In brief

US president's initiatives should cut teenage smoking: President Bill Clinton told the American Association for the Advancement of Science that raising the price of cigarettes and other antismoking initiatives could mean that three million teenagers would be stopped from smoking and one million lives saved by 2003.

UK peers will investigate cannabis: The House of Lords science and technology committee is to inquire into the decriminalisation of cannabis. The inquiry, which is expected to report in the autumn, will be chaired by Lord Perry of Walton.

Over 25m Pakistani children given polio vaccine: Over 25m children in Pakistan are being targeted in a mass immunisation campaign in an attempt to reach the World Health Organisation's target of eliminating the disease by 2000.

US Senate confirms new surgeon general: The US Senate has confirmed President Bill Clinton's nominee, Dr David Satcher, as surgeon general. Dr Satcher is at present director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and his appointment to the post was opposed by some senators because he has supported late abortion when the mother's life is in danger.

Romanian health workers strike: Over 150000 Romanian health workers have gone on indefinite strike, demanding the doubling of what their union calls “shameful” wages. The average wage for a nurse or junior doctor is $60 (£37) a month. Thirty nine hospitals in Bucharest are affected, although emergency services will continue.

Drivers will be tested for drugs: Motorists in Britain will be tested for drugs in the next few months in a government trial. Of 619 people killed in road accidents and studied during the first 15 months of a government survey, 16% had taken illegal drugs; the incidence among the drivers killed was 18%. In 1985-7 only 3% of dead road users tested had taken illegal drugs.