National Ban Research Articles

Pesticide self-poisoning: thinking outside the box

Self-poisoning with pesticides is a major global public-health problem, with estimates of 300 000 deaths a year in the Asia-Pacific region alone.1 WHO now estimates that pesticide ingestion is the most common method of suicide worldwide, and has responded by launching a global Pesticides and Health Initiative.2,3 Several approaches have been proposed to reduce the high morbidity and mortality associated with pesticide self-poisoning. These strategies include improved clinical management of poisoning, provision of counselling services for vulnerable individuals, and restricted access to toxic pesticides.4,5 Restriction of the availability of pesticides to prevent their use in impulsive acts of self-harm is emerging as a favoured approach.3,6 Suggested measures include the development of agricultural practices in which pesticide use is avoided or reduced to a minimum, national bans on highly toxic pesticides, and promotion of initiatives to store pesticides safely.6 Before one or more approaches are chosen, careful assessment will be required from a combined public-health and agricultural perspective. The pesticide industry has long argued for secure storage and use of locked boxes to prevent all forms of pesticide poisoning,7 and has started several projects testing and scaling-up the use of safe-storage boxes.8 With the active backing of industry, support for this approach has begun to gather momentum at WHO and the International Association for Suicide Prevention, with three meetings in Durban, Singapore, and Geneva.9,10 The pesticide industry's concern about this important public-health issue is welcome. However, industry-led initiatives will probably be affected by corporate priorities for shareholders and profits, and could bypass adequate consideration and assessment of alternative strategies. A second concern about the rapid scale-up and implementation of the locked-box approach is to carefully ensure that the approach will not have unplanned adverse effects. Intuitively, locked boxes are a sensible solution. However, in a pilot study in Sri Lanka, we found that many of the 172 participating households that received an inhouse storage box changed the location of pesticide storage from their fields (0·1–2 km away) to their homes. After 7 months, the number of households storing pesticides in their household increased from 54% to 98%, and only 84% locked the box. These changes could thus increase access to pesticides at times of stress. The storage box also highlighted where exactly the pesticides were stored; during our study, locked boxes were twice broken into (figure) and pesticides ingested, with one death. Another intervention of simple distribution of boxes without education or support resulted in only 30% of households locking their box.11 Figure Pesticide-storing metal box So far, no studies assessing the feasibility or effectiveness of safe pesticide-storage devices have been published. Such knowledge is needed before the practice can be widely recommended. Variation in cultural beliefs and agricultural practice in different communities and countries highlights the need for qualitative research to ensure generalisability to local circumstances and to implement appropriate modifications. Practical design issues, including ways to increase the likelihood of boxes being locked, should also be assessed before large-scale trials are undertaken. Infield storage devices or community-run stores could be more effective than the currently promoted inhouse boxes, but acceptable models have not yet been developed. With the public-health community's energy focused on safe storage, policymakers could be distracted from more immediate and longlasting solutions such as sales restrictions, product reformulation, import bans, and general reductions in agricultural pesticide use. Safe-storage interventions should be studied and assessed with other options that might not be as attractive to industry.

Persistent Organic Pollutants: Environmental Stain Fading Fast

Persistent Organic Pollutants: Environmental Stain Fading Fast

Patterns of Ephedra and Other Stimulant Use in Collegiate Hockey Athletes

This study examined trends in stimulant use and attitudes toward use among American collegiate hockey athletes. All 139 players in one college hockey conference completed a comprehensive questionnaire. Over half of the athletes (51.8%) confirmed stimulant use before a hockey game or practice. About half of the respondents (48.5%) reported having used ephedra at least one time to improve athletic performance. Additionally, 17.4% reported using pseudoephedrine to improve performance in the 30 days prior to survey administration. Over half (55.4%) were aware of the recent national ban on ephedra. Fifty-nine percent stated the national ban made them less likely to use ephedra products. The majority of athletes began use prior to college. Coaches, athletic trainers, and team physicians should be aware of athletes' patterns of stimulant use. Improved educational efforts directed at younger athletes are necessary to deter abuse of metabolic stimulants.

Indoor Fine and Ultrafine Particulate Matter Concentration In Public Places Before and After The National Ban of Smoking In Italy

TAA1-O-02 Introduction: A smoking ban in all closed public places started in Italy on January 2005. The aim of this study was to compare the indoor air quality of public facilities (bars, restaurants, fast food, pubs, and gaming clubs) before and after the smoking ban by monitoring the concentration of particulate matter (PM2.5, PM1.0 and ultrafines). Methods: Indoor concentration levels of PM 2.5, PM1.0, and ultrafine particles were monitored in 40 public facilities (14 bars, 6 fast food, 8 restaurants, 6 gaming clubs, 6 pubs) in one Italian city, before and after the smoking ban (at the successive 3rd and 12th month). Measurements were taken using direct-reading instruments (TSI Inc. photometer DustTRAK Mod. 8520; TSI Inc., Ultra-fine Particles Counter P-TRAK Mod. 8525). Also, indoor CO2, temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation were measured. For validation purposes, a comparison of direct reading measurements with gravimetric method was also performed. Results: Measurement of PM 2.5 and PM 1.0 levels in smoking areas before the law showed values fivefold higher than those measured in no-smoking areas. The indoor tobacco smoke turned out to be particularly high in pubs (PM2.5 arithmetic mean = 1549 μg/m3; range, 1054–3119 μg/m3). Fine and ultrafine monitoring at the third month after the application of the banning rule showed a strong reduction of the number of smoking areas permitted and a significantly (P < 0.001) mean reduction of PM2.5 (103 μg/m3 vs. 424 μg/m3) and of PM 1.0 (72 μg/m3 vs. 319 μg/m3), while the number of ultrafine particles was exactly halved (P < 0.001). The reduction of ETS indoor pollution was statistically significant (P < 0.05) also in the areas where it was not allowed to smoke before the law. These results were substantially confirmed by the monitoring data 1 year after the new law. The correlation between the photometric and the gravimetric method was quite good (R2 = 0.92). Discussion and Conclusions: Our data confirm the presence of elevated levels of Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) in public places in absence of smoking ban laws. ETS has an important role in determining indoor particulate matter concentration. The smoking ban law introduced in Italy, like in other countries, has produced a dramatic drop of fine and ultrafine particles indoor pollution in the public facilities with a great reduction of the areas reserved to smokers. The positive effect of the new law is maintained after 1 year.

Smoking, occupancy and staffing levels in a selection of Dublin pubs pre and post a national smoking ban, lessons for all

On the 29th March 2004 the Irish government introduced a comprehensive workplace smoking ban to protect the health of workers. This study evaluates the impact the ban had on staffing levels, customer numbers and smoking rates in a sample of 38 public houses in Dublin. A total of 38 public houses were visited prior to the introduction of the ban, each visit lasted at least three hours, and the number of staff, customers and the number of people smoking was recorded each hour. Follow-up visits were conducted exactly one year later, on the same day of the week and at the same time of day, allowing controlling for seasonal and weekday effects. There was a decrease (8.82%) in average staff levels while customer numbers increased by 11% and there was a dramatic reduction in numbers smoking on a visit to a pub (77.8%). The hospitality industry predicted major job losses as a consequence of the introduction of the smoking ban; this work has shown that there was no significant decrease in the number of staff employed or in customer numbers. There was full compliance, with no customers smoking inside the public houses following the introduction of the ban. The ban has been good for the industry, staff, and customers.

Suffolk Bancorp

Mergent's Dividend AchieversVolume 3, Issue 4 p. 264-264 U.S. Company Reports Suffolk Bancorp† First published: 10 October 2006 https://doi.org/10.1002/div.4907 † Contact: : Edward J. Merz — Chmn. Address: : 4 West Second Street, Riverhead, NY 11901 Web Site: : www.scnb.com AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Commercial Banking (MIC: 8.1 SIC: 6021 NAIC: 522110) Suffolk Bancorp is a bank holding company. Co. does commercial banking through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Suffolk County National Ban (SCNB), a full-service, nationally chartered commercial bank. SCNB operates 26 full-service offices throughout Suffolk County, NY. Most of SCNB's business is retail, and includes loans to individual consumers, to professionals, and to small and medium-sized commercial enterprises. Co. has special expertise in indirect retail lending, evaluating and buying loans generated by automobile dealers. The Bank also makes loans for automobiles in Nassau and Queens Counties, NY. and lends to small manufacturers, wholesalers, builders, farmers, and retailers. Volume3, Issue4Autumn (Fall) 2006Pages 264-264 RelatedInformation

The foot-and-mouth disease epidemic in Dumfries and Galloway, 2001. 2: Serosurveillance, and efficiency andeffectiveness of control procedures after the national ban on animal movements

After the foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) epidemic in Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland in 2001, serosurveillance of sheep remaining in the 3 km radius Protection Zones around Infected Premises (IPs),...

Early dissemination of foot-and-mouth disease virus through sheep marketing in February 2001

The results of epidemiological investigations suggest that livestock on up to 79 premises, spread widely throughout the British Isles, may have been exposed to infection by foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) virus...

Some long-run effects of growing markets and renewable fuel standards on additives markets and the US ethanol industry

The effects of likely regulatory and policy changes in the US gasoline and additives market are compared to a reference baseline. The baseline reflects existing EPA policies about fuel quality regulation and likely petroleum and gasoline expansions. The market and welfare effects are presented for implementing a renewable fuel standard; imposing a national ban on the additive MTBE; and removing the oxygen standard for reformulated fuel. Market and welfare estimates are based on adjusting product market demands and factor supplies. Product market and price analyses include quality-differentiated products, such as refinery gasoline, chemical additives and ethanol at the wholesale level; and gasoline grades in conventional, reformulated and oxygenated markets at the ratail level. Factor market analyses include supplies for petroleum, natural gas byproducts, and corn. The analysis includes the welfare cost of fuel to consumers and income in agriculture and the petroleum sector.

NT move brings national ban on cosmetic tail docking a step closer

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 81, Issue 6 p. 305-305 Free Access NT move brings national ban on cosmetic tail docking a step closer First published: 10 March 2008 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2003.tb11480.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume81, Issue6June 2003Pages 305-305 RelatedInformation

Foot-and-mouth disease in the UK: What should we do next time?

Mathematical models were used to guide the UK foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) control policy during the 2001 epidemic. Based on data collected during the epidemic, prospective modelling using a variety of approaches gave the same conclusions: (i) that the epidemic had not been brought under control by 'traditional' methods, and (ii) that neighbourhood control measures (the contiguous cull) could bring the epidemic under control and result in a net saving of livestock. Retrospective analyses suggest that the subsequent course of the epidemic was consistent with a beneficial impact of the contiguous cull and that it would have been difficult to achieve a better outcome using reactive vaccination, which would have required very large-scale vaccination programmes to have been implemented quickly. Perhaps the most important lesson to be learned is the vital importance of rapid and decisive intervention in response to an outbreak, including the earliest possible implementation of a national ban on the movement of livestock once the presence of disease is confirmed.

Moves for national docking ban

Australian Veterinary JournalVolume 79, Issue 4 p. 221-221 Free Access Moves for national docking ban First published: 10 March 2008 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-0813.2001.tb11944.xAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume79, Issue4April 2001Pages 221-221 RelatedInformation

Owning genetic information and gene enhancement techniques: why privacy and property rights may undermine social control of the human genome.

In this article I argue that the proper subjects of intangible property claims include medical records, genetic profiles, and gene enhancement techniques. Coupled with a right to privacy these intangible property rights allow individuals a zone of control that will, in most cases, justifiably exclude governmental or societal invasions into private domains. I argue that the threshold for overriding privacy rights and intangible property rights is higher, in relation to genetic enhancement techniques and sensitive personal information, than is commonly suggested. Once the bar is raised, so-to-speak, the burden of overriding it is formidable. Thus many policy decisions that have been recently proposed or enacted--citywide audio and video surveillance, law enforcement DNA sweeps, genetic profiling, national bans on genetic testing and enhancement of humans, to name a few--will have to be backed by very strong arguments.

Confronting the Problem of Backyard Burning: The Case for a National Ban

Backyard burning of domestic waste in rural areas of the United States has quietly emerged as a serious waste management issue due to increasing levels of synthetic chemicals in domestic waste. Several recent U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) studies have found per unit emissions to contain high concentrations of hor monally active organochlorine compounds, indicating a clear public health threat. W hile urban to rural migration has contributed to pressure on local and state policymakers to ban the practice, rising rural waste disposal costs have created greater incentives to burn in areas where it is still legal. Currently there is no federal regulation of backyard burning, resulting in a patchwork of protection at the state and local levels. Recent events in New York suggest that state-level bans are difficult to achieve. In part this is because the public health impacts of burning are almost impossible to empirically measure. In order to provide all U.S. citizens with equal protection of the law, a national ban under Rural Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) authority is needed.

Waste without frontiers?

The transfrontier recovery, treatment and disposal of waste in the European Union is governed by regulations both at the union level and in the individual states. Do these various regulations make economic sense? What are the arguments for and against national export bans and import restrictions over and above the EU regulations?

Babywalker-related injuries continue despite warning labels and public education.

To describe the epidemiology of babywalker-related injuries to children treated in a pediatric emergency department despite current prevention efforts, and to investigate the beliefs of parents regarding babywalker use. A descriptive study of a consecutive series of patients. The emergency department of a large, academic children's hospital. Children treated for babywalker-related injuries during the 3-year period of March 1993 through February 1996. There were 271 children treated for babywalker-related injuries. The mean age was 9.2 months, and 62% of patients were boys. Ninety-six percent of children were injured when they fell down stairs in their babywalker. The number of stairs that a child fell down was significantly associated with skull fracture and admission to the hospital, and a fall down more than 10 stairs had a relative risk (RR) of skull fracture = 3.28 (95% confidence interval, 1.35 < RR < 7.98). There were 159 children with contusions/abrasions (58.6%), 35 concussions/head injuries (12. 9%), 33 lacerations (12.2%), 26 skull fractures (9.6%), 9 epistaxis (3.3%), 4 nonskull fractures (1.5%), 4 avulsed teeth (1.5%), and 1 burn (0.4%). Three of the skull fractures were depressed, and three also had accompanying intracranial hemorrhage. Ten patients (3.7%) were admitted to the hospital, and all had skull fractures resulting from falls down stairs. Supervision was present in 78% of cases, including supervision by an adult in 69% of cases. Forty-five percent of families kept the walker, and 32% used the walker again for the study patient or another child after the injury episode. Fifty-nine percent of parents acknowledged that they were aware of the potential dangers of babywalkers before the injury event. Fifty-six percent of parents favored a national ban on the sale of walkers, and 20% were opposed. Despite the currently used prevention strategies, including adult supervision, warning labels, care giver education programs, and stairway gates, serious injuries associated with babywalkers continue to occur to young children. The US Consumer Product Safety Commission should promulgate a rule, similar to the voluntary standard adopted in Canada, regarding design requirements for babywalkers that will prevent their passage through household doorways at the head of stairs. The manufacture and sale of mobile babywalkers that do not meet this new standard should be banned in the US. A recall or trade-in campaign should be conducted nationally to decrease the number of existing babywalkers.

The United Nations, India and Test Ban

The United Nations, India and Test Ban

Psychoactive Drugs and Athletic Performance

Some psychoactive drugs have actual performance-enhancing side effects. However, many actually decrease performance, primarily because of adverse cardiovascular effects and impaired judgment. Athletes and nonathletes alike may be knowingly or unknowingly exposed to psychoactive substances if they use over-the-counter, recreational, or prescription drugs. Many national and international sports federations ban or limit psychoactive drug use. The physiologic actions of psychoactive drugs and their use by high school and college athletes are discussed here.

Criteria for Evaluating a Ban on the Advertisement of Cigarettes

THE American Medical Association has long recommended a ban on promotional advertising of cigarettes, as has a broad range of public health organizations. 1 The tobacco industry, in an uneasy alliance with civil libertarians and the media, argues that a ban would violate the constitutional right to free expression. The debate has been bitter and vehement, impeding adequate examination of the complex public health and constitutional questions engendered by such a policy. In this article, we offer criteria for evaluating a national ban on tobacco advertising. First, we explore modern case law to determine whether the Supreme Court, applying the commercial free speech doctrine, would uphold a ban. Second, we critically evaluate existing empirical claims about the nature and impact of tobacco advertising on smoking behavior. Third, we assess the unique aspects of the cigarette as a consumer product to see whether it can be distinguished from other hazardous products.

France.

Taxes on cigarettes in France have been increased by 15 per cent, the first of an overall rise of 30 per cent. Part of the revenue raised will help subsidise motor racing which lost its sponsors following a recent national ban on cigarette advertising. The remainder will go to the social security service.