Today is World Tuberculosis Day, and the National Council against Smoking (NCAS) is placing the spotlight on the impact of smoking on tuberculosis (TB). TB is the country’s leading cause of death at 8.8% of all deaths, according to Stats SA. TB is passed on from one person to another through the air, usually through coughing or sneezing. It is fully treatable although the … [Read more...]
Seven things you need to know about e-cigarettes
Office e-smokers, you’re still being uncool to your co-workers. The World Health Organisation breaks down what we know and what we don’t about vapes. The World Health Organisation (WHO) recently released a list of seven commonly asked questions about e-cigarettes, like whether or not they’re safer than traditional cigarettes and what they mean for your lungs and those around … [Read more...]
Pesticides and human health: the UK government’s ‘elephant in the room’
The UK Government currently has a consultation running until 8th May entitled ‘Health and Harmony: the future for food, farming and the environment in a Green Brexit.’ A promising title I thought! That was until I read the various consultation documents - produced by DEFRA - where it became abundantly clear that, despite the title, there is a glaring omission of anything human … [Read more...]
Tobacco take out more good folk
During the last month one colleague health practitioner was diagnosed with lung cancer, causing an inoperable cancerous mass, which spread to the lymph nodes. He was already so ill that nothing further could be done and he died soon afterwards. He was only 65 years old, has had a chronic cough for as long as I can remember and then suddenly began to deteriorate after an acute … [Read more...]
