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** 23 January 2023
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** UK
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** “Vape crusader” hails Scottish Government review into banning disposable e-cigarettes (#1)
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** Ten senior health and council leaders drafted in to boost Hewitt ICS review (#2)
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** Pandemic drinking: Alcohol misuse treatment up 10% (#3)
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** International
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** Spain gang bust: Ukrainians exploited in illegal tobacco operation (#4)
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** Japan Tobacco urged to sell drug unit by activist shareholder LIM (#5)
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** UK
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** “Vape crusader” hails Scottish Government review into banning disposable e-cigarettes
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**
Scottish “vape crusader” Laura Young has hailed an SNP government review into banning disposable e-cigarettes. The 26-year-old activist said the move was a “great development” after the Record launched a new campaign to clamp down on litter caused by single-use vapes.

Ms Young, whose campaigning to raise awareness of the pollution caused by disposable e-cigs has seen her dubbed the “vape crusader”, said the inquiry was “exciting”.

Urged by Green MSP Gillian Mackay to back the Record’s campaign last Thursday, Health Secretary Humza Yousaf revealed in parliament the study into one-use vapes which he said would “include consideration” of a ban. Ministers published further details of the review on Friday morning, which will be led by quango Zero Waste Scotland and examine the experiences of other countries in dealing with the products.

The Scottish Government has said it will look at a ban of single-use vapes in its review - although added it would consider “other approaches”. These could include “increasing access to responsible disposal options, improved product design or public communications campaigns”, officials said. It comes as the Scottish Government is also working on an updated Tobacco Action Plan which is expected to report in the autumn and will consider a “range of interventions” to reduce smoking and vaping among young people.

Source: Daily Record, 21 January 2023
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** Ten senior health and council leaders drafted in to boost Hewitt ICS review
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**
Leaders from trusts, integrated care systems and local authorities are to take charge of five workstreams within Patricia Hewitt’s review of ICS autonomy and accountability.
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The ICS chair and former Labour health secretary issued an update to stakeholders last week. The update says the review team are engaging with “over 300 [ICS] leaders, as well as other leaders from local government, NHS trusts and foundation trusts, social care providers, [voluntary community and social enterprise] groups, academics and others with an interest in the success of ICSs”.

Ms Hewitt’s letter adds she has identified six initial headline “principles”. These include:
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** Giving “local leaders space and time to lead”
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** Collaboration
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** A limited number of shared priorities
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** Proportionate support for systems
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** Balancing freedom with accountability
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** Enabling the use of timely, relevant, high-quality and transparent data
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Ms Hewitt also revealed she has established five workstreams within the review. They will be led by a range of senior health and care figures. The workstreams and their leaders are:
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** Prevention and population health management, co-chaired by Patricia Miller (CEO, Dorset Integrated Care Board) and Joe Rafferty (CEO, Mersey Care FT);
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** Integration and place, co-chaired by Felicity Cox (CEO, Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Integrated Care Board) and Councillor Tim Oliver (chair, Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Partnership and leader, Surrey County Council);
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** Autonomy, accountability and regulation, co-chaired by Kathy McLean (chair, Nottingham and Nottinghamshire Integrated Care Board) and Paul Burstow (chair, Hertfordshire and West Essex Integrated Care Board and chair, SCIE);
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** Productivity and finance, co-chaired by Penny Dash (chair, North West London Integrated Care Board) and Sir Richard Leese (chair, Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board);
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** Digital and data, co-chaired by Sam Allen (CEO, North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board) and Adam Doyle (CEO, Sussex Integrated Care Board)
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**
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** Source: HSJ, 20 January 2023
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**
See also: Hewitt Review - Letter from Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt to stakeholders ([link removed])
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** Pandemic drinking: Alcohol misuse treatment up 10%
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**
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** The number of adults treated for alcohol misuse in England climbed 10% in the year to March 2022, fueled by a rise in drinking during lockdown.

New government data shows this rise pushed the number of people receiving treatment for all types of substance misuse to 289,215, a seven-year high. And experts say there are many more people struggling with drug or alcohol use who are not receiving treatment. The government said it was committed to tackling the root causes of misuse.

Nat Travis, national head of substance misuse at charity Turning Point, said they saw "a significant increase in the number of alcohol referrals" during lockdown, which is reflected in the latest figures.

The data, published by the Office for Health Improvement & Disparities, shows:
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** at 140,863, nearly half of all people receiving substance misuse treatment did so for opiates
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** at 84,697, alcohol alone made up the second largest group
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** of those who completed treatment, 49% did so successfully
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** people treated for alcohol had the highest successful completion rate at 59%
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** opiates had the lowest completion rate, at 24%
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**
Source: BBC News, 21 January 2023
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** International
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** Spain gang bust: Ukrainians exploited in illegal tobacco operation
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**
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** Police in Spain have broken up a gang they say ran three illegal tobacco factories where Ukrainian refugees worked in poor conditions. The operations were found in three regions of Spain and 27 people have been arrested.

The gang is alleged to have smuggled large quantities of tobacco turned into counterfeit cigarettes. The factories could make more than half a million cigarette packs daily, which were sold across Spain and abroad.

Police said the Ukrainians, who had fled Russia's invasion of their country, were living "crammed" into prefabricated shelters within the factories. They were working long hours and were not leaving, to avoid detection, as some had entered the country illegally. Meanwhile, the bosses of the organisation enjoyed a "life of luxury", allegedly laundering money for their tobacco smuggling operation.

The authorities seized tobacco products worth €37.5m ($41m; £33m), luxury vehicles, jewellery and large quantities of cash during their raid. More than 20 homes, industrial buildings and shops were searched.

In November, lawmakers at the European Parliament reported that labour exploitation of Ukrainians was on the rise, saying the urgency of their situation and language barriers sometimes forced refugees to take informal and underpaid work.

Source: BBC News, 22 January 2023
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** Japan Tobacco urged to sell drug unit by activist shareholder LIM
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** Japan Tobacco Inc. is facing a shareholder motion to sell off its listed drug unit Torii Pharmaceutical Co to boost shareholder value.

Hong Kong-based activist fund LIM Advisors called on Japan Tobacco, in a letter reviewed by Reuters, to divest its 53% stake in the drug maker, known mainly for its anti-allergy products, and launch 250 billion yen ($1.94 billion) share buybacks with the proceeds.

The letter also said Japan Tobacco doesn't have synergies with the drug unit or the expertise to manage its research and development and LIM plans to bring its proposal to the annual general meeting of shareholders in March.

Japan Tobacco acknowledged receiving the proposal but said it could not elaborate on the contents of the letter. "We are currently in the process of scrutinising the content and legal matters," it told Reuters. LIM declined to comment.

Source: Reuters, 20 January 2023
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