Latest news with #healthregulation
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Disposable vape ban begins but will teens quit?
The ban on the sale of single-use disposable vapes will come into force on Sunday across the UK, aimed at protecting children's health and the environment. It means shops and supermarkets will no longer be able to stock them - but they can still sell rechargeable or refillable devices. Disposable vapes have been cited as a key driver in the rise in youth vaping, while every year five million vapes are thrown away. Ministers predict it will have a significant impact but health experts say further regulation is needed to tackle youth vaping. Why are disposable vapes being banned and how harmful is vaping? 'I don't know what we'll do' - Vapers panic-buy ahead of disposables ban Disposable vapes ban unlikely to reduce appeal, says campaigner Retailers in England and Wales breaching the ban face a £200 fine for the first offence with potentially unlimited fines or jail for those who repeatedly re-offend. The ban was first announced for England and Wales by the previous Conservative government but the law was not enacted before last summer's general election. Labour then pushed ahead with it. Scotland and Northern Ireland have introduced their own bans, timed to coincide with the one in England and Wales. Vape use has risen rapidly over the last decade with 9% of the British public now buying and using e-cigarettes. Latest figures suggest about one in four vapers use the disposable versions, although that proportion has fallen since the ban was announced. And while it is illegal to sell vapes to anyone under 18, disposable vapes, often sold in smaller, more colourful packaging than refillable ones, have been cited as an important factor in the rise of youth vaping. Currently one in seven 18 to 24-year-olds vape but have never smoked. Vaping is substantially less harmful than smoking but it has not been around for long enough for its long-term risks to be known, according to the NHS. The environmental impact is considerable. Single-use vapes are difficult to recycle and typically end up in landfill where their batteries can leak harmful chemicals like battery acid, lithium, and mercury into the environment, the government said. Batteries thrown into household waste also cause hundreds of fires in bin lorries and waste-processing centres every year. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs estimates almost five million single-use vapes were either littered or thrown into general waste each week last year. Environment minister Mary Creagh said: "For too long, single-use vapes have blighted our streets as litter and hooked our children on nicotine. That ends today. "The government calls time on these nasty devices." But Action on Smoking and Health chief executive Hazel Cheeseman questioned what impact the ban would have, pointing out new refillable vape kits were coming on to the market that look and cost similar to the single-use ones. She said it would not be until the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, which includes powers to regulate marketing, branding and advertising, came into power that the issue of youth vaping could be truly tackled. "Their appeal is driven by bright colours, wide availability and cheap prices," she said. "The new regulations will hopefully help to address the environmental impact, but government will need further regulations to address the appeal of products to teenagers." She said this was very much a balancing act as vapes were an important tool to help people quit. "Vaping is very much less harmful than smoking and is the most popular aid to quitting in the UK," she added. John Dunne, of the UK Vaping Industry Association, said bans were "not the answer". He said he was concerned that a black market in single-use vapes could develop and some people may be tempted to return to smoking cigarettes. "Disposables have played a huge role in reducing smoking levels amongst adults to record low levels. It's why we are seeing stockpiling in the lead up to the ban," he added. Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, an independent not-for-profit organisation, said that he was still concerned that vapes are still difficult to recycle and reuse. He said customers and businesses should demand sustainable options. "Given the rampant binning and littering that we already see, will we see any behaviour change? Only if producers, importers and retailers step up and meet their long existing legal obligations to provide and pay for takeback and recycling," he said. Help young vapers and don't judge, consultant says
E&E News
22-05-2025
- Health
- E&E News
GOP allies in farm and food are sweating RFK Jr.'s big report
An expected report Thursday from Robert F. Kennedy Jr. assessing the causes of chronic disease in children could test whether Republicans in Congress can get along with a Health secretary keen on regulating farm and food companies. Republican lawmakers representing agriculture and food manufacturing districts have warned Kennedy to lay off, but they and the industries they represent are still fretting the report. They worry it will point to pesticides and food dyes as potential causes for kids' diseases and propose regulation that could cut profits and cost jobs. Even if Kennedy steers clear of regulatory proposals, they fear his report could dampen demand for the products their constituents make. 'We have 88,000 farms in Missouri, and so my goal is to make sure that we feed Missouri and we feed the world, and we make sure that our producers have the tools they need to have the most effective crops, the healthiest crops,' said GOP Rep. Mark Alford, who represents a broad swath of soybean and corn farms southeast of Kansas City. Advertisement President Donald Trump's embrace of an environmental activist long on the far left of the Democratic Party worked out great in last year's election, and most Republicans in Congress endorsed Trump's decision to let Kennedy 'go wild' on health care.
The Independent
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Independent
FDA and RFK Jr. aim to remove fluoride supplements used to protect kids' teeth
U.S. health regulators announced plans Tuesday to phase out fluoride-containing supplements sometimes used to strengthen children's teeth, opening a new front in Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s effort against a mainstay of dental care. The Food and Drug Administration said it will conduct a scientific review of the products by late October with the aim of removing them from the market. It was not immediately clear whether the agency planned to formally ban the supplements or simply request that companies withdraw them. The products targeted by the FDA are sometimes recommended for children and teens who are at increased risk of tooth decay or cavities because of low fluoride in their local drinking water. They usually require a prescription from a pediatrician or dentist. Fluoride-based tablets and lozenges are designed to be chewed or swallowed. Companies also sell drops for babies and infants. FDA Commissioner Marty Makary said the products pose a risk when swallowed by children because they may interfere with healthy gut bacteria that are critical to digestion, immunity and other key bodily functions. He also referenced studies showing possible associations between excess fluoride intake and other problems, including decreased IQ. Previous reviews by public health experts and dental professionals have not shown any serious health risks with the products. As state and local governments begin removing fluoride from their water, the need for supplemental fluoride is expected to grow. Officials in Utah — the first U.S. state to ban fluoride from drinking water — recently made fluoride supplements available without a prescription. Fluoride strengthens teeth and reduces cavities by replacing minerals lost during normal wear and tear, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1962, the agency set guidelines for how much should be added to water. Kennedy, a former environmental lawyer, has called fluoride a 'dangerous neurotoxin' tied to a range of health dangers. Last month, he announced a task force to scrutinize fluoride's use, while at the same time saying he would order the CDC to stop recommending it. A report last year by the federal government's National Toxicology Program concluded that drinking water with more than twice the CDC's recommended level was associated with lower IQs in kids. The study was based on research conducted in Canada, China, India, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico. 'Ending the use of ingestible fluoride is long overdue,' Kennedy said in a statement Tuesday. "This decision brings us one step closer to delivering on President Trump's promise to Make America Healthy Again.' An influential government health panel recommends fluoride supplements for children between the ages of six months and 5 years if they live in areas with low fluoridation levels. The U.S. Preventative Services Task Forces judged the recommendation to have 'high certainty' of benefit, based on the available evidence. A 2010 paper from the American Dental Association recommended supplemental fluoride for children up to 16 years old who are at high risk of cavities. The recommendation was based on a review of studies across different age groups. The most common side effect associated with the products is spotting or discoloration of the teeth, caused by extra fluoride. The FDA regulates most dental products, including fluoride-containing toothpastes, supplements, mouthwashes and rinses. In recent weeks those products have increasingly been targeted with lawsuits and legal actions. Last week, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the marketing of fluoride toothpastes by Colgate-Palmolive and Proctor and Gamble. A press release from his office described the companies' promotions as 'misleading, deceptive and dangerous.' ___ The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Science and Educational Media Group and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
CNA
07-05-2025
- Business
- CNA
OpenAI and US FDA hold talks about using AI in drug evaluation, Wired reports
OpenAI and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have been meeting to discuss the health regulator's use of AI, technology news platform Wired reported on Wednesday, citing sources with knowledge of the meetings. Sources close to the project say a small team from OpenAI has met with the FDA and two associates of Elon Musk's so-called Department of Government Efficiency multiple times in recent weeks, according to the report.
