York's public health director wants crackdown on gambling ads
Mr Roderick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "As a council we have some powers over granting gambling licences to premises but we haven't talked about this issue enough and there needs to be a space to call it out."We also need to crack down on advertising in the same way we have done with tobacco and we're going to do with fast food."Tobacco adverts were banned in the UK in 2002.Mr Roderick's report said gambling was emerging as a real and substantial threat to the physical and mental health of young people.It found 16% of young people in York had gambled and a quarter of those who did had taken money without permission to pay for it.Almost 15% had encountered conflicts with friends and family over gambling.Mr Roderick said the rise in gambling among young people had followed the relaxation of regulations in the 2000s under the then Labour government."The government at the time didn't anticipate the advent of the smartphone and that we'd all essentially be able to have a super casino in our pocket," he added."The number of gambling adverts you see is really noticeable and that's affecting children. The effects on young people we can measure are the tip of the iceberg."A Department for Culture, Media & Sport spokesperson said: "We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and we are absolutely committed to strengthening protections for those at risk, including children and young people."The government has already announced plans to bring in a statutory levy on gambling profits to generate £100m for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms."There are already a range of robust rules in place on gambling adverts, wherever they appear, but ministers continue to consider the best available evidence in this area to inform effective action as needed."
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Scotsman
an hour ago
- Scotsman
Availability of disposable vapes in Edinburgh risks creating 'black market' says MSP
An MSP has warned that the widespread availability of disposable vapes in the Scottish capital risks creating a 'black market'. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... The prevalence of disposable vapes in Edinburgh risks creating a 'black market' in the Capital, an MSP has warned. The comments follow a Local Democracy Reporting Service investigation which found shops across Edinburgh were still selling disposable vapes over a month after they were banned. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And a leading health charity has called their widespread availability across the city 'disappointing'. Edinburgh council has insisted it is enforcing the disposable vapes ban, and added it was currently seeking two banning orders for traders who have flouted the law. Local democracy reporter Joe Sullivan with the illegal vapes he was able to purchase from several Edinburgh shops. | LDR The city's trading standards team are currently investigating evidence passed on by the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Miles Briggs, a list MSP for Lothian region, said: 'It is very concerning that the ban on disposable vapes is not being enforced properly in Edinburgh. The effects of these devices on people's health and the environment are serious, and shopkeepers who do not accept this must be held to account. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'Police must work with local businesses to ensure that this new law is followed, and all disposable vapes are removed from shelves immediately. We cannot allow a black market to develop in our city.' Lothians Green MSP Lorna Slater said: 'Disposable vapes are a scourge on our environment. Before the ban 5 million were being thrown away every week in the UK, littering our streets, parks, rivers and beaches. 'Shops have had plenty of time to adjust their inventories. There's simply no excuse to still be selling these illegal products. It shows a clear lack of respect for the law and their local community. The illegal vapes which were purchased at Edinburgh shops despite being banned since June 1. | LDR 'The penalties for breaking this law can be steep. Now it's up to the Scottish Government to ensure enforcement teams are properly funded and equipped to crack down on those who are putting personal profit ahead of our environment and young people's health.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad And Councillor Kayleigh Kinross-O'Neill, the Green group co-leader, said: 'Disposables vapes are an environmental nightmare, and Greens firmly supported banning them. 'They create litter and reinforce the throwaway culture while having questionable health benefits so it's right we should see the back of them. 'However a ban is useless unless it is enforced, and the Local Democracy Reporting Service's investigation into this problem shows that enforcement in Edinburgh is practically non-existent. 'Unfortunately after years of austerity in local authority budgets, trading standards departments are under severe pressure, which may account for why so many stores in Edinburgh are apparently flouting the ban. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But the Labour administration in Edinburgh need to get a grip on this problem and ensure resources are in place to ensure the ban is properly enforced. ' Our undercover investigation saw us purchase disposable vapes at seven shops in Edinburgh, with most of them displaying the vapes openly. At one, we saw none on the shelves, but we asked a shopkeeper if he had any. 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The Independent
7 hours ago
- The Independent
Labour voters side with doctors over Streeting ahead of strike
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The Guardian
15 hours ago
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Why doctors are striking … again
When Labour came into power they agreed to give resident doctors, formerly known as junior doctors, a 22% rise over two years to end their strikes. They then turned their attention to updating the NHS, unveiling an ambitious 10-year plan to change the way the system is run. But now doctors have gone back to the ballot box. The Guardian's health policy editor, Denis Campbell, tells Helen Pidd that the British Medical Association (BMA), the doctors' union, says the value of their salaries has dropped 29% since 2008 thanks to inflation and serial low pay rises. They want this restored. But with public finances more stretched than ever, Wes Streeting is unlikely to accede. Denis explains why the BMA is saying this pay rise is 'non-negotiable', and also why it looks as if the resident doctors are losing public support. And even the support of their senior colleagues. What could this clash mean for Labour, trust in doctors – and patients?
