By Dr. Tim Sandle
July 18, 2024
DIGITAL JOURNAL
Vaping has become a new battleground between tobacco lobbyists and anti-smoking campaigners - Copyright AFP/File JOEL SAGET
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each session of the Parliament of the U.K., the latest session occuring during July 2024. The list of prospective legislation included some radical measures, one of which is aimed at improving overall health by tackling smoking and vaping.
King Charles’s speech during the state opening of parliament for the new Labour Government focused on a stricter crackdown on the sale of vapes, energy drinks to under-16’s, and a progressive increase in the age at which UK residents are legally allowed to purchase cigarettes.
Dr Smita Mehra, principal dentist at The Neem Tree Practices, tells Digital Journal about the potential impact of these bans on the long-term benefits of stricter regulations around cigarette, vape products, and energy drink sales in relation to oral health.
Mehra says; “Smoking bans and the long-term impact of restrictions on our overall health has been a widely debated topic for decades.”
Taking vaping, Mehra expresses the following concerns: “With the widespread impact of vaping – especially on the health of younger generations – another huge subject of discussion within the current media landscape, this attempt to crack down on the number of teenagers and adolescents taking up the highly addictive habits is something that many perceive as necessary.”
With smoking, the medic says: “When we talk about the impact of smoking on our health, often the dangers tend to focus on the impact on the lungs, heart, and even skin. Yet what smokers and vapers often fail to recognise, is that the associated risks of such habits start in their mouths.”
Bridging vaping and smoking is nicotine. Mehra draws the two together: “Nicotine – no matter how it is ingested – can have a variety of detrimental and irreversible effects on oral health. These can include a dry mouth, inflamed and sore gums, tooth decay and cavities, increased build-up of tartar and plaque on the teeth, bad breath, yellow staining on the teeth, and complications following tooth, gum, and oral surgery.”
There are other ill-health effects that need to be accounted for, says Mehra: “Smoking for a prolonged period also traumatises and severely affects tissue, and restricts blood flow to the gums, making them more vulnerable to infection – which is often one of the main contributors to gum disease, a condition that can result in tooth loss or other serious health problems, such as mouth cancer, if left untreated.”
Furthermore, the dentist warns: “Damaged gum tissue as a result of smoking can also lead to bone loss in the jaw which holds the teeth in place.”
Ultimately, a complete smoking ban appears to be the best option.
Mehra indicates this by: “In fact, studies have revealed that over two-fifths (45 percent) of UK adults over the age of 30 have some kind of periodontal disease, which is more common among smokers. So if we can reduce the number of people inflicting the dangerous effects of smoking in the first place, we can hopefully bring this statistic down in the years to come.”
Vaping has become a new battleground between tobacco lobbyists and anti-smoking campaigners - Copyright AFP/File JOEL SAGET
The State Opening of Parliament is a ceremonial event which formally marks the beginning of each session of the Parliament of the U.K., the latest session occuring during July 2024. The list of prospective legislation included some radical measures, one of which is aimed at improving overall health by tackling smoking and vaping.
King Charles’s speech during the state opening of parliament for the new Labour Government focused on a stricter crackdown on the sale of vapes, energy drinks to under-16’s, and a progressive increase in the age at which UK residents are legally allowed to purchase cigarettes.
Dr Smita Mehra, principal dentist at The Neem Tree Practices, tells Digital Journal about the potential impact of these bans on the long-term benefits of stricter regulations around cigarette, vape products, and energy drink sales in relation to oral health.
Mehra says; “Smoking bans and the long-term impact of restrictions on our overall health has been a widely debated topic for decades.”
Taking vaping, Mehra expresses the following concerns: “With the widespread impact of vaping – especially on the health of younger generations – another huge subject of discussion within the current media landscape, this attempt to crack down on the number of teenagers and adolescents taking up the highly addictive habits is something that many perceive as necessary.”
With smoking, the medic says: “When we talk about the impact of smoking on our health, often the dangers tend to focus on the impact on the lungs, heart, and even skin. Yet what smokers and vapers often fail to recognise, is that the associated risks of such habits start in their mouths.”
Bridging vaping and smoking is nicotine. Mehra draws the two together: “Nicotine – no matter how it is ingested – can have a variety of detrimental and irreversible effects on oral health. These can include a dry mouth, inflamed and sore gums, tooth decay and cavities, increased build-up of tartar and plaque on the teeth, bad breath, yellow staining on the teeth, and complications following tooth, gum, and oral surgery.”
There are other ill-health effects that need to be accounted for, says Mehra: “Smoking for a prolonged period also traumatises and severely affects tissue, and restricts blood flow to the gums, making them more vulnerable to infection – which is often one of the main contributors to gum disease, a condition that can result in tooth loss or other serious health problems, such as mouth cancer, if left untreated.”
Furthermore, the dentist warns: “Damaged gum tissue as a result of smoking can also lead to bone loss in the jaw which holds the teeth in place.”
Ultimately, a complete smoking ban appears to be the best option.
Mehra indicates this by: “In fact, studies have revealed that over two-fifths (45 percent) of UK adults over the age of 30 have some kind of periodontal disease, which is more common among smokers. So if we can reduce the number of people inflicting the dangerous effects of smoking in the first place, we can hopefully bring this statistic down in the years to come.”
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