Journal of public health
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Journal of public health · Dec 2008
Comparative StudySmoking prevalence in a north-west town following the introduction of Smoke-free England.
In July 2007, legislation banning smoking in public places was introduced in England. This study investigates the impact of this legislation on smoking in Bury. ⋯ The study found that in Bury the smoking ban did not have a substantial impact on smoking prevalence but had an impact on the proportion of heavy smokers. The measurement of smoking prevalence before the change in legislation can be used to assess its long-term impact on smoking habits in Bury.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2008
Antidepressant prescribing and changes in antidepressant poisoning mortality and suicide in England, 1993-2004.
In England, the impact of increased use of antidepressant medications is unclear. We examine associations between antidepressant use, suicide and antidepressant poisoning mortality, adjusted for important covariates. ⋯ In England, at a population level, there does not appear to be an association between antidepressant prescribing and antidepressant poisoning mortality or suicide.
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Journal of public health · Mar 2008
Achieving a smoke-free hospital: reported enforcement of smoke-free regulations by NHS health care staff.
In December 2006, all UK NHS trusts introduced smoke-free regulations prohibiting smoking on all NHS sites. These rules are to be enforced by all NHS trust staff. We have investigated the implementation of these regulations by health care workers when they encounter smokers on a NHS hospital site. ⋯ Most medical and nursing staff report that they do not enforce NHS smoke-free regulations and do not challenge smokers on NHS sites. This is due to many real and perceived barriers including fear of aggression. Overcoming these barriers is an important area of research to guide successful implementation of future smoking policy. There may be scope for improvement through training in NHS policy and in non-confrontational communication skills.
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Journal of public health · Dec 2007
Comparative StudyHospital admission for acute pancreatitis in the Irish population, 1997 2004: could the increase be due to an increase in alcohol-related pancreatitis?
To investigate trends in the incidence of acute pancreatitis by examining emergency admissions to acute public hospitals over an 8-year period; to compare trends for alcohol-related pancreatitis admissions with biliary tract-related admissions and to profile the patients admitted with an acute pancreatitis diagnosis. ⋯ Hospital admissions for acute pancreatitis rose from 17.5 per 100,000 population in 1997 to 23.6 per 100,000 in 2004. The proportion of admissions that had alcohol misuse recorded as a co-morbidity rose more markedly than those with biliary tract disease and the rise was more pronounced in younger age groups. The increasing trend in alcohol-related acute pancreatitis parallels the rise in per capita alcohol consumption. Given the continuing rise in binge drinking, particularly among young people, this is a cause for concern.