HEADLINES

• Heart attack deaths halve in a decade
• Wales: Cigarette vending machine ban nears
• Ban glitzy packaging for cigs says MP
• Ireland: Court to rule on tobacco reward scheme
• Japan: Tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are biggest killers of adults

• Heart attack deaths halve in a decade

  The lives of almost 80,000 heart attack victims in England have been saved in just under a decade as deaths have halved due to healthier lives and better treatment, research has found.

  The greatest decline in heart attacks and deaths was in the middle-aged with the smallest decrease among younger and older people, the study conducted at Oxford University found.

  There were 18,576 fewer deaths from heart attacks in 2010 compared with 2002, and 76,978 fewer deaths in total over those years.

  Researchers said there had been fewer heart attacks due to improvements in lifestyle such as increasing numbers giving up smoking, better diets and preventive drugs for raised cholesterol and high blood pressure.

  More lives of heart attack victims are now being saved thanks to new emergency procedures to reopen blocked arteries, faster ambulance response times, quicker diagnosis and drugs such as statins and aspirin.

  The smoking ban introduced in England in 2007 has also contributed as other studies have shown an almost immediate drop in heart attacks.
   

  Also reported in the Daily Mail http://bit.ly/y43KOv

  Source: Daily Telegraph, 26 Jan. 2012
  Link: http://tgr.ph/ww7ydc

• Wales: Cigarette vending machine ban nears

  There is one week to go until a new law is introduced banning the sale of cigarettes from vending machines in Wales.

  The move is part of the Welsh Government's efforts to safeguard young people and children from the harmful effects of smoking.

  Although tobacco vending machines account for only one per cent of the UK market in tobacco sales, a disproportionate number of under- 18s purchase cigarettes from vending machines. Ten per cent of regular smokers aged 11 to 15 report that cigarette vending machines are their usual source of tobacco.

  Source: South Wales Evening Post, 26 Jan. 2012.
  Link: http://bit.ly/xEVRWL

• Ban glitzy packaging for cigs says MP

  A move to put cigarettes in plain packaging with prominent health warnings, is being backed by MP Michael Dugher.

  The Barnsley East MP is supporting a charity campaign to protect children and young people by using plain packs with no attractive colours for tobacco products.

  Michael Dugher MP said: “It’s shocking that despite a ban on tobacco advertising, children are still being lured into a lifetime of addiction because of the way glitzy packaging makes cigarettes look so appealing.

  “The reality is that smoking is a deadly addiction that kills half of smokers but many young people are simply unaware of this. Introducing plain packs would minimise the dangerous allure of cigarettes and reduce the chances of children starting to smoke”.

  Source: South Yorkshire Times, 26 Jan. 2012
  Link: http://bit.ly/zEBT8t

• Ireland: Court to rule on tobacco reward scheme

  The High Court has been asked to rule on whether a prosecution under the Tobacco Acts was correctly dismissed against tobacco manufacturer PJ Carroll for giving vouchers to shop staff as a reward for promoting its tobacco products.

  President of the High Court Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns has reserved judgment on legal issues which arose in the District Court prosecution.

  The company had denied charges by the Health Service Executive of giving, or causing to give, “financial assistance” to Spar in Dublin City University and one of its shop assistants, on a date unknown between July 1st and September 31st, 2009, in consideration of the promotion of a tobacco product.

  Source: Irish Times, 25 Jan. 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/zh63bI

• Japan: Tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are biggest killers of adults

  The life expectancy of a person born in Japan is among the highest in the world (82.9 years) yet tobacco smoking and high blood pressure are still the major risk factors for death among adults in Japan, a new study has found.

  The authors say this emphasises the need to reduce tobacco smoking and to improve ongoing programmes designed to help people manage multiple cardiovascular risk factors, including high blood pressure. The study is published in this week's PLoS Medicine.

  Source: Brightsurf.com 26 Jan. 2011
  Link: http://bit.ly/yaLGMq