Better alcohol regulation will save lives and money
Alcohol harm costs England at least £27bn a year – almost double what the Treasury collects in alcohol duty. These harms aren't incidental to the alcohol market; they are intrinsic to it. While the industry promotes 'moderate drinking', evidence shows that its profits and growth depend on the heaviest drinkers. It's no coincidence that Diageo's CEO recently described moderation as the industry's 'biggest disrupter'.
Policies that reduce alcohol consumption are consistently shown to be sound investments, recommended by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the World Bank and the World Health Organization. In Scotland, the introduction of minimum unit pricing (MUP) led to a 13% drop in alcohol-specific deaths and a 4% fall in hospital admissions. If adopted in England, MUP could reduce premature mortality while saving the NHS millions and help create a healthier workforce.
England urgently needs a national alcohol strategy. Bold, evidence-based measures like MUP must be at its core, with commercial vested-interest groups kept at the margins.Dr Katherine SeveriChief executive, Institute of Alcohol Studies
Your editorial reflects the serious concerns that we at World Cancer Research Fund and many other organisations have around the ineffectiveness of England's alcohol regulation. The evidence shows that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to cancer risk. And there are around 17,000 alcohol-related cancer cases in the UK every year, as well as 200 other associated health conditions caused by alcohol.
In our Cancer Prevention Action Week (23-29 June), we will showcase polling that highlights the chasm between public perception about alcohol and cancer risks. We want the public to have correct health information at their disposal so they can understand their cancer risks and make informed choices. Now is the time for direct action. The UK government urgently needs to join the dots on regulation around alcohol marketing and labelling.
We urge members of the public to do their part and sign our petition to advocate with us for better regulation in England. Dr Giota Mitrou Executive director of research and policy, World Cancer Research Fund
Nearly half of UK adults now drink alcohol-free products, and our research shows that 68% of them use these drinks to cut down on alcohol. But despite this momentum, outdated labelling rules are holding people back.
For over a decade, governments have delayed a straightforward change: allowing drinks at or below 0.5% ABV to be labelled 'alcohol-free'. This is already the international standard and reflects the reality – drinks at this level contain no more alcohol than a ripe banana, sourdough bread or even some soft drinks. Yet UK producers are still forced to use the term 'low alcohol' for these drinks, confusing consumers and deterring many from trying them.Laura WilloughbyCo-founder, Club Soda
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Daily Mail
26 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Expert: Things you should never touch in an airport
Published: | Updated: Summer travel is in full swing, and airports across America are busier than ever with nearly 3 million passengers flying every day. Travel, especially in crowded environments like airports and airplanes, increases the potential for exposure to viruses, particularly those that spread through respiratory droplets and contact with contaminated surfaces. Common viruses people are most at risk of encountering during air travel include respiratory viruses (influenza, Covid-19 and r hinoviruses, which cause the common cold) and norovirus, which causes vomiting and diarrhea. However, more serious illnesses, including measles, are increasingly becoming a threat as international travelers and unvaccinated Americans move through airports. In a bid to keep travelers as healthy as possible, one expert is warning of the spots in the airport and on the airplane that should be approached with care. Dr Darin Detwiler, who previously served as a public health expert for the FDA , told the Daily Mail that air travel is a risky endeavor with 'people unknowingly entering an invisible battlefield of infectious threats'. However, Dr Detwiler said 'there is some good news,' adding certain habits can protect against getting sick and ruining a vacation. 'By taking strategic precautions at every stage of your journey - from your ride to the airport to the moment you retrieve your luggage - you can dramatically reduce your risk of infection.' Be Uber alert Your exposure to germs begins before you step into the terminal, Dr Detwiler said. 'Rideshares, taxis and airport shuttles can be incubators for illness, often lacking proper sanitation and ventilation between passengers,' he explained. To maximize safety, he recommends disinfecting high touch surfaces, such as seatbelt buckles, door handles and touchscreen TVs, with hand sanitizer or cleansing wipes. Opening the window can also 'improve airflow and reduce airborne virus concentration.' Meanwhile, Dr Detwiler recommends keeping your hands away from your face as your eyes, nose and mouth are direct entry points for pathogens. Security bins are dirtier than toilets Security checkpoints are some of the dirtiest areas in an airport, Dr Detwiler warns. A 2018 study found that the plastic trays used at airport security checkpoints harbored more germs than the airport toilets. Researchers took eight samples from the trays used at the Helsinki airport over the course of three weeks. When the results came back, they found that half of the samples carried some kind of respiratory disease, including influenza A, rhinovirus, adenovirus and coronavirus. In comparison, viruses were not detected in most of the samples collected from toilets. The scientists said this may be due to people paying particular attention to hand hygiene when in the bathroom. 'Much like old days when public pay phones were the most handled (and contaminated) surfaces, today those plastic security bins harbor more respiratory viruses than public toilets,' Dr Detwiler told the Daily Mail in response to the findings. To prevent the spread of germs in the security area, he recommends using hand sanitizer immediately after touching security bins, conveyor belts or fingerprint scanners. With millions of travelers from all over the world passing through airports each day, Dr Detwiler said terminals are high-risk areas for airborne illnesses like measles, flu and RSV. Airport terminals, as large, enclosed spaces with high traffic, can experience poor air quality due to various factors like emissions from vehicles and aircraft. And with millions of people breathing out potentially infectious droplets, there is a high chance of pathogens spreading. For this reason, the health expert said wearing a face mask is a good way to protect yourself. He recommends KN95 and N95 masks, as both are designed to filter out at least 95 percent of particles. If you don't feel comfortable wearing a mask all the time, focus on wearing one in crowded areas to maximize safety, 'particularly at security, near gate seating and in restrooms,' Dr Detwiler said. Other tips include maintaining your distance from anyone visibly ill (especially in boarding lines), using your phone instead of self-check-in kiosks and shared touch-screens, and staying hydrated. 'Dry air suppresses your immune system, making you more susceptible to infection,' he explains. 'So it's best to keep a drink with you at all times.' However, be wary of public drinking fountains as the dispenser buttons were one of the dirtiest surfaces in airport terminals, with 1,240 colony-forming units (CFU) of bacteria. Bathroom stall locks, in comparison, had 70 CFU. If you want to your take safety protocols up a notch, Dr Detwiler adds, 'you could consider wearing disposable gloves around the terminal, but remember to remove them safely and sanitize afterward.' Beware of the buffets in airport lounges The expert said premium airport lounges may offer a quieter atmosphere, but they're not immune from contamination, 'especially when it comes to shared food stations and high-touch surfaces.' He advises avoiding self-serve buffets and opting for packaged or made-to-order meals instead. He also recommends disinfecting tables and seating areas before eating. The bathrooms and shower facilities in airport lounges are also riddled with germs, so he always uses a napkin or paper towel to open bathroom doors and touch water faucets. Boarding the plane and flying Once on the plane, you're packed into a small space and exposed to an exponential amount of droplets and pathogens. While Dr Detwiler said an aircraft's High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters remove 99.9 percent of airborne particles, including bacteria and viruses, the biggest risk is proximity to other passengers, especially those coughing or sneezing. The former FDA employee, who is also an ardent traveler, said he always picks a window seat to reduce encounters with passers-by. He also always keeps his air vent open and pointed slightly downward to 'create an airflow barrier.' Before taking his seat, he uses sanitizing wipes to clean high-touch areas, including the tray table, armrests, seatbelt buckle and touchscreens. One 2015 study found that tray tables were the dirtiest spots on a plane. Results showed they had 2,155 CFU per square inch, far more than the bathroom flush button (265 CFU), overhead air vent (285 CFU) and seatbelt buckle (230 CFU). One of Dr Detwiler's biggest no-nos while flying is using the seatback pockets because, he says, they are rarely disinfected and may harbor bacteria. Arrival and post-flight precautions Think you're safe once you've landed? Think again. The doctor revealed the baggage claim area, customs and ground transportation all present new risks. Baggage claim belts come into contact with thousands of suitcases and hands, making them potential areas for bacteria to gather. Studies have also shown that suitcases - particularly their wheels and bases - can carry significant amounts of bacteria, sometimes exceeding levels found on surfaces like public toilet seats. Plus, 'exhaustion can make you more vulnerable as you are less alert and it is easy to let your guard down'. To keep your guard up, he recommends sanitizing your hands after collecting luggage, as your 'bag has been tossed around and handled by multiple people, moving along on conveyor belts, trolleys and cargo holds.' He also suggests keeping your mask on in customs and baggage claim as these areas are still crowded with travelers. After returning home or arriving at a hotel, shower and change into clean clothes as soon as possible, especially after long-haul flights.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Fat jabs are a nightmare for anorexics – I'll never get over my girl Nikki's death but I'd worry if she was still here
NIKKI Grahame was just seven years old when her mum said she came home from gymnastics club upset because another child had said her bum looked big in her leotard. That one tiny comment sparked the beginnings of an eating disorder in Nikki, which would see her spend the next decade in more than 18 different institutions, including two-and-a-half years in Great Ormond Street Hospital. 16 16 When she shot to fame on Big Brother in 2006, fans had no idea that behind her iconic diary chair meltdowns was a lifelong struggle with anorexia so severe that even the most experienced doctors described it as "the worst they'd ever seen." Now in a raw and emotional interview, Nikki's devoted mum Sue relives her gruelling journey with anorexia and recalls the last days before her tragic death from the disease, aged just 38. And she warns against the use of skinny jabs such as Ozempic or Mounjaro by people who are already slim - saying it could trigger or worsen eating disorders. 'Worst they'd ever seen' "I think these jabs are a nightmare for people with eating disorders because they are already skinny and it means they can restrict their food even more," Sue, now 71, told The Sun. "It would have been a worry for me while Nikki was alive. I don't know if Nikki would have taken them or not. She was already limiting her calories every single day, that was a huge part of her life. "I wouldn't have let her take the jabs, I'd have said, 'over my dead body'. "For people like Nikki, everything is counted, measured and weighed; it becomes their whole life. She would weigh herself before breakfast and again after each meal. It's constant. "To me, it's a short-term fix, to get an injection, because you need an education on how to look after your body, how to nurture it, how to nourish it. And just getting an injection, that's not going to change your ways, is it?" When shown examples of "thinspiration' content which can be found on social media sites such as TikTok, where influencers post images of ultra thin women and what they eat, Sue was shocked. 'Nikki used to go on sites like this and look at this kind of thing," she said. 'I know when I've walked into the room and she suddenly turned her phone off. 'Back then there were lots of websites about how to be as thin as you can. These people should be bloody locked up. It's disgusting. 'People should be locked up' 'I can honestly say I've never been on a diet. Never. And so it wasn't something Nikki learned from me." Sue said the first signs of Nikki's anorexia came when she was seven and she suddenly stopped eating and became withdrawn. 'There was the comment from the girl in gymnastics and she started to become withdrawn, that was the first sign," Sue said. "She started to get smaller and very picky with her food, so the alarm bells started to ring. 'I took her to the GP and he stood her in front of him and he asked her what she had eaten today. Of course she lied to him. 'She was so young, doctors refused to believe there was anything wrong with her." 16 16 16 Sue remembers being fobbed off by doctors until one day, Nikki was so weak she couldn't stand, and she carried her into the GP surgery where she refused to move until they admitted her daughter to hospital. "I didn't want her to be admitted to hospital but I couldn't get her to eat anything, she'd trick me," Sue said. 'It got to the point where I had to make her eat naked so she wouldn't stuff food in her knickers or anything. 'Because it started so young, by the time Nikki became an adult it was so engrained for her. Her purpose, her way of life, was to stay as thin as possible. 'She was very competitive about it. She'd walk on to a ward and want to be the skinniest anorexic in there. I would despair. 'When she was in Great Ormond Street, she had this wonderful doctor Professor Bryan Lask and he said 'You're not the worst I've ever seen Nikki, you are by far the worst I've ever seen' - and he travelled the world lecturing on anorexia." 'Don't leave me mummy' Sue recalls the heartbreaking day she left seven-year-old Nikki as an inpatient in hospital for the first time. 'She kept saying 'Mummy don't leave' and I said, 'Nikki I don't have a choice because you won't eat for me'," Sue said. 'Then they said, 'You can't see or speak to her for two weeks'. I said no, but they insisted. 'As we were leaving Nikki was screaming and these people just came from nowhere and pinned her down on the floor while we were rushed out of the unit. It was hell on earth, it was unnecessarily cruel." Sadly, Nikki did not improve. She refused to eat and became so thin nurses would have to force her to eat through a nasal tube. 'It got to the point where I had to make her eat naked so she wouldn't stuff food in her knickers or anything Sue Grahame Later on, she had to have a tube fitted surgically direct to her stomach as she kept pulling the nasal tube out, but that didn't work either as she pulled the tube out of her body. Sometimes she'd be sedated for a month at a time, as doctors desperately tried to increase her BMI with forced feeds. Sue said it some of the treatments were so "cruel" it was "gut-wrenching". 'The whole system of trying to treat anorexics it doesn't work," Sue said. 'I've been to all those units and some of them are pitiful. 16 16 'In my mind none of them delivered for Nikki, it just strengthened her resolve. 'There was one place that I'd have to bring her back to after a weekend visit home or something, and she'd lie on the floor and beat her hands and feet and scream and cry and say 'Mum don't leave me here, please don't leave me!' 'But I didn't have a choice because she wouldn't eat for me, what was I supposed to do? 'Barbaric' treatments 'There was one place where they'd melt Mars bars down and make them set the table until it was gone and if they didn't finish it they'd have to sleep on the kitchen floor. "At one point she was put her under for a month to be tube fed. So I just used to go and sit by her bed and talk to her and hold her hand. 'She'd wake up and say 'I can feel all that food inside of me - I can't take it mum, it's torture'. 'Staff weren't always very kind. A lot of things I could accept if it was making a difference but it wasn't. 'It was very barbaric and cruelty just doesn't work." Nikki's admissions to hospital stopped when she reached 18, but her struggles with anorexia continued and she also developed severe OCD behaviour around hygiene and preparing food. Sue said she was supportive of Nikki entering Big Brother because she was pleased to see her having some fun after the "hell" she'd been through as a child, however she did worry about how she'd cope with her eating disorder in such an environment. 'Going on Big Brother was great for her, it did give her a taste of a normal life, but obviously those demons were always there," she said. "When she got a call to say she had been chosen she started jumping around saying, 'I'm in, I'm going into Big Brother!' 'I was pleased for her but worried because at the time she couldn't eat in front of people and she wouldn't allow people to cook for her. 'I couldn't even cook for her because it she had this OCD as part of her illness and she became obsessed with hygiene. 'She had to clean her own plates before she'd eat on them, she had lots of rules. "That was the thing that worried me. But I just thought you know she's been in hospital from age seven til 18. Give the girl a bloody break. She had no life up to that point. 'This is why she used to have hissy fits in the Big Brother house because she learned in these units that if you shouted the loudest you'd get attention. "I used to watch her on the live stream and I could see she was having fun but I also knew when the s**t was going to hit the fan. I could predict it when she was heading for a meltdown. I'd think 'Christ here we go' and all of a sudden she'd let rip." 16 16 16 After Big Brother, Nikki enjoyed the fame the show brought and would travel the country doing appearances, even landing herself a magazine column. She entered the Big Brother house a total of five times, including the Canadian version. When TV work dried up, she moved to Nice, France where she worked in a Hard Rock Cafe branch, and learnt to speak French. After moving back to London, she went back to college to try and get her Maths and English GCSE and got a job in a local junior school as a teaching assistant. Sue said that in the years after Big Brother "she held her own" in her battle against anorexia, but Covid exacerbated her condition. 'She had a flat with a gym so she wouldn't come and stay with me during Covid, but then they closed the gym and so she spent £900 on a cross trainer," Sue said. 'I used to illegally drive up to London because she was so isolated. 'And while I was there she'd get on this cross trainer obsessively and I'd beg her to stop. I'd say, 'I don't want to lose you' and she'd say 'I'm not going anywhere. I said, 'Yeah that's what Karen Carpenter said'. 'Covid definitely didn't help Nikki, but I can't help feeling she'd already thrown the towel in. 'Because for months before, we'd be walking. I'd turn around, she'd be on the floor. Her legs would just gave way. 'Her body was packing up. She had been starved for so long. She never even had periods. "I don't think she was ever meant to make old bones in this world." 16 16 16 In the weeks before her death, both Sue and social services tried to encourage Nikki to become an inpatient again but she refused. Instead she decided to travel to her mum's in Dorset, stopping on the way at a pharmacy to pick up her meds. 'She was only 10 minutes away when she passed out in the pharmacy, hit her head on the floor and they had to blue light her in to Dorchester hospital," Sue said. 'She was in there for two weeks and I went in every day for the two weeks because it was just a regular ward, not an eating disorder unit and I wanted to take the weight off of the nurses because she needed supervising. 'If they brought her food, it would either go down the toilet or in the bin or out the window. 'I moved into a Premier Inn so that I could just walk there each day and I used to shower her and and watch her eat her meals. 'The mental health team said there was an eating disorders unit but it only had six beds and they were full. That might have made the difference. 'The nurses at the hospital were quite aggressive with her. Maybe they resented her. No one ever has any patience for anorexics. 'Her BMI was dangerously low. She was just skin and bones. She was pitiful to look at. "Then this nurse came in and said 'This isn't the place for you. This is a surgical ward. Nikki if you can walk up and down those steps outside there you can go home tomorrow. 'And I looked at her and the state Nikki was in and I couldn't believe it." Final journey Nikki was discharged from hospital later that day alone and took a taxi to her flat in London. 'She rang me from the taxi and said 'Hi Mum, I'm on my way home'. She was so weak, I couldn't believe they'd discharged her," Sue said. "She told me she really needed the toilet and the poor thing had an accident in the taxi she was so ill. I told her to get her friend to come over when she was at home and help her clean up and then I'd come over in the morning. 'Then she rang me up half three that morning. She used to do that a lot but it was usually when she was out clubbing. 'She said 'My friend came around and she helped me in the bath and put me in my jimmy jammies and then she saw me into bed, but I just wanted to tell you that I'm coping all right. ''I've just got up and been to the loo by myself on my walker.' 'I said, 'Every day take it slowly, you're not in a hurry, you'll get there. 'She said, 'Mum I'm tired. I love you.' I told her to go to bed and that I loved her." Nikki died that same morning. Sue was on a train on her way to London when Nikki's friend called her and broke the news. 'Goodbye darling' She rushed to Nikki's flat, where she said her final goodbye. 'I just lay on the bed with Nikki and cried," she said. 'The worst thing was watching the undertakers come and put her in a body bag and taking her out. 'I went down in the lift with them and we got to the outside door and I said 'Which side is her head?' 'They said it's up there. I just stroked the bag from the outside and said 'Goodbye darling'. It's awful, awful. I'll never get over it. It was the worst day of my life." Sue said she blames the hospital for Nikki's death and even looked into taking legal action but no law firm would take the case. She believes it was irresponsible for them to discharge her when she "couldn't even bathe herself or dress herself" and says she should have been transferred to a mental health unit. 'Even if I'd have taken it to court and won, I didn't want the money," Sue said. "I wanted things to change. Maybe I would have tried to get a unit built somewhere that would help others with anorexia. 'That nurse shouldn't have said, 'If you walk up and down the stairs, you can leave', because she clearly wasn't well enough to leave the hospital. If that's a rule, it shouldn't be. 'Nikki died on a Saturday morning. And I was walking my dog on the Monday morning when that same nurse rang. She was crying and she said, 'I'm so, so sorry. She shouldn't have gone home.' 'They shouldn't have let her home just because she put a bit of pressure on. She didn't know what was best for her." Signs and symptoms of anorexia if you're under 18, your weight and height being lower than expected for your age if you're an adult, having an unusually low body mass index missing meals, eating very little or avoiding eating any foods you see as fattening believing you are fat when you are a healthy weight or underweight taking medication to reduce your hunger (appetite suppressants) your periods stopping (in women who have not reached menopause) or not starting (in younger women and girls) physical problems, such as feeling dizzy, dry skin and hair loss Four years on from Nikki's April 2021 death, Sue says she's still struggling emotionally. She has relocated from Dorset and lives in East Sussex with her chihuahua Joey. Just two months ago, she suffered another heartbreak when she had to have Baby, Nikki's chihuahua who she had cared for since before her death, put to sleep aged 19. 'Until the day I take my last breath I won't get over Nikki's loss," she said. 'Nothing in this world scares me anymore because the worst possible thing has happened. "Life is tough, but since I came down here I'm trying extremely hard. I've made a couple of really good friends. 'But I have to say I have never been loved as much as Nikki loved me. And it wasn't because I was a pushover, it was because from day one of her illness I was fighting for her. 'I try and be philosophical because at the end of the day, she was mine for 38 years. How lucky was I? And people still write lovely things about her. They still love her. 'She wasn't everybody's cup of tea but for me she was very special. And even if I died tomorrow, I know I was truly loved in my life, and that's something not everybody can say."
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Viral ‘Dubai-style' chocolate is pulled from UK supermarket shelves over dangerous health risk
A VIRAL Dubai-style chocolate is being pulled from supermarket shelves across the UK, after being found to pose a dangerous health risk. A food alert"for action" has been issued to consumers and food businesses warning of the possible health risks the chocolate products present. 4 Dubai-style chocolate products that have been purchased from Noesis, Fix it and Le Damas, are the subject of the recall, with providers advised to immediate stop sales and undertake product withdrawals. This is because they have been found to include additional products and additional allergens. The products involved in the food alert are: Noesis Shokolade Love of Dubai, 95g Fit it Dubai Kunafa Chocolate, 50g Le Damas Dubai Chocolate Kunafa and Pistachio Any of these Dubai-style chocolate products are said to contain peanuts and other types of nuts, such as almonds, cashews, and walnuts. However, this is not mentioned on the labelling, and therefore presents a risk to anyone with nut allergies. The Food Standards Agency claim businesses have been supplied these products by a company called Black Sea Trading Ltd, who they say have "so far been contactable". They suggest food businesses selling these products should therefore enact food safety measures. The Agency also provides advise to consumers, and said: "If you have an allergy to peanuts or other types of nuts, don't buy these products, and if you have bought them, don't eat them, especially if you have a peanut or nut allergy. "Dispose of the products at home and get in touch with your local Trading Standards in Great Britain or Environmental Health Officers in Northern Ireland, to let them know where you purchased them." Shoppers go wild as Dubai chocolate dupe drops in Lidl Local authorities have been provided with details of specific action to be taken on behalf of consumers in relation to the product. Dubai-style chocolate has become a viral sensation around the world, and only recently come to common UK supermarket shelves. In June, the Dubai Chocolate Style Pistachio Cream and Kadayif Filled Milk Chocolate hit Aldi shelves across the UK, going for £3.99. Lidl also previously offered its JD Gross Dubai-Style Chocolate bar for also £3.99, which rapidly sold out. Waitrose introduced it's No.1 White Chocolate with Pistachio Nuts & Sea Salt bar priced at £2.75, offering a sweet and salty twist on the classic. And Morrisons sells the Bolci Dubai Chocolate With Pistachio Kadayif Filled Milk Chocolate at £5 for a 100g bar. The bars feature layers of rich pistachio cream and crunchy knafeh pastry, the is more regularly used in Middle Eastern desserts. Last month, the Food Standards Agency issued a similar warning about the Neosis Schokolade Love of Dubai chocolate too, due to it containing peanuts. Shops were told to immediately stop sales of the product, as this was not mentioned on the label. The recall of the chocolate products also comes just weeks after another Dubai-style sweet treat was pulled from UK supermarket shelves over risk to health issues. The Destan Pistazien Crème Dubai Style from Denar Limited was recalled at the end of last month, due to containing milk which was not mentioned on the label. 4
