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Opinion: Scotland's minimum unit pricing of alcohol has been so successful it should encourage other life-saving public health policies
Writing in The Scotsman, Dr Tamasin Knight, consultant in public health medicine and a member of the British Medical Association’s Scottish Consultants Committee, discusses the success of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on alcohol in Scotland and how this should be built upon to continue driving down alcohol related deaths and illness.
Pointing to a report by Public Health Scotland which found a 13.4% reduction in deaths and a 4.3% decrease in hospital admissions caused by alcohol following the introduction of MUP, Dr Knight writes that these results should be celebrated, but they should also be built upon.
The Scottish government could do this by demonstrating their continued commitment to MUP by uprating the minimum price given the impact of inflation. However, Dr Knight writes that rather than relying solely on MUP, a larger package of support should be implemented for those who struggle with addiction.
Knight concludes by saying that if we are to learn from the success of MUP, the primary lesson is “that we shouldn’t ever take a backward step in fighting for measures that tackle the deep-rooted health problems” faced by those in Scotland.
Source: The Scotsman, 8 August 2023
See also: Public Health Scotland - Minimum unit pricing reduces alcohol-related harm to health
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Air pollution linked to rise in antibiotic resistance that imperils human health
Air pollution is helping to drive a rise in antibiotic resistance that poses a significant threat to human health worldwide, a global study suggests.
The analysis, using data from more than 100 countries spanning nearly two decades, indicates that increased air pollution is linked with rising antibiotic resistance across every country and continent.
It also suggests the link between the two has strengthened over time, with increases in air pollution levels coinciding with larger rises in antibiotic resistance.
“Our analysis presents strong evidence that increasing levels of air pollution are associated with increased risk of antibiotic resistance,” researchers from China and the UK wrote. “This analysis is the first to show how air pollution affects antibiotic resistance globally.” Their findings are published in the Lancet Planetary Health journal.
Antibiotic resistance is one of the fastest-growing threats to global health. It can affect people of any age in any country and is already killing 1.3 million people a year, according to estimates.
The main drivers are still the misuse and overuse of antibiotics, which are used to treat infections. But the study suggests the problem is being worsened by rising levels of air pollution.
Air pollution is already the single largest environmental risk to public health. Long-term exposure to air pollution is associated with chronic conditions such as heart disease, asthma and lung cancer, reducing life expectancy.
Source: The Guardian, 7 August 2023
Editorial note: Along with environmental factors such as pollution, there is evidence to suggest that smoking also contributes to increased antibiotic resistance. Smokers are also more likely to be prescribed antibiotics than non-smokers, which “may subsequently increase antimicrobial resistance in the community”. As well as aiming to reduce pollution, continued focus on tobacco control will help to minimise the risk of antibiotic resistance.
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