The last gasp: Health Secretary signals new smoking curbs

By Ben Russell, Political Correspondent, The Independent.
Monday, 26 May 2008

Cigarettes will be banned from public display in shops and vending machines are to be scrapped under dramatic new plans designed to curb smoking among young people.

Packets of 10 cigarettes will also be outlawed under proposals to be published later this week by the Health Secretary, Alan Johnson.

A consultation paper includes plans to force cigarettes to be kept “under the counter” out of public view, Mr Johnson said.

BMJ 2008;336:598-600 (published 6 March 2008)

Research
Gary Parkes, general practitioner, Trisha Greenhalgh, professor, Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, University College London; Mark Griffin, lecturer in medical statistics, and Richard Dent, consultant chest physician department of chest medicine

Conclusion: Telling smokers their lung age significantly improves the likelihood of them quitting smoking, but the mechanism by which this intervention achieves its effect is unclear.

Acute bronchiolitis

Andrew Bush, professor of paediatric respirology. BMJ  2007;335:1037-1041 (17 November).

Acute bronchiolitis is a clinical diagnosis. It “is a seasonal viral illness, characterised by fever, nasal discharge and dry, wheezy cough. On examination, there are fine inspiratory crackles and/or high-pitched expiratory wheeze.

Summary points:

• Bronchiolitis caused by respiratory syncytial virus is an important and seasonal cause of respiratory morbidity in the first year of life

• No effective preventive or therapeutic strategies exist, and supportive management is offered

• Unnecessary investigations and ineffective treatment must be avoided

• Many infants have medium to long term post-bronchiolitic symptoms, which should not be confused with true asthma and which do not respond to any current treatments