Miscellaneous News

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BMA(NI) response to launch of latest DHSSPS consultation document

Commenting on today's launch of the DHSSPS consultation document, "A Healthier Future", the Chairman of the BMA's NI Council, Dr Brian Patterson, said:

21 Dec 2004

Sméagol, a 587 year old, hobbit-like male of no fixed abode had issues

The mental health of Tolkien's character Gollum has long been a mystery to Lord of the Rings fans, who have argued the nature of Gollum's ‘mental illness' on over 1300 websites –did he have schizophrenia or was he suffering from multiple personality disorder? UCL scientists now diagnose the famous character in a paper published in this week's British Medical Journal (BMJ).

21 Dec 2004

John Howard dumps Christmas bombshell on emergency support agencies

Housing Minister Candy Broad today said she was appalled by the Federal Government's decision to slash funding to emergency support agencies for homeless people and women and children escaping domestic violence.

21 Dec 2004

Push for mandatory health warnings on all alcohol products

Australian Medical Association President, Dr Bill Glasson, said today the AMA is calling on the Australian Federal Government to legislate for health warnings on all alcohol products.

21 Dec 2004

Leading sports medicine and exercise science organization implements ACSM certified Personal Trainer

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has developed a new examination and certification to review and validate the knowledge and abilities of personal trainers.

20 Dec 2004

Polls show more teen girls see "alcopop" ads than women age 31-44

The American Medical Association (AMA) released the results of two nationwide polls today that reveal the extent of underage consumption and marketing exposure to "alcopops" or so-called "girlie drinks." The AMA expressed concern that hard-liquor brands are using these sweet-flavored malt beverages as "gateway" beverages to attract less-experienced drinkers.

20 Dec 2004

Scotland’s deep-fried Mars bar is not just an urban myth

A letter in this week’s issue of THE LANCET details a survey of Scottish fish and chip shops to try and estimate the popularity of the deep-fried Mars bar.

20 Dec 2004

Can the human eye detect an offside position during a football match?

The human eye is unable to detect an offside position during a football match, claims a doctor from Spain in this week's Christmas issue of the BMJ. This may explain why so many offside decisions are controversial.

20 Dec 2004

Revised safety advice on chromium picolinate supplements

The Food Standards Agency has revised its advice on the safety of chromium picolinate supplements. It is no longer advising people to avoid this type of chromium.

14 Dec 2004

Increased Australian assistance for Sudan and Chad

In response to the ongoing crisis in Africa, Australia will provide an additional $10 million to help relieve the suffering of people in Darfur, Sudan and in Eastern Chad. $7 million has been allocated for Darfur and $3 million for Eastern Chad. This brings Australia's total assistance to the Sudan/Chad crisis to $30 million.

14 Dec 2004

Realistic expectations make holidays happier

'Tis the season for spending time with family, friends, and for many – a therapist. But holiday blues, nagging family stress and overindulgence can be avoided if you set realistic expectations, according to a psychology professor at Virginia Commonwealth University.

13 Dec 2004

BMA Scotland welcome research showing majority of Scots welcome ban on smoking

BMA Scotland today welcomed research published on the Scottish Executive's smoking in public places consultation showing that the majority of respondents support a law to make enclosed public places smoke free.

13 Dec 2004

No need for mass burial of flood victims

The World Health Organization (WHO) has advised that the bodies of people who die in floods and other natural disasters do not normally pose a risk of infection and there is no need to dispose of them in mass graves.

7 Dec 2004

FDA protects U.S. human and animal food supply

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued final regulations on the establishment and maintenance of records to protect the U.S. human food and animal feed supply in the event of credible threats of serious adverse health consequences or death to humans or animals.

7 Dec 2004

The land of the long white cloud will soon be smoke-free

From 10 December 2004, all enclosed public places in New Zealand will be smoke-free zones.

6 Dec 2004

Sexologist unveils a formula for a better sex life

After centuries of human sexual relations, a leading expert today unveiled the 'Sexual Quotient' (SQ), a formula to help couples assess and improve their sex lives.

6 Dec 2004

300 million people in the developing world are seriously ill from intestinal worms

300 million people in the developing world are seriously ill from intestinal worms. Treatment is cheap and effective—and if successfully delivered with other public-health measures could make a substantial contribution to achieving many of the world’s Millennium development Goals (MDGs), concludes the lead editorial in this week’s issue of THE LANCET.

4 Dec 2004

Report finds Listeria Rule sparks major industry changes

A report outlining the impact of the interim final rule designed to further reduce the incidence of Listeria monocytogenes (LM) in ready-to-eat (RTE) meat and poultry products and making recommendations for possible future actions was released for public comment by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS).

3 Dec 2004

Disturbing new trend in cybersuicide is emerging

A disturbing new trend in suicide pacts involving strangers meeting over the internet (cybersuicide) is emerging, warns a consultant psychiatrist in this week's BMJ.

3 Dec 2004

Tobacco companies target U.S. immigrants

Tobacco companies have engaged in three distinct marketing practices aimed at gaining U.S. immigrants as customers, according to an analysis of major tobacco industry documents.

29 Nov 2004