Displaying items by tag: Public Health

The Government is considering new regulations which could ban smoking in pub gardens and outdoor hospitality areas. This proposal is part of a broader effort to reduce smoking rates and improve public health, aligning with the Government's target to make England smoke-free by 2030. The potential ban has sparked mixed reactions from the public and businesses. Proponents argue that the ban would protect non-smokers, especially children, from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke and create a healthier environment in social settings. However, critics believe it could negatively impact pubs and restaurants which have already suffered financially due to the Covid pandemic. Some fear it could lead to reduced customer footfall and further economic challenges. The Government is expected to consult with various stakeholders, including public health officials, business owners, and the general public, before making a final decision.

It is called the largest mass poisoning in history. Wells drilled in the Indian subcontinent in the 1970s exposed millions to arsenic leaching into their drinking water from surrounding rocks and soil; this has caused skin lesions, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodevelopmental delays. A new study now suggests that up to sixty million Pakistanis might also be exposed to contaminated water. The World Health Organisation warned in the 1990s that up to 77 million people in Bangladesh were in danger of drinking water with unsafe levels of arsenic, and 200 million people in Nepal, Bangladesh, India and Vietnam were exposed to concentrations exceeding the recommended limit. Experts hope this new study will motivate Pakistan’s authorities to test wells in high-risk areas and to warn communities. If people are aware of the risks they could use water from deeper aquifers that are in contact with older sediments, or invest in treating groundwater to remove arsenic.