Dental Tribune United Kingdom Edition

2 News United Kingdom Edition May 2014 Published by Dental Tribune UK Ltd © 2014, Dental Tribune UK Ltd. All rights reserved. Dental Tribune UK Ltd makes every effort to report clinical information and manufacturer’s product news accurately, but cannot assume responsibility for the validity of product claims, or for typographical errors. The publishers also do not assume responsibility for product names or claims, or statements made by advertisers. Opinions expressed by authors are their own and may not reflect those of Dental Tribune UK. Editor Lisa Townshend Tel: 020 7400 8979 Lisa@healthcare-learning. com Advertising Director Joe Aspis Tel: 020 7400 8969 Joe@healthcare-learning. com Sales Executive Joe Ackah Tel: 020 7400 8964 Joe.ackah@ healthcare-learning.com Editorial Assistant Angharad Jones Angharad.jones@healthcare- learning.com Design & Production Ellen Sawle Tel: 020 7400 8970 ellen@healthcare-learning. com Dental Tribune UK Ltd 4th Floor, Treasure House, 19–21 Hatton Garden, London, EC1N 8BA A new poll has found that two thirds of people would support a ban on sugary drinks in all UK schools and academies. Current government policy bans the sale of fizzy drinks, crisps and sweets in local au- thority-run schools, but leaves the decision of whether chil- dren can bring them to school up to head teachers. These rules do not apply to acade- mies, free schools and private schools. The poll, carried out for BBC 5Live’s Richard Bacon pro- gramme, found that more than four out of ten people would support a tax on sugary drinks, while 59 per cent said health warnings on packaging would encourage them to eat more healthily. However according to the BBC, some representatives from the sugar industry say it is being ‘demonised’. Head of food science at AB Sugar Dr Ju- lian Cooper said: “It’s quite sim- plistic just to demonise one in- gredient to the exclusion of all others. We would say that we’re probably consuming too many calories and probably doing too little exercise and activ- ity. There is probably an over consumption of all calories; not sugar per se.” DT Ban sugary drinks from schools, says poll T he food industry should be regulated like the to- bacco industry, interna- tional groups have said. Consumers International and World Obesity Federation have called on the interna- tional community to develop a global convention to fight diet- related ill health, similar to the legal framework for tobacco control. They say that obesity cur- rently poses a greater global health risk than cigarettes, with global deaths attributable to obesity having risen from 2.6 million in 2005 to 3.4 mil- lion in 2010. The groups are asking gov- ernments to introduce policy measures designed to help consumers make healthier choices. These could include pictures on food packaging of damage caused by obesity, sim- ilar to those on cigarette pack- ages, as well as placing stricter controls on food marketing and requiring reformulation of un- healthy food products. Consumers International Director General, Amanda Long, says: “The scale of the impact of unhealthy food on consumer health is comparable to the impact of cigarettes. The food and beverage industry has dragged its feet on meaningful change and governments have felt unable or unwilling to act. “The only answer remain- ing for the global community is a framework convention and we urge governments to seriously consider our recom- mendations for achieving that. If they do not, we risk decades of obstruction from indus- try and a repeat of the cata- strophic health crisis caused by smoking.” World Obesity Federation Director of Policy, Dr Tim Lob- stein, says: “If obesity was an infectious disease we would have seen billions of dollars being invested in bringing it under control. But because obesity is largely caused by the overconsumption of fatty and sugary foods, we have seen policy-makers unwilling to take on the corporate interests who promote these foods. Gov- ernments need to take collec- tive action and a Framework Convention offers them the chance to do this.” DT Food needs tobacco-like regulation, say health experts N ew York’s Attorney General Eric Sch- neiderman is making calls to ban the sale of prod- ucts containing microbe- ads, such as face washes and toothpastes. Schneiderman said that the beads end up in New York’s waters and can stay there for decades, absorbing cancer-causing toxins. He has received support from doc- tors, educators, activists and legislators from across the state, who all demand that the state Senate pass the Microbe- ads-Free Water Act. If adopted, products con- taining microbeads would be banned by 2016. It would make New York the first state to ban the sale of these prod- ucts. DT Call to ban microbeads in toothpaste in New York R eaching globally-agreed targets for health risks such as smoking and al- cohol could prevent more than 37 million deaths by 2025, a new study has found. The study, led by Impe- rial College London and pub- lished in The Lancet, found that the large majority of the extra deaths will be in low-to-mid- dle-income nations. Targets for reducing smoking and blood pressure will lead to the largest health benefits. In 2011, the UN General As- sembly agrees to reduce deaths from the big-four chronic dis- eases: cancers, diabetes, lung disease and cardiovascular dis- ease. The World Health Organi- sation (WHO) created targets for both premature deaths from these chronic diseases and their key risk factors like smoking, al- cohol use, high blood pressure and blood glucose, obesity and salt consumption. The study shows that the big-four chronic diseases killed more than 28 million people in 2010; a number that is project- ed to increase to 39 million in 2025 is no new action is taken. If the six risk factor targets are achieved, more than 37 mil- lion deaths will be prevented by 2025. Currently, global targets in- clude a 30 per cent reduction in smoking levels, a 10 per cent re- duction in alcohol consumption and a 30 per cent reduction in salt in food. However this new research found that if a more ambitious level of halving the levels of smoking is achieved, alongside the other targets, the risk of dying prematurely from the big-four would pre- vent nearly 43 million deaths by 2025. Lead author of the study, Dr Vasilis Kontis from Impe- rial College London, said: “Our study demonstrates that the to- bacco use target should be more ambitious. Reducing the preva- lence of smoking by 50 per cent by 2025 is feasible based on proven policy measures, and should become a global target to avoid millions of premature deaths.” DT Halving levels of smoking could prevent 43 million deaths T he General Dental Coun- cil (GDC) has prosecuted a man for unlawfully calling himself a ‘Dental Tech- nician’ on YouTube. Luis Fairman, who has never been registered with the GDC, unlawfully used the title ‘dental technician’ on a video entitles “NHS Dentistry – Ed’s Story”. On Thursday 8 May, he ap- peared at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court and pleaded guilty to the charge. He has been fined £500 and ordered to pay a £50 victim surcharge. He must also pay £500 in costs to the GDC. DT Man prosecuted for YouTube ‘dental technician’ claim