Seven days in medicine: 6-12 September 2023
BMJ 2023; 382 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p2078 (Published 14 September 2023) Cite this as: BMJ 2023;382:p2078
Smoking
Rates fall but “not quickly enough” to achieve target
Office for National Statistics data show that 12.9% of UK adults smoke cigarettes,1 the lowest proportion of current smokers since records began in 2011. But the charity ASH warned that rates were not falling quickly enough to achieve the government’s ambition of 5% or less by 2030. Deborah Arnott, ASH chief executive, said, “Today’s figures are a wake-up call. The government must step up its support to smokers, for example by reinvesting in the vital campaigns to motivate smokers to quit and discourage youth uptake, which have been cut to the bone in recent years.”
Group calls for vape recycling points
The non-profit group Material Focus, which campaigns for small electrical gadgets to be recycled, has called for “visible vape recycling drop-off points” in parks and other public places to reduce waste from the five million disposable vapes thrown away every week in the UK.2 The lithium and copper from vapes could power nearly 5000 electric vehicles if recycled, it said. Proper financing for vape recycling, which costs £200m a year, is also needed to recover materials and reduce fire risks.
Women’s health
Survey aims to shape England’s policy
Women in England are being encouraged to help shape future reproductive health policy by sharing their experiences on a range of …
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