Stopping the nation from smoking has long been a top priority for medical experts, families and governments, and PM Rishi Sunak has made his plans for the issues clear. At the 2023 Conservative Party Conference, Sunak said that the legal age for buying tobacco should rise every year from those born in 2009 in a bid to “try and stop teenagers taking up cigarettes in the first place”. He said: “A 14-year-old today will never legally be sold a cigarette” under new legislation he is proposing for England. The Prime Minister also said more must be done to “restrict the availability” of vapes to children, but what can be done by parents in the meantime? Here are the conversations to have with your children… The dangers of smoking “Starting smoking and vaping at a young age can have serious and long-lasting health consequences,” explains Dr Chun Tang, medical director and GP at Pall Mall Medical. “Nicotine is particularly harmful to developing brains. Young people are more vulnerable to nicotine addiction, which can lead to a lifetime of tobacco dependence. Nicotine impacts cognitive function and memory, potentially affecting academic performance. “Aside from the detrimental effect on cognitive ability as outlined above, smoking is, of course, a leading cause of various health problems, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and many others,” he says. “Smoking during adolescence can also interfere with the growth and development of the lungs, leading to reduced lung function. This can result in breathing difficulties and decreased physical performance.” The dangers of vaping Vaping isn’t a safe alternative, yet he sweet-smelling, plastic steam machines are rife. “Vaping is a relatively new phenomenon, and the long-term health effects are still not fully understood,” says Tang. “There is ongoing research to assess the potential long-term risks, including the development of chronic health conditions.” Vaping has been associated with various adverse health effects, including lung injuries, respiratory problems, and cardiovascular issues, he notes. “Some of the chemicals found in vaping aerosols can be harmful when inhaled into the lungs. “If a smoker takes approximately 15 puffs of a cigarette before putting it out, then we can safely assume that a 600-puff disposable vape is equivalent to around two packs of cigarettes. “Some reports suggest young people can get through as many as 7 vapes a week, the equivalent of 14 packets of cigarettes. “That is an enormous amount of nicotine and so we can expect to see the health risks posed by nicotine to be [more] exacerbated in vapers than smokers – which could be severely impacting cognitive function and affecting academic performance.” It’s essential, he says, for parents, educators, and healthcare professionals “to educate young people about the potential risks of vaping and smoking and provide support and resources for those who want to quit”. Don’t lecture them Try to be open and curious rather than defensive and angry if your child is smoking or vaping. Dr Kerry Irving, senior clinical psychologist at online mental health platform Kooth, says: “Approach any conversation to understand why the young person smokes or vapes rather than to lecture, as the latter can cause people to shut down.” Consider available supportThere may be resources online and in person that might help your child, from the NHS to TikTok creators tracking their quitting journey. “Suggest accessing external support – encourage the young person to see their GP or to make use of some of the free Stop Smoking initiatives online or in your local community,” Irving says. Be sympathetic to relapse Expect wobbles. If your teen or child is quitting smoking or vaping try to stop accept that overcoming an addiction is not easy and recovery is not linear. “Relapses are an important part of changing any behaviour long term,” says Irving. “You can help the young person learn from these by gently encouraging them to reflect on what went wrong and helping them plan for how to try again.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live 4 must-have denim trends for autumn, from wide-leg jeans to split skirts Doorscaping: How to create a fabulous front door display for autumn More than a quarter of middle-aged women living with ‘metabolically healthy obesity’ – study

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British Formula 2 star Oliver Bearman will drive for Haas in practice sessions in Mexico and Abu Dhabi later this year. The 18-year-old, from Chelmsford, is a member of the Ferrari Driver Academy and Haas currently receive their engines from the Italian giants. As a result of their partnership and Haas’ requirement to fill at least two first practice sessions a season with a rookie driver, Bearman will feature in FP1 in Mexico City later this month and at the season-finale in Abu Dhabi in November. Bearman is currently sixth in the F2 standings with four victories to his name. He won the Italian F4 championship in 2021 and raced in Formula 3 last year, finishing third. “I am so happy to be joining MoneyGram Haas F1 Team driving in Mexico and Abu Dhabi,” said Bearman. “Getting to Formula 1 has been my dream since I was go-karting so to be driving a car for the first time this year is really special. “I’m grateful to the team, and of course Ferrari, for allowing me this chance. I’m working hard to make sure I’m ready to support the team as best I can on both occasions.” Haas team principal Guenther Steiner added: “We’re very happy to offer Oliver Bearman these outings in Mexico and Abu Dhabi “He’s had a stellar rookie season in Formula 2, four wins is testament to that, and as part of the Ferrari Driver Academy – we know his background preparation coming into these weekends will be first-rate. We look forward to welcoming Oliver into the team and have him drive the VF-23.” Bearman will be present in the paddock this weekend in Qatar as he embeds himself within the Haas team ahead of his first outing in Mexico City on 27 October. Read More ‘Referees make mistakes’: Pierre Gasly compares Liverpool VAR farce to Abu Dhabi controversy Aston Martin boss urges F1 to stick to 10 teams Mick Schumacher holds talks with Alpine over 2024 drive

Alpine driver Pierre Gasly admits the VAR farce surrounding Liverpool’s disallowed goal against Tottenham made him think of Abu Dhabi and the controversial end to the 2021 Formula 1 season. Luis Diaz’s goal was ruled out for offside in Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Tottenham on Saturday, despite replays showing the forward to be onside. The audio of the conversation between the VAR which resulted in the mistake was released on Tuesday, with Reds boss Jurgen Klopp then calling for the match to be replayed. Gasly, a PSG fan, could not resist having his own verdict on the matter and believed the situation is comparable to the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, when Lewis Hamilton was cruelly denied an eighth world title in his battle with Max Verstappen after a controversial – and ultimately wrong – ruling by then race director Michael Masi to swing the race in Verstappen’s favour. “The Liverpool [situation] was a bit of a surprise and definitely a talking point of the weekend,” Gasly said, ahead of this weekend’s Qatar Grand Prix.. “We had a conversation last night and there were comments made about Abu Dhabi 2021. “It’s sport – referees also make mistakes. It’s tough to swallow when you’re on the wrong side of it. But it’s sport, even though it shouldn’t happen sometimes, it does.” Masi was later sacked as the race director following a review into the controversial ending to the 2021 season, when Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap of the final race to win his first world title. As for Liverpool, despite Klopp’s unprecedented stance the Premier League insist a replay of the match will not happen. “Something like this never happened, so that is why I think a replay is the right thing to do,” Klopp said. “The audio didn’t change it at all. It is an obvious mistake. There should be solutions for that. The outcome should be a replay. But it probably won’t happen. “The argument against that would be it opens the gates. It is unprecedented. I’m used to wrong and difficult decisions, but something like this never happened.” On whether the club had asked – or would ask – the Premier League for a replay formally, Klopp added: “At this stage, we are still going through the information we have.” Read More Jurgen Klopp should know better — calling for replays sets a dangerous precedent Liverpool-Tottenham replay possible under Uefa rules loophole Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp admits his call for Tottenham replay is unlikely Aston Martin boss reacts to Andretti’s bid to become 11th F1 team Daniel Ricciardo ruled out of Qatar Grand Prix Mercedes chief details ‘very ambitious targets’ for 2024 car

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A woman has claimed there a seven words that can prove that your partner is cheating on you. In a video on Instagram, influencer Mariah Fernando, who has more than 231,000 followers, said any man who uses the phrase “Go ahead and believe what you want” when confronted about being unfaithful probably has been. “If you’re confronting your man for cheating and he says [that], I hate to break it to you ladies, but that man is guilty. He is guilty,” she added. Commenting on her video, it's safe to say people were divided in their response. Some clearly didn't agree with her, with one writing: "No it doesn’t it means you’ve accused him so many times he doesn’t care anymore." "If you think someone is cheating just leave," advised another. "Don’t play games like you’re Sherlock Holmes. Usually the accuser is the guilty one anyway." And a third said: "So is a woman if she gives the same answer." Some were more on board with her claim, with one saying: “I agree because if he was innocent he would be aggressively defending himself." It doesn't sound like an exact science to us, but maybe it is something to look out for... Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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