Louise Ford

Prisoners are to be handed free vaping kits as jails in Scotland go tobacco-free.

Cigarettes will be banned in all prisons from November 30th to bring them in line with UK law, which forbids smoking in public places.

Until now, prisoners have been allowed to smoke in their cells and some communal areas.

The new £200,000 initiative is part of a country-wide programme to support inmates giving up tobacco. Vapes will be given to all prisoners free of charge at the start of November, to give them time to make the switch before the new rules come into force.

Plans to ban tobacco in prison were announced last year amid growing concern about the health risks of passive smoking.

At present, 80 per cent of the prison population are still smoking cigarettes in Scotland and it is hoped the vaping kits will prevent unrest and even riots which has occurred

VAPERS who no longer smoke cigarettes prefer fruit and dessert e-liquids over tobacco flavours, according to the findings of a major survey overseen by a leading doctor.

The data from nearly 70,000 Americans who vape or have tried vaping, and took part in the US Flavours Survey initiated by Dr Konstantinos Farsalinos and a team of colleagues has now been submitted to the US Food and Drug Administration.

The government department asked for feedback in response to its Advanced Notice Of Proposed Rulemaking on vape (and other “tobacco product”) flavours earlier this year and Dr Farsalinos, a research fellow and cardiologist who has published over 50 studies and articles on smoking, tobacco harm and e-cigarettes, believed it was vital someone gathered data direct from vapers across America to help shape new government policy.
Lead author Dr Farsalinos says the research team, which includes two of his colleagues from the

A new scientific study has revealed that smokers who switch to vaping may be more likely to improve their health and well-being over those who choose cigarettes.

Research by the University of Washington has shown adult cigarette users who had shifted to vaping in their 30s reported to be more focused on “better health and wellbeing”.

Smokers who opt to vape may also have “more opportunities for healthy social engagement” - thus promoting “healthier ageing among nicotine users approaching midlife”, the study also found.

The research looked at 156 smokers and monitored changes in “health and social functioning” between the ages of 30 and 39.

Of the 156 study participants, 64% smoked

tiquette Experts Debrett's Reveal Vaping Rules in New Do’s & Dont’s Guidance.

If you have ever been somewhere and not quite known what the right vaping etiquette was – Debrett’s - the leading authority on etiquette and behaviour, has compiled the ultimate guide to social vaping rules, including a list of “dos and don’ts” so you can easily avoid offending others.

This handy new guide on how to vape politely takes you through top tips like:

• Never vape on Zoom (other online meeting platforms are available!)
• Avoid vaping in confined spaces such as lifts and public bathrooms, don’t vape and eat at the same time - and if in doubt, just ask.

A greater number still, 61% of the 2,000 adult nicotine users questioned in the research

US RAPPER Doja Cat put vaping firmly in the spotlight at the 64th Grammy Awards in Las Vegas this month as she boldly vaped on the red carpet before receiving an award for her contribution to music.

The star - who was nominated for a staggering eight Grammys at this year's event and took home the Best Pop Duo Performance award - turned heads for accessorizing her designer Versace gown with a vape pen as she appeared at the star-studded event.

But despite it being cited as a bold move, Doja isn't the first musician to appear in public vaping, with many fellow singers attributing it to helping them make a switch away from smoking.

THE UK government is set to introduce a tax on heated tobacco for the first time.

In the 2018 Budget announced this week, “heat not burn” smoking alternatives, which include brands such as Philip Morris's iQOS, will be taxed at the same rate as hand-rolling tobacco from April 2019.

Britain’s The Mirror newspaper discovered the “hidden” measure after painstakingly trawling through the Budget’s red book, after it was released by Chancellor Philip Hammond on Tuesday (October 30th).

Duty on rolling tobacco amounts to around £7 for the smallest (30g) packs, while under the new tobacco duty, prices of cigarettes will cost £10 for a packet of 20.

But experts say that the government's tax hike on tobacco will do little to discourage smokers with a better way of helping people quit to help develop and promote e-cigarettes and vaping instead.

Giles Roca of the Tobacco Manufacturers' Association said: "Tobacco taxes have

SCHOOLS across America are increasingly installing Artificial Intelligence in bathrooms to catch young vapers, it has been revealed.

Pro-vapers have slammed the latest extreme measures in response to a so-called vaping “epidemic” sweeping the US, saying underage use of e-cigarettes has been vastly over-exaggerated by the media and campaign groups.

But over 200 schools in 23 American states and Canada have installed special AI devices, which are trained to detect the water vapour signatures coming from vaping pens, e-cigarettes and other vaping paraphernalia. Its manufacturers claim it is now receiving 20 new inquiries a day from schools.

The Fly Sense device, which uses machine-learned AI, was originally developed by Soter Technologies to detect bullying in school, since it also reacts to elevated sound levels that might indicate fighting. But it has quickly been brought in to monitor vaping instead as concerns among parents rise.

It works by using technology

HOSPITALS across the UK have started to roll out vaping zones following Public Health England advice.

While many are already smoke-free, hospitals have agreed patients, staff and visitors alike can vape in certain areas.

In support of today’s (March 14^th) No Smoking Day, North Cumbria University Hospitals NHS Trust is reaffirming its commitment to being a smoke free organization and has gone one step further in taking the decision to allow the use of e-cigarettes.

The move was taken in the wake of PHE’s findings that vaping is considerably less harmful than tobacco.

In its report last month, the agency advised hospitals should sell vape kits and provide vaping lounges, while suggesting e-cigarettes be made available on NHS prescription to help smokers quit.

Research by the UK’s Royal College of Physicians also reported that vaping is up to 95 percent less harmful to use than traditional cigarettes, which