Journal of public health policy
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More than a decade in the making, a new, legally binding treaty on mercury will be adopted by governments in the fall of 2013. The treaty's objective is to protect human health and the environment from anthropogenic mercury emissions through a range of provisions - including an article devoted to reducing exposure to mercury. ⋯ Time is of the essence to reduce pollution because (i) exposure risk to mercury is much greater than previously thought and (ii) mercury already in the environment can be re-emitted via processes in the natural cycle, resulting in a longer lag time before pollution reduction can have a demonstrable effect on the food chain. Health professionals can assist in reducing exposure, choosing mercury-free products and urging governments to ratify the treaty as quickly as possible so that it can take effect.
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J Public Health Policy · Feb 2014
Measuring youth exposure to alcohol marketing on social networking sites: challenges and prospects.
Youth exposure to alcohol marketing has been linked to increased alcohol consumption and problems. On relatively new and highly interactive social networking sites (SNS) that are popular with youth, tools for measuring youth exposure to alcohol marketing in traditional media are inadequate. ⋯ Looking at brand and user activity on Facebook for the 15 alcohol brands most popular among US youth, we found activity has grown dramatically in the past 3 years, and underage users may be accounting for some of this activity. Surveys of youth and adult participation in alcohol marketing on SNS will be needed to inform debate over these marketing practices.
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J Public Health Policy · Feb 2014
Effectively addressing addiction requires changing the language of addiction.
Public knowledge and attitudes about addiction are largely inconsistent with scientific evidence. The gap between the facts and public and professional perceptions is due in part to the language used to describe the disease and those who have it. A key step in modifying public attitudes and improving how health professionals and policymakers address addiction is to better align the language of addiction with the scientific evidence. Unless we clarify the language, those with the disease will continue to experience the stigma associated with it and attempts to deliver comprehensive and effective evidence-based prevention, treatment, and disease management will be profoundly compromised.
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France is deciding how to regulate electronic cigarettes. I first consider the French approach and how it contrasts with other attempts at electronic cigarette regulation globally. Next, I critique the individual elements of the French proposal. The overall approach taken by France is a positive development, but banning indoor use appears unnecessary and banning advertising may be counterproductive.
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On 1 April of this year, the Indian Supreme Court upheld the decision of the Indian Patent Office to refuse the patent grant for Novartis imatinib mesylate (Gleevec). The patent application failed to meet the requirements for patentability under Indian law. The global public health community followed the case closely. Its outcome could affect the Indian generics industry - an important supplier of low cost medicines to the developing world.