National Ban Research Articles

COMMUNIZATION AND DE-COMMUNIZATION OF TOPONYMS IN KAMYANETS’-PODIL’S’KY

The Communisation about change on toponymy map in Kamyanets’-Podil’s’ky during the 1920s – early ХХІ century. Within the first 20 years of Soviet rule, most microtoponyms that did not fit into the ideological system of the Communist Party were renamed – appeared the names of party and military leaders of the USSR, the ideologists of the communist movement. During the next 30 years, some of those objects were renamed again due to the unprecedented scale repressive movement and different kinds of executions of Soviet leaders. After World War II, Communisation toponymy held mainly by the new street names, instead of renaming existing ones. Since the beginning of the collapse of the Soviet Union and the loss of dominance of the Communist Party ideology, starts the reverse process – decommunization. Primarilyold name was returned to the historic streets of Kamyanets’-Podil’s’kyin 1990 over 1992-1995. De-communization held by renaming streets of the new city, which bore the names of communist leaders. The new wave of decommunisation is associated with Revolution of dignity and the Law of Ukraine«On the condemnation of Communist and National Socialist (Nazi) totalitarian propagation and ban their symbols». During this period, toponymic objects included in the list of those subject decommunization given new names. If the situation Kamyanets’-Podil’s’ky, streets and lanes provided the names of the dead patriots during the Revolution of dignity and Russian-Ukrainianwar in Eastern Ukraine.

Prevention of suicide with regulations aimed at restricting access to highly hazardous pesticides: a systematic review of the international evidence.

Pesticide self-poisoning accounts for 14-20% of suicides worldwide. Regulation aimed at restricting access to pesticides or banning highly hazardous pesticides is one approach to reducing these deaths. We systematically reviewed the evidence of the effectiveness of pesticide regulation in reducing the incidence of pesticide suicides and overall suicides. We did a systematic review of the international evidence. We searched MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Embase for studies published between Jan 1, 1960, and Dec 31, 2016, which investigated the effect of national or regional bans, and sales or import restrictions, on the availability of one or more pesticides and the incidence of suicide in different countries. We excluded other interventions aimed at limiting community access to pesticides. We extracted data from studies presenting pesticide suicide data and overall suicide data from before and after national sales restrictions. Two reviewers independently assessed papers for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias. We undertook a narrative synthesis of the data in each report, and where data were available for the years before and after a ban, we pooled data for the 3 years before and the 3 years after to obtain a crude estimate of the effect of the ban. This study is registered through PROSPERO, number CRD42017053329. We identified 27 studies undertaken in 16 countries-five low-income or middle-income countries (Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Jordan and Sri Lanka), and 11 high-income countries (Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, UK, and USA). Assessments largely focused on national bans of specific pesticides (12 studies of bans in six countries-Jordan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Greece [Crete], South Korea, and Taiwan) or sales restrictions (eight studies of restrictions in five countries- India, Denmark, Ireland, the UK and the USA). Only five studies used optimum analytical methods. National bans on commonly ingested pesticides in five of the six countries studied, including four studies using optimum analytical methods, were followed by reductions in pesticide suicides and, in three of these countries, falls in overall suicide mortality. Greece was the only country studied that did not show a decrease in pesticide suicide following a ban. There were no high-quality studies of restricting sales to people for occupational uses; four of the seven studies (in three of the five countries studied-India, Denmark, and the USA) showed sales restrictions were followed by decreases in pesticide suicides; one of the two studies investigating trends in overall suicide mortality reported a fall in deaths in Denmark, but there were also decreases in suicide deaths from other methods. National bans on highly hazardous pesticides, which are commonly ingested in acts of self-poisoning, seem to be effective in reducing pesticide-specific and overall suicide rates. Evidence is less consistent for sales restrictions. A worldwide ban on the use of highly hazardous pesticides is likely to prevent tens of thousands of deaths every year. None.

Impact of the Spanish smoking laws on tobacco consumption and secondhand smoke exposure: A longitudinal population study

BackgroundIn Spain, two smoke-free laws have been passed after the approval of the WHO-FCTC. This study assesses the impact of these Spanish smoking legislations on the active and passive smoking through a population cohort in Barcelona (Spain). MethodsThis is a longitudinal study before and after the implementation of two national smoking bans in Spain in a representative sample (n=1245) of adults (≥16years old) from Barcelona (Spain) surveyed in 2004–2005 and followed-up in 2013–2014. The final sample analyzed was 736 individuals. Both questionnaires (before and after the two laws) included the same variables about active and passive smoking. We calculated the prevalence and the prevalence ratio (PR, with their 95% confidence intervals, 95% CI) of smoking cigarettes and hand-rolled tobacco and also the prevalence of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) at home, work, public transport, leisure time and at any setting after vs. before Spanish legislations. ResultsAfter the implementation of the two Spanish smoke-free bans, a significant decrease was observed in the smoking prevalence (from 34.5% to 26.1%, PR=0.76, p<0.001), in the average cigarettes per day (median from 15.2 to 10.0, p<0.001), and in the percentage of conventional tobacco consumption (from 92.6% to 74.4%, PR=0.80, p<0.001). Furthermore, a significant increase in the use of hand-rolled tobacco (from 6.1% to 30.9%, PR=5.07, p<0.001) and other tobacco products (from 17.1% to 32.8%, PR=1.92, p<0.001) was observed. In addition, a significant decrease in the self-reported SHS exposure was observed in all the assessed settings (home, work, transport, and leisure time). ConclusionsThe implementation of the two smoke-free legislations in Spain is related to a reduction in smoking prevalence and SHS exposure. However, the smoking of other tobacco products, particularly hand-rolled tobacco, has increased among young population.

Effects of a national smoking ban on hospital admissions for cardiovascular diseases: a time-series analysis in Taiwan

ABSTRACTOn January 11, 2009, a comprehensive smoking ban was implemented in Taiwan. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of this ban on hospital admissions for ischemic heart disease (IHD). Trends in the country-level monthly hospital admission rates for IHD were determined and frequency compared to other conditions such as control conditions cholecystitis, bowel obstruction, and appendicitis from January 1997 (1 year before the first phase of smoke-free laws was implemented) to December 2012 (3 years after the second phase of the ban). Poisson regression with a monthly time-series model was used to determine alterations in the trend of admission rates for IHD with comparison to rates of other disorders after the ban. Hospital admissions for IHD decreased by 0.8% (incidence rate ratio [RR]: 0.992; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.991–0.994) and 1.1% (incidence RR: 0.989; 95% CI = 0.988–0.991) following the first (September 19, 1997 to January 10, 2009) and second (January 11, 2009 to December 31, 2012) phases of the ban, respectively, compared with those prior to the pre-ban period, the corresponding values for the control conditions were 0.6% (95% CI = 0.5%–0.7%) and 0.7% (95% CI = 0.6%–0.9%). The admission rates significantly fell for both men and women and for all examined age categories after both first and second phases of the ban. The present findings provide evidence of a significant reduction in hospital admissions for IHD in Taiwan following smoking bans.

Prevalence and characteristics of flavoured tobacco use among students in grades 10 through 12: a national cross-sectional study in Canada, 2012\u20132013

BackgroundTobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Canada and the world. Despite documented decreases in the prevalence of smoking in Canada, increases in flavoured tobacco use by its youth poses a serious public health concern. This study examined the prevalence and characteristics of flavoured tobacco use among a national sample of Canadian students in grades 10 through 12.MethodsThis study used a cross-sectional design on a nationally generalizable, school-based, Youth Smoking Survey (YSS), 2012–2013. It incorporated data from a representative sample of 19,979 students in grades 10–12 from across Canada. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine differences in flavoured tobacco use (menthol cigarettes, flavoured little cigar or cigarillo, flavoured cigar, flavoured tobacco in water pipe [hookah]) by demographic (sex, grade and ethnicity) and social characteristics (friends, siblings, parents/guardians who are smokers and weekly personal spending money).ResultsThis study found that 14.8% of the participating students used flavoured tobacco in the past 30-days. Results of the logistic regression analysis show that flavoured tobacco use was significantly higher among male students [(OR = 1.63; 95% CI = 1.36–1.95)], who had at least one friend or sibling who smoke [(OR = 2.20; CI = 1.62 to 2.99) and (OR = 1.51; CI = 1.22 to 1.88), respectively] and who received greater than $20/week in personal spending money [(OR = 1.76; CI = 1.26 to 2.45)].ConclusionsThe results of our study indicate that flavoured tobacco use is a growing public health concern and has a strong appeal among youth in Canada. This is a particularly troubling finding, especially in light of the fact that there is a national ban on certain flavoured tobacco products. To be effective, strategies specifically tailored for youth using flavoured tobacco would require appropriate educational/prevention initiatives, more comprehensive legislation and better regulatory mechanisms.

Skin cancer in the youth population of the United Kingdom

Skin cancer is disproportionately high in the youth population of the United Kingdom, as compared with other cancers, yet it is a topic which so far has received little recognition, subsequently relevant literature is relatively scarce. In the United Kingdom, malignant melanoma is now one of the commonest cancers in those aged 15–34 years. Furthermore, malignant melanoma the 7th most common cancer in men, and 5th most common cancer in women in the United Kingdom in 2013 accounting for 4% of all cancer cases in the United Kingdom. Moreover, skin cancer is currently the fastest growing cancer in the world with a five-fold increase in frequency since the 1970′s resulting in disfigurement and death.This essay explores this skin cancer age-related anomaly through the lens of public health. A scoping review combined with a thematic analysis of literature, identified risk factors including demographic and environmental risk factors within the youth population. Research suggests that 86% of cases could be prevented alleviating the current financial burden of over £100 million spent on managing skin cancer. I therefore suggest a multi primary and secondary prevention approach through education programs, whilst promoting awareness and tanning alternatives targeting both youth and parental populations. A final recommendation involves government incentives to increase sun protective factor (SPF) in creams, and imposing a complete national ban on tanning beds. All these preventions would contribute to lowering skin cancer prevalence in the youth population whilst also alleviating the financial burden of the disease.

‘Do you come from a land down under?’ Characteristics of the international trade in Australian endemic parrots

The wildlife pet trade is a billion dollar transnational business that has devastating effects on global biodiversity. Australian parrots are highly sought by overseas collectors due to their uniqueness, however, the characteristics of this demand are poorly understood. We used trade reports to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Trade Database to analyse spatial and temporal trends in live commercial trade of Australian endemic parrots. We also investigated whether the volume of trade is influenced by variables related to species availability and popularity in Australia, and ease of captive breeding. We collected information on over 20,000 transactions for the period 1975–2014. Between the years 2000 and 2005 the volume of trade sharply declined, possibly due to the effect of international bird trade bans as a response to the avian influenza crisis. Australia has a minimal role in the trade of its own endemic parrots, even before the passing of the Australian Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act 1999 that banned the export of native wildlife. Key international exporters are Netherlands (25.8% of all exports) and Belgium (17.5%), and captive breeding is the major source. The USA (7.5% of all imports) and Japan (7.3%) are key importers, and Netherlands, USA and South Africa are also major intermediaries. Species that have larger Australian distributions, and species abundant in Australian private and public captivity, are traded internationally in higher volumes. International trade in Australian endemic parrots is an example of an exotic pet market that is sustainably supplied by overseas captive breeding, while native populations are effectively protected by genuine national trade bans.

Facilitators and Barriers of Smokers' Compliance with Smoking Bans in Public Places: A Systematic Review of Quantitative and Qualitative Literature.

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is associated with an increased risk of many diseases. Many countries have ratified a national smoking ban in public places, but studies on factors related to smoking issues in public places post-ban are lacking. Aim: To identify facilitators and barriers that influenced smokers’ compliance with smoking bans in public places. Methods: Using PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Web of Science database, we conducted a systematic search of English articles published before June 2015 on factors of smokers’ compliance with the smoking bans in public places. Results: A total of 390 references were identified, among which seventeen articles (twelve quantitative studies, two qualitative studies, three mixed-method studies) were included in this review. These studies focused on four types of public places including recreational venues (n = 7), hospital (n = 5), school (n = 4), and workplace (n = 1). Factors at the individual-, interpersonal-, and organizational-level were identified: at the individual level, nicotine dependence, insufficiency of tobacco-related knowledge, and the negative attitudes towards smoking bans were the most commonly identified barriers; at the interpersonal level, the smoking behaviors of people around, close relatives, and friends’ approval were the main barriers; and at the organizational level, the main barriers were inefficient implementation of the bans and the inconvenience of the designative smoking areas. Conclusions: This synthesis of the literature provided evidence of the identified barriers and facilitators of smokers’ compliance with the smoking bans. It will be beneficial for the policy-maker to consider interventions on multiple levels of factors to overcome the barriers and enhance smokers’ compliance with the smoking bans in public places.

The role of middle managers in tobacco control after a national smoke-free hospital campus ban

BackgroundMuch of the recent health services research on tobacco control implementation has explored general views and perceptions of health professionals and has rarely taken into account middle management’s perspectives. We state that middle managers may facilitate the implementation of smoke-free campus bans and thereby improve their effectiveness. The aim of this study was to assess middle managers’ behaviors to enforce a new national smoke-free hospital campus ban, to evaluate their perceptions of the level of compliance of the new regulation, and to explore their attitudes towards how smoking affects the work environment.MethodsWe used a cross-sectional survey, conducted online to evaluate middle managers of a general hospital in Catalonia, Spain. Close-ended and open-ended questions were included. Results were analyzed by using quantitative and qualitative methods. The managers’ open opinions to the proposed topics were assessed using UCINET, and a graph was generated in NetDraw.ResultsSixty-three of the invited managers (78.7 %) participated in the survey. 87.2 % of them agreed that the hospital complied with the smoke-free campus ban and 79.0 % agreed that managers have an important role in enforcing the ban. They also perceived that smoking disturbs the dynamics of work, is a cause of conflict between smokers and non-smokers, and harms both the professional and the organization images. However, 96.8 % of respondents have never given out fines or similar measures and their active role in reminding others of the policy was limited; in addition, 68.2 % considered that hospitals should provide tobacco cessation treatments. Smoker middle managers were more likely than non-smokers to perceive that smoking has little impact on work.ConclusionsMiddle managers play a limited role in controlling tobacco consumption; smokers are less prone to think that smoking disturbs work dynamics than non-smokers. Tailored training and clear proceedings for middle managers could encourage more active roles.

Impact of the Spanish smoking legislations in the adoption of smoke-free rules at home: a longitudinal study in Barcelona (Spain)

ObjectiveTo assess the impact of two Spanish smoking legislations in the adoption of voluntary smoke-free-homes rules in Spain.MethodsThis is a longitudinal study, before and after the implementation of two national...

Deconstructing myths, building alliances: a networking model to enhance tobacco control in hospital mental health settings

Life expectancy for people with severe mental disorders is up to 25 years less in comparison to the general population, mainly due to diseases caused or worsened by smoking. However, smoking is usually a neglected issue in mental healthcare settings. The aim of this article is to describe a strategy to improve tobacco control in the hospital mental healthcare services of Catalonia (Spain). To bridge this gap, the Catalan Network of Smoke-free Hospitals launched a nationwide bottom-up strategy in Catalonia in 2007. The strategy relied on the creation of a working group of key professionals from various hospitals —the early adopters— based on Rogers’ theory of the Diffusion of Innovations. In 2016, the working group is composed of professionals from 17 hospitals (70.8% of all hospitals in the region with mental health inpatient units). Since 2007, tobacco control has improved in different areas such as increasing mental health professionals’ awareness of smoking, training professionals on smoking cessation interventions and achieving good compliance with the national smoking ban. The working group has produced and disseminated various materials, including clinical practice and best practice guidelines, implemented smoking cessation programmes and organised seminars and training sessions on smoking cessation measures in patients with mental illnesses. The next challenge is to ensure effective follow-up for smoking cessation after discharge. While some areas of tobacco control within these services still require significant improvement, the aforementioned initiative promotes successful tobacco control in these settings.

Occupational exposure in the removal and disposal of asbestos-containing materials in Italy.

A great variety of asbestos-containing materials are present in both residential and work settings because of the widespread use made in the past, and many occupational activities still entail the risk of asbestos exposure in Italy, more than 2decades after the total national ban, mainly those involved in the removal and disposal of asbestos. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level and extent of asbestos exposure in Italy between the years 1996-2013 in the sector of asbestos abatement. Data were collected from firm registries of asbestos-exposed workers and descriptive statistics were calculated for exposure-related variables. Overall, 15,860 measurements of asbestos exposure were selected from the national database of registries, mostly referring to the construction sector (N=11,353). Despite the mean exposure levels are low, the air concentration of asbestos fibers measured during these activities may overcome the action level established by the Italian legislation and, in a limited number of cases, can exceed even the occupational limit value. Among occupations at higher risk, there are also garbage collectors and insulation workers. Starting from the analysis of the Italian database of occupational exposure registries, this study outlines the current levels of asbestos exposure in abatement-related sectors, discussing their possible implications for public health policies and surveillance programs.

Heart disease rates fall after national smoking bans are introduced

Heart disease rates fall after national smoking bans are introduced

Legislative smoking bans for reducing harms from secondhand smoke exposure, smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption.

Smoking bans have been implemented in a variety of settings, as well as being part of policy in many jurisdictions to protect the public and employees from the harmful effects of secondhand smoke (SHS). They also offer the potential to influence social norms and the smoking behaviour of those populations they affect. Since the first version of this review in 2010, more countries have introduced national smoking legislation banning indoor smoking. To assess the effects of legislative smoking bans on (1) morbidity and mortality from exposure to secondhand smoke, and (2) smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption. We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and reference lists of included studies. We also checked websites of various organisations. Date of most recent search; February 2015. We considered studies that reported legislative smoking bans affecting populations. The minimum standard was having an indoor smoking ban explicitly in the study and a minimum of six months follow-up for measures of smoking behaviour. Our search included a broad range of research designs including: randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies (i.e. non-randomized controlled studies), controlled before-and-after studies, interrupted time series as defined by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group, and uncontrolled pre- and post-ban data. One author extracted characteristics and content of the interventions, participants, outcomes and methods of the included studies and a second author checked the details. We extracted health and smoking behaviour outcomes. We did not attempt a meta-analysis due to the heterogeneity in design and content of the studies included. We evaluated the studies using qualitative narrative synthesis. There are 77 studies included in this updated review. We retained 12 studies from the original review and identified 65 new studies. Evidence from 21 countries is provided in this update, an increase of eight countries from the original review. The nature of the intervention precludes randomized controlled trials. Thirty-six studies used an interrupted time series study design, 23 studies use a controlled before-and-after design and 18 studies are before-and-after studies with no control group; six of these studies use a cohort design. Seventy-two studies reported health outcomes, including cardiovascular (44), respiratory (21), and perinatal outcomes (7). Eleven studies reported national mortality rates for smoking-related diseases. A number of the studies report multiple health outcomes. There is consistent evidence of a positive impact of national smoking bans on improving cardiovascular health outcomes, and reducing mortality for associated smoking-related illnesses. Effects on respiratory and perinatal health were less consistent. We found 24 studies evaluating the impact of national smoke-free legislation on smoking behaviour. Evidence of an impact of legislative bans on smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption is inconsistent, with some studies not detecting additional long-term change in existing trends in prevalence. Since the first version of this review was published, the current evidence provides more robust support for the previous conclusions that the introduction of a legislative smoking ban does lead to improved health outcomes through reduction in SHS for countries and their populations. The clearest evidence is observed in reduced admissions for acute coronary syndrome. There is evidence of reduced mortality from smoking-related illnesses at a national level. There is inconsistent evidence of an impact on respiratory and perinatal health outcomes, and on smoking prevalence and tobacco consumption.

Socio-economic Determinants that Perpetuate Gender Health Inequalities in Accessing Health Care in South India

Prevailing gender inequitable norms and poor decision making ability has far reaching effects in access to health care and well being of rural women. Therefore, the researchers undertook this study to suggest strategies to meet gender specific health needs right from formulation of policies to implementation. This feministic research was carried during the last quarter of 2008. Households with more than two women members were enlisted for further data collection done after obtaining oral consent. A total of 605 interviews in 300 households were conducted. This study has shown that few respondents were illiterate. More than half of respondents felt private hospital offer better services. One tenth of the respondents were unhappy to give birth to girl child. Women's participation becomes inevitable in primary health care, service planning and service delivery. Service hours at public health system should be changed and national ban should come into force on any kind of private practice by all full time medical care providers.

The Politics and Crisis Management of Animal Health Security

Even as the lessons learned from the response to the 2014–2015 Ebola outbreak in West Africa begin to be analyzed, history provides other key examples of health crises that challenge traditional thinking and, in some cases, government structures themselves. In his new book The Politics and Crisis Management of Animal Health Security, author John Connolly examines the events and aftermath of the 2001 foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak in the United Kingdom, an event that cost >£8 billion (US ≈$11.6 billion), resulted in the death or slaughter of 6.5 million animals, and led to the country’s first delay in a national election since World War II. Caused by a picornavirus, FMD affects cloven-hoofed animals including sheep, cattle, and pigs. Because of the disease’s highly infectious nature, FMD-free countries like the UK must respond quickly to outbreaks because of economic trade consequences; a quick and well-coordinated response is key to success. However, in 2001, some early and notable missteps in UK government decisions, including a 3-day lag in imposing national animal movement bans, led to viral spread via animal movements and a mushrooming of the national crisis. The atmosphere of the outbreak response was highly charged, and battles between government and stakeholders played out daily in the media with political cartoons and images of burning carcasses. The crisis led to the dissolution of the country’s Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries and the creation of the new Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA). In his book, Connelly asks, have the lessons learned during the aftermath of the 2001 FMD outbreak been adequately applied, and is the UK better prepared to deal with a substantial animal health crisis in the future? Written in multiple parts, this book provides an initial primer in crisis management and defines theoretical drivers of change. Connelly describes the FMD outbreak in the United Kingdom as a “critical juncture” situation: that is, a public crisis combined with the political climate to drive necessary organizational change. Next, the book takes the reader through a description of the acute crisis, including technical details of the outbreak’s spread and the primary features of the government response. The book then moves the reader into an understanding of DEFRA’s post-FMD crisis management and how the new agency tackled a “fix” to the problem through contingency planning, improved communications, science advocacy, and stakeholder engagement. Finally, the book reviews the efficacy of DEFRA’s new plans, as executed during a 2006–2007 avian influenza A(H5N1) crisis and a 2007 outbreak of FMD associated with an accidental laboratory release. The author’s conclusions are that many of the lessons learned from the 2001 outbreak have resulted in positive change and a stronger capacity for the government to respond to recent and future outbreaks. Reviewing this book carries personal significance for me, as I spent a month in England in 2001 helping the United Kingdom as part of the response. I talked directly with the farmers at the epicenter of the outbreak and saw firsthand the public distrust fueled by challenges in communicating government decisions. Now, working in public affairs and scientific communications myself, I found it very informative to review this book and look back at that time through a new professional lens. The book lacks, perhaps, a robust discussion of the role of media and public outcry in shaping government policy decisions, but nonetheless proves an excellent reference for anyone who wishes to understand organizational change in response to crises, particularly in the health and veterinary sectors. The positive changes that have taken place since 2001 provide me with hope that the United Kingdom—and other countries that choose to pay close attention—may indeed be better prepared for future outbreak responses.

Viable contribution of Tibetan sacred mountains in southwestern China to forest conservation.

The Tibetan sacred mountains (TSMs) cover a large area and may represent a landscape-scale conservation opportunity. We compared the conservation value of forests in these mountains with the conservation value of government-established nature reserves and unmanaged open-access areas in Danba County, southwestern China. We used Landsat satellite images to map forest cover and to estimate forest loss in 1974-1989, 1989-1999, and 1999-2013. The TSMs (n = 41) and nature reserves (n = 4) accounted for 21.6% and 29.7% of the county's land area, respectively. Remaining land was open-access areas (i.e., areas without any restrictions on resource use) (56.2%) and farmlands (2.2%). Within the elevation range suitable for forests, forest cover did not differ significantly between nature reserves (58.8%) and open-access areas (58.4%), but was significantly higher in TSMs (65.5%) after controlling for environmental factors such as aspect, slope, and elevation. The TSMs of great cultural importance had higher forest cover, but patrols by monastery staff were not necessarily associated with increased forest cover. The annual deforestation rate in nonsacred areas almost tripled in 1989-1999 (111.4 ha/year) relative to 1974-1989 (40.4 ha/year), whereas the rate in TSMs decreased in the later period (19.7 ha/year vs. 17.2 ha/year). The reduced forest loss in TSMs in 1989-1999 was possibly due to the renaissance of TSM worship and strengthened management by the local Buddhist community since late 1980s. The annual deforestation rate in Danba decreased dramatically to 4.4 ha/year in 1999-2013, which coincided with the implementation of a national ban on logging in 1998. As the only form of protected area across the Tibetan region during much of its history, TSMs have positively contributed to conserving forest at a landscape scale. Conservation of TSM forests largely relied on the strength of local religious institutions. Integrating community-based conservation of TSMs within the government conservation network would benefit the conservation of the Tibetan region.

How the United Nations Secretary-General Promotes International Norms

The United Nations Secretaries-General (unsg), Kofi Annan and Ban Ki-moon, have devoted themselves to the development and diffusion of the responsibility to protect (r2p) norm for over a decade since the concept first appeared in 2001. However, it still remains unclear what roles they have actually played in promoting its normative development. By focusing on the notion of norm entrepreneurship proposed by social constructivist scholars in international relations, this article explores the process in which they have engaged and what effects their activities have had on the emergence and dissemination of r2p, especially the adoption of the un General Assembly resolutions on r2p in 2005 and 2009. The research concludes by arguing that the unsg can play a contributing role in enhancing norms by persuading and encouraging member states to collectively legitimise the norms, and stating theoretical implications pertaining to the role of the unsg in developing international norms.

Smoke-free legislation improves child health.

Journal of Paediatrics and Child HealthVolume 51, Issue 5 p. 565-565 Heads UpFree Access Smoke-free legislation improves child health First published: 03 May 2015 https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12900_4AboutSectionsPDF 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 Smoking kills an estimated 5.7 million people each year. It is estimated that 600 000 of these deaths and 10.9 million disability-adjusted life years are a result of second-hand smoke exposure (passive smoking). The World Health Organization (WHO) Framework Convention for Tobacco Control has been ratified by 177 countries, but comprehensive smoke-free laws only cover 16% of the world's population. A systematic review of the efficacy of smoke-free legislation on perinatal and child health (preterm birth, low birthweight and asthma) identified 11 studies, all of which used interrupted time series.1 One study had a high risk of bias, six moderate and four low. Five North American studies described local bans and six European studies were of national bans. Smoke-free legislation was significantly associated with a 10.4% reduction in preterm birth (95% confidence interval (CI) 2.0 to 18.8%) and a 10.1% reduction in hospital admissions for asthma (95% CI 5.0 to 15.2%) but no significant reduction in low birthweight. This analysis gives strong support to the WHO recommendations on smoke-free legislation. Reference 1Been JV et al. Lancet 2014; 383: 1549– 1560. CrossrefPubMedWeb of Science®Google Scholar Reviewer: David Isaacs, david.isaacs@health.nsw.gov.au Volume51, Issue5May 2015Pages 565-565 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Turning the tide on bottom trawling

Trawling is universally recognized as one of the most destructive fishing methods, causing irreversible damage through scraping large tracts of bottom habitats. These habitats then suffer from declines in ecosystem functions and services, and collapses in populations of trawled species. The plethora of studies on the unsustainable impacts of commercial trawling is widely acknowledged by the scientific community, but few findings have been translated to actual policy. High profile attempts to curb deep-sea trawling have failed in the recent past, e.g. proposed moratoriums on deep-sea bottom trawling at the United Nations General Assembly in 2006 and within the European Union in 2013. In light of the global inertia to sanction trawling, countries in the Asia-Pacific are making significant headway. Within one week in November 2014, two giants in marine capture fisheries announced expansions in national trawling regulations. From 2016, Malaysia will extend their trawling ban from 8 nautical miles (nm) to 15 nm from the shore, requiring trawl fishers to convert to alternative fishing gear (http://www.nst.com.my/node/48495). Indonesia effected an immediate moratorium on licences for large fishing trawlers (>30 GT), with plans to end fuel subsidies and renew efforts to tackle illegal fishing (http://www.antaranews.com/en/news/ 96371/indonesian-new-minister-vows-to-crack -down-upon-illegal-fishing). More recently, the moratorium was extended to a national ban on large trawlers starting in September 2015 (http:// www.medanbisnisdaily.com/news/read/2015/02/14/ 146904/kapal-besar-dilarang-pakai-trawl). Although trawling was largely banned throughout Indonesia in 1980 (Bailey, 1997), this ban faced enforcement difficulties and a lack of political will. By the 2000s, trawling was again permitted in certain areas and illegal trawling was rampant (REBYC-II CTI, 2010). Continued trawling at the current rate is untenable, and is presumably the impetus for renewed efforts to regulate this fishery. These measures in Malaysia and Indonesia, the complete ban on trawling in the territorial waters of Hong Kong (2012) and Palau (2006), and the announcement in December 2014 to permanently ban super trawlers in Australian waters (http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/ dec/24/supertrawlers-to-be-banned-permanently -from-australian-waters), represent a significant advancement towards fisheries sustainability and marine conservation in the region. Asia-Pacific nations account for half of all global marine capture fishery production, with Indonesia ranking 5th (5.1%) and Malaysia 16th (1.5%) in global