richard Crosby, UK director of the campaign group Considerate Pouchers, slammed the penalties, warning thousands of British tourists could now be treated like drug traffickers. He said: 'How can carrying a nicotine pouch be worse than carrying heroin and result in going to prison — let alone for five years?' Crosby added: 'The penalties being proposed by French authorities are terrifying, completely disproportionate and make no sense.' He warned the move would turn well-meaning holidaymakers into criminals overnight and hand French police an 'impossible task' of enforcement. Advertisement 'The messaging for people using pouches instead of cigarettes in France — other than they are considered criminals — seems to be the government would prefer it if you smoked,' he said. 'It is a huge, backwards step.' The hardline law — which now makes France the strictest country in Europe for pouch control — arrives just days before the UK bans disposable vapes on June 1, a move expected to push more Brits toward pouches as a smoke-free alternative. Already, around 530,000 Brits use nicotine pouches — double the number in 2020 — and many could now be unknowingly breaking the law in France, the second most popular holiday spot after Spain. Advertisement The harshest penalties in France previously applied to possession of drugs like heroin and cocaine, which carry a maximum one-year jail term and £3,200 fine — a fraction of the punishment now facing pouch users. Disposable vapes will be banned across UK by next summer to stop Britain's kids from getting hooked The new ban is also likely to cause a stir in the sports world, where pouch use is widespread among elite athletes. A Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) study found one in five male pros use nicotine pouches to boost focus and performance. Premier League players travelling to France for Champions League fixtures will now be breaking the law if they pack pouches — along with rugby stars, runners and cyclists competing in French events like the Tour de France and the French Open, which began Sunday. Advertisement Critics say the ban will also fuel a black market, penalise harm reduction, and catch tourists out. Crosby added: 'The ban would turn ordinary Brits into lawbreakers… and leave French police with an impossible task of enforcement due to the high number of British tourists using pouches.' Despite the backlash, French officials moved ahead after notifying the European Commission in February. As no objections were raised within three months, the policies kicked in on May 26. Advertisement The ban prohibits the production, possession, import, export, sale and use of oral nicotine products — which the French Public Health Code now categorises as 'venomous substances'. The French government justified the law by citing the 'attractiveness, harmfulness, dependence and method of use' of pouches and insisted the blanket ban was 'justified in order to achieve the objective of preserving public health'. But the French Council of State itself branded the legislation 'disproportionate'. 4 The ban could catch out 13 million Brits who visit France each year Credit: Getty Advertisement 4 Experts slammed French pouch penalties as 'terrifying and disproportionate' Credit: Getty Other EU countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg have imposed restrictions on pouches — but none have criminalised personal use with such severe penalties. Back in the UK, pouches will soon be restricted to over-18s under the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, now moving through the House of Lords. Small businesses have warned parts of the bill — especially advertising bans on nicotine replacement products — could backfire, harming sales and potentially increasing smoking rates and illicit trade. Advertisement While nicotine pouches remain controversial, evidence suggests they are among the safest nicotine products available. The 2022 Murkett scale gave cigarettes a maximum health risk score of 100, cigars 40.4 and vapes 2.7 — but rated pouches just 0.1, nearly negligible. Sweden has already achieved 'smoke-free' status by embracing alternatives like pouches, which harm reduction advocates say should be part of the solution — not banned outright. Recent UK research found one million smokers a year try quitting using ineffective methods like willpower and patches — while vaping and pouches offer more success. Advertisement Yet under France's new rules, carrying a pouch is now legally more dangerous than carrying heroin.
The Irish Sun
27-05-2025
- The Irish Sun
Brit holiday warning as major destination BANS nicotine pouches – and visitors face ‘terrifying' six-figure fine & jail
BRITS heading to France have been warned they could face five years in jail and a £320,000 fine simply for carrying nicotine pouches under radical new laws. The crackdown, which kicked in on Monday, introduces the toughest nicotine pouch ban in Europe — and experts have branded it 'terrifying' and 'completely disproportionate'. 4 Brits face jail in France for nicotine pouches under a tough new law Credit: Getty 4 Tourists risk getting a £320,000 fine and five years in prison for carrying pouches Credit: Getty Richard Crosby, UK director of the campaign group Considerate Pouchers, slammed the penalties, warning thousands of British tourists could now be treated like drug traffickers. He said: 'How can carrying a nicotine pouch be worse than carrying heroin and result in going to prison — let alone for five years?' Crosby added: 'The penalties being proposed by French authorities are terrifying, completely disproportionate and make no sense.' He warned the move would turn well-meaning holidaymakers into criminals overnight and hand French police an 'impossible task' of enforcement. Read more on smoking 'The messaging for people using pouches instead of cigarettes in France — other than they are considered criminals — seems to be the government would prefer it if you smoked,' he said. 'It is a huge, backwards step.' The hardline law — which now makes France the strictest country in Europe for pouch control — Already, around 530,000 Brits use nicotine pouches — double the number in 2020 — and many could now be unknowingly breaking the law in France, the second most popular holiday spot after Spain. Most read in Health The harshest penalties in France previously applied to possession of drugs like heroin and cocaine, which carry a maximum one-year jail term and £3,200 fine — a fraction of the punishment now facing pouch users. Disposable vapes will be banned across UK by next summer to stop Britain's kids from getting hooked The new ban is also likely to cause a stir in the sports world, where pouch use is widespread among elite athletes. A Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) study found one in five male pros use nicotine pouches to boost focus and performance. Premier League players travelling to France for Champions League fixtures will now be breaking the law if they pack pouches — along with rugby stars, runners and cyclists competing in French events like the Tour de France and the French Open, which began Sunday. Critics say the ban will also fuel a black market, penalise harm reduction, and catch tourists out. Crosby added: 'The ban would turn ordinary Brits into lawbreakers… and leave French police with an impossible task of enforcement due to the high number of British tourists using pouches.' Despite the backlash, French officials moved ahead after notifying the European Commission in February. As no objections were raised within three months, the policies kicked in on May 26. The ban prohibits the production, possession, import, export, sale and use of oral nicotine products — which the French Public Health Code now categorises as 'venomous substances'. The French government justified the law by citing the 'attractiveness, harmfulness, dependence and method of use' of pouches and insisted the blanket ban was 'justified in order to achieve the objective of preserving public health'. But the French Council of State itself branded the legislation 'disproportionate'. 4 The ban could catch out 13 million Brits who visit France each year Credit: Getty 4 Experts slammed French pouch penalties as 'terrifying and disproportionate' Credit: Getty Other EU countries like Germany, Austria, Belgium and Luxembourg have imposed restrictions on pouches — but none have criminalised personal use with such severe penalties. Back in the UK, pouches will soon be restricted to over-18s under the upcoming Tobacco and Vapes Bill, now moving through the House of Lords. Small businesses have warned parts of the bill — especially advertising bans on nicotine replacement products — could backfire, harming sales and potentially increasing smoking rates and illicit trade. While nicotine pouches remain controversial, evidence suggests they are among the safest nicotine products available. The 2022 Murkett scale gave cigarettes a maximum health risk score of 100, cigars 40.4 and vapes 2.7 — but rated pouches just 0.1, nearly negligible. Sweden has already achieved 'smoke-free' status by embracing alternatives like pouches, which harm reduction advocates say should be part of the solution — not banned outright. Recent UK research found one million smokers a year try quitting using ineffective methods like willpower and patches — while vaping and pouches offer more success. Yet under France's new rules, carrying a pouch is now legally more dangerous than carrying heroin. Smoking vs. vaping VAPING has been touted as an effective tool to help people quit smoking. Though vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking, the habit isn't completely harmless and comes with its own set of risks. The NHS only recommends it for adult smokers, to support quitting smoking. GP and author Dr Philippa Kaye explained to The Sun that the differences between vaping and smoking - and whether one is better than the other - is "complicated". "In a nutshell, vaping is better than smoking, but breathing air is better than vaping at all." Vaping exposes users to far fewer toxins - and at lower levels - than smoking cigarettes. Switching to vaping significantly reduces your exposure to toxins that can cause cancer, lung disease, and diseases of the heart and circulation like heart attack and stroke. These diseases are not caused by nicotine, which is relatively harmless to health. But research has still linked vaping to a higher risk of failure and lung disease. Health risks of cigarettes Smokers are more likely than nonsmokers to develop heart disease, stroke, and lung cancer Smokers are at greater risk for diseases that affect the heart and blood vessels Smoking can cause lung disease by damaging your airways and the small air sacs Smoking can cause cancer almost anywhere in your body It affects overall health too, such as your mouth, eyes, immune system and fertility Health risks of vaping They can cause side effects such as throat and mouth irritation, headache, cough and feeling sick They could lead to tooth decay They could damage heart health They could cause lung disease They could slow brain development Read more on how vaping can affect your health Sources: NHS, CDC
Powys County Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
PFA want game's lawmakers to learn lessons from Taiwo Awoniyi injury
The Professional Footballers' Association is set to speak to the game's lawmakers in a bid to learn lessons from the incident which left Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi seriously injured, the PA news agency understands. The Nigerian was placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from urgent abdominal surgery after he collided with a post in his side's draw with Leicester on Sunday. The injury occurred after assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis delayed raising an offside flag against Awoniyi's team-mate Anthony Elanga. The Club can confirm Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday's match against Leicester City. Everyone at Nottingham Forest sends their best wishes to Taiwo. The Club will provide further updates when appropriate. — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 13, 2025 The Premier League website states that in line with VAR protocols which apply worldwide, assistants should keep the flag down where there is a 'clear opportunity to score or very obvious attacking phase and tight judgement for onside/offside'. Another Forest player, Ola Aina, insists the flag should have gone up straight away against Elanga, and told the Daily Mail he felt Elanga was 'miles offside'. Now, Awoniyi's union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), could seek observations from the body which governs football's laws, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), as well as the English game's referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to discuss whether the current rules on delaying flags create issues for players. The union's priority is understood to be Awoniyi's health and recovery at this stage, but when the time is right it intends to speak to all the stakeholders involved in the incident, including the club and the player. The PFA will ask for observations and look at whether any lessons need to be learned. The PA news agency understands it is also likely, in light of the incident, that the IFAB will give consideration to whether there is a need to review the VAR protocol and guidelines. The existing protocol is the result of extensive input from the football world. Prior to VAR's introduction there was much frustration with players being flagged for offside when they were through on goal, and replays later showed they were not actually offside. Allowing play to continue clearly creates the potential for an injury to the attacker or the goalkeeper, and the protocol tries to strike a balance by stating that if a player is clearly offside then the flag should still go up, but where it is not clear, for fairness, the play continues.
Powys County Times
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Powys County Times
PFA want games' lawmakers to learn lessons from Taiwoo Awoniyi injury
The Professional Footballers' Association is set to speak to the game's lawmakers in a bid to learn lessons from the incident which left Nottingham Forest striker Taiwo Awoniyi seriously injured, the PA news agency understands. The Nigerian was placed in an induced coma to aid his recovery from urgent abdominal surgery after he collided with a post in his side's draw with Leicester on Sunday. The injury occurred after assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis delayed raising an offside flag against Awoniyi's team-mate Anthony Elanga. The Club can confirm Taiwo Awoniyi has undergone urgent surgery following an abdominal injury sustained during Sunday's match against Leicester City. Everyone at Nottingham Forest sends their best wishes to Taiwo. The Club will provide further updates when appropriate. — Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) May 13, 2025 The Premier League website states that in line with VAR protocols which apply worldwide, assistants should keep the flag down where there is a 'clear opportunity to score or very obvious attacking phase and tight judgement for onside/offside'. Another Forest player, Ola Aina, insists the flag should have gone up straight away against Elanga, and told the Daily Mail he felt Elanga was 'miles offside'. Now, Awoniyi's union, the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), could seek observations from the body which governs football's laws, the International Football Association Board (IFAB), as well as the English game's referees' body Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) to discuss whether the current rules on delaying flags create issues for players. The union's priority is understood to be Awoniyi's health and recovery at this stage, but when the time is right it intends to speak to all the stakeholders involved in the incident, including the club and the player. The PFA will ask for observations and look at whether any lessons need to be learned. The PA news agency understands it is also likely, in light of the incident, that the IFAB will give consideration to whether there is a need to review the VAR protocol and guidelines. The existing protocol is the result of extensive input from the football world. Prior to VAR's introduction there was much frustration with players being flagged for offside when they were through on goal, and replays later showed they were not actually offside. Allowing play to continue clearly creates the potential for an injury to the attacker or the goalkeeper, and the protocol tries to strike a balance by stating that if a player is clearly offside then the flag should still go up, but where it is not clear, for fairness, the play continues.
The Independent
19-03-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
PFA: World-class players deserve world-class standards after poor Madrid pitch
The Professional Footballers' Association has warned 'sub-standard' pitch conditions 'put player safety at risk' following a number of recent concerns. Arsenal's 2-0 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat at Real Madrid was mired in criticism about the quality of the playing surface at the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium. Former Gunners striker Ian Wright branded the pitch a 'f****** disgrace', while Arsenal boss Renee Slegers conceded more diplomatically that its state was less than ideal. The PFA has now posted a picture from that contest on X, alongside the statement: 'Pitches like this don't just impact the quality of the game, they put player safety at risk. 'On multiple occasions over the past few days, in important ties, our members have been asked to play in sub-standard conditions. 'World-class players deserve world-class standards, and they are right to expect better.' Heavy rain in the Spanish capital had left the playing surface resembling a mudbath and Wright posted an angry video on Instagram, saying: 'This is a f****** disgrace the pitches these girls have to play on.' Arsenal defender Leah Williamson looked caught out by the poor surface when she let a harmless-looking ball from Signe Bruun slip under her foot, leading to Linda Caicedo's opener. The conditions may also have played a part when Real midfielder Melanie Leupolz injured her knee catching her studs in the mud, with the Germany international departing the field in tears. Arsenal's Champions League clash is not the only women's match that has sparked concerns about conditions, with Sunday's League Cup final surface at Pride Park also drawing criticism from Chelsea boss Sonia Bompastor. Speaking after the Real Madrid defeat, Slegers told reporters: 'We spoke about it with the players before the game. 'We knew the condition of the pitch. So we had a plan for it but then it's always hard because over a season and over time you work on things and you have an identity the way you want to do things. 'So then reality comes and these conditions come and all of a sudden you need to do things differently so that's hard. 'But the players tried so all credit to them for trying and their work rate. But again, I think we're all confident that we can do something against them at the Emirates at home because it's only half-time.' Australian defender Steph Catley echoed Slegers' optimism, and was enthusiastic about returning to Arsenal's main venue for the second leg. She told Arsenal club media: 'We feel confident going back to the Emirates. We love playing there. You know, we score two goals, it's back on an even playing field. So that was the focus point when we finished the game. That's what we're thinking of now.'
