In brief
BMJ 2006; 333 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.333.7557.8 (Published 29 June 2006) Cite this as: BMJ 2006;333:8
European alcohol consumption is double the global average: In 2002 drinking in Europe was responsible for 6.1% of deaths, 12.3% of all years of life lost, and 10.7% of all disability adjusted life years, a report in Addiction says (doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2006.01 491.x). Each European drank on average 12.1 l of pure alcohol, more than double the average global consumption of 5.8 l.
Dutch council calls for trials of chlamydia screening: The Dutch Health Council is recommending randomised trials of screening of 15 to 30 year olds in the country's largest cities for chlamydia. It says that this is justified by the 3.2% prevalence of the infection among people in cities.
Germany revises law on tobacco advertising: Germany will introduce its own bill to outlaw the advertising of tobacco products after pressure from the European Court of Justice. Germany had challenged a European Union law banning tobacco advertising in print, on the radio, and online.
Mental ill health among UK employees triples in five years: UK occupational health doctors saw three times as many people with stress and mental illness in 2001 as they did in 1996. The proportion of all visits involving mental ill health more than tripled, rising to 36.7% from 11.4% (Occupational Medicine, doi: 10.1093/occmed/kql041).
Red Cross accepts Israel's first aid society as member: The International Committee of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has accepted Israel's national first aid and ambulance organisation, Magen David Adom, as a full member 57 years after it first applied. (BMJ 2005;331: 654).
NICE issues guidance on atrial fibrillation: The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence and the Royal College of Physicians have jointly produced new guidance on atrial fibrillation to increase its detection and treatment (www.nice.org.uk/CG036).