Tag: Drugs
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Alcohol behind surge in liver disease deaths
Britain’s binge drinking habits may now be in decline, but a new study shows an alarming rise in liver-related deaths. Is it time for the government to get tough with problem drinkers?
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Ban smoking in parks, new health report urges
Hong Kong, New York and Toronto have all banned smoking in their green spaces. Now London could be about to follow suit. But is preventing people from lighting up outdoors unfair?
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Medics urge lifelong smoking ban for teens
Last week, the British Medical Association voted overwhelmingly in favour of a ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after the year 2000. But would such a policy be fair?
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Controversial drug ban splits UK communities
Chewing on the high-inducing khat plant has been a part of Somali, Ethiopian and Yemeni culture for millennia, but the UK government has now banned it on health grounds. Is the ban right?
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‘Vile’ teen book scoops prestigious prize
A disturbing teen novel by Kevin Brooks, about a boy who is held hostage, has just been awarded one of literature’s most important prizes. Is young adult fiction becoming too dark?
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Colombians vote for peace after 50-year war
For half a century, Colombia has been blighted by its war against rebels. Now it has re-elected its president who is committed to peace talks, but will peace come at the price of justice?
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Scientists warn of world without antibiotics
For over 50 years we have depended on them to keep us healthy. Now experts tell us our misuse of antibiotics means they are no longer working. It’s very serious, but is there a remedy?
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Mind-altering drugs hold ‘calming benefits’
Some patients dying of terminal cancer have found psychedelic drugs calming, and others with severe mental problems have also been helped by them. Should they be more widely available?
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UK gripped by Nigella’s courtroom confessions
Nigella Lawson, the so-called ‘domestic goddess’, has admitted to taking cocaine and accused her husband of ‘intimate terrorism’. Why is the media so fascinated by this drama?
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Methodist minister arrested after drugs scandal
Paul Flowers, a prominent member of the Methodist Church and former chairman of the Co-operative Bank, has been filmed apparently buying hard drugs. Now, his secret life is unravelling.
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End drugs prohibition era, says police chief
A senior UK police officer has called for all drug use to be decriminalised, saying that ‘villains’ are the only people who benefit from current policies. Is it time to end the ‘war on drugs’?
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Mankind, science and disease in deadly fight
As Britain announces a huge push to tackle the three most deadly developing-world diseases, a top scientist has warned about drug resistance. Can humans and science beat disease?
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Sadistic drug kingpin caught by Mexican marines
Mexico is being torn apart by bloody battles between gangs funded by the global cocaine trade. This week one of the most notorious bosses has been captured – but will it make a difference?
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Epidemic spreads after hoax vaccine scare
Ten years ago, British newspapers caused a panic over the safety of the MMR vaccine. Now, thousands of teenagers – who went unvaccinated – could pay a terrible price.
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‘Superbugs’ will defeat antibiotics, experts warn
In the 20th Century, antibiotics tamed so many dangerous infections that many of us came to take our health for granted. Now it seems these advances may have been temporary.