Tag: ASH

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

ASH brief for local authorities on youth vaping.
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH); 2022.
(This short briefing is to help local authorities respond to growing concerns about youth vaping in their communities. It is primarily for public health officials and trading standards officers, but also sets out important information for councillors, schools, parents and retailers. Links to further information are also provided.)

Quantifying health inequalities in England.
The Health Foundation; 2022.
(Results show health inequalities starting at a very early age and continuing to develop through adulthood. The early ages and changing structure of health inequalities reinforces the notion that nothing short of a joined-up policy approach can address the wide and complex health inequalities we see in England. We believe this new presentation of health inequalities shows powerfully that investing in the circumstances in which people live will help people stay healthier for longer.)

Advertising ban was linked to lower purchases of unhealthy food and drink.
NIHR Evidence; 2022.
(This is the first study to look at the implementation of the TfL advertising ban. It found that advertising restrictions are feasible, and could have a meaningful impact on population health. The findings could encourage governments and local authorities to consider similar policies to prevent obesity. The TfL restrictions were part of a childhood obesity strategy, but they could influence the whole population.)

Commission on Young Lives,
Centre for Mental Health; 2022.
(Alongside the Children & Young People’s Mental Health Coalition, Centre for Mental Health have co-authored the fourth report from the Commission on Young Lives on rethinking mental health services for vulnerable young people. It reviews the latest data with a focus on those who are at higher risk, including those from racialised communities, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, young people with SEND, those in contact with the criminal justice and care systems, as well as LGBTQI+ communities.)

Domestic abuse and mental health: the amplified risks created during the pandemic.
Hisham I N. BJPsych Advances 2022;28(5):316-327.
[This article focuses on how COVID-19 and its anticipated aftermath exacerbate the risk factors for domestic abuse in the general population and discusses clinical implications for mental health practitioners in the UK. It aims to provide a point of learning based on previous disease outbreaks and recessions, with a focus on specific factors, such as unemployment and alcohol misuse, and how these contribute to increasing incidence and severity of abuse and how to mitigate these for patients…] Open Athens account required.

Public Health

Current Awareness Updates

Preventing suicide in England: fifth progress report of the cross-government outcomes strategy to save lives Department of Health and Social Care; 27th March 2021

(This report details the steps taken to reduce deaths by suicide since 2019. It sets out the data and evidence on suicide and self-harm; the progress made against existing commitments designed to prevent suicides and self-harm; and further actions for the government and its agencies, particularly in the context of Covid-19.)

The cost of smoking to the social care system ASH; March 2021

(This report finds that on average smokers in England need care when they are 63, 10 years sooner than non-smokers. It estimates that £1.2 billion a year is spent on people who have care needs as a result of smoking. It calls for more comprehensive tobacco control strategies in order to ease the pressure on the social care system.)

Covid-19 mental health and wellbeing recovery action plan Department of Health and Social Care; 31 March 2021

(This action plan sets out an ambitious, cross-government, whole-person approach to promoting positive mental health and supporting people living with mental illness to recover and live well. While this plan sets out what the government will do in the coming year, it is also a call to action for the whole of society, for local communities, families and for individuals, who can take simple steps to look after their own wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around them – and can reach out for support, including from mental health services when necessary.)

The best start for life: a vision for the 1,001 critical days The Early Years Healthy Development Review Report

(This report sets out the findings of the Early Years’ Healthy Development Review, which was asked to review the first 1,001 critical days from pregnancy through to the age of two. The review sets out a vision for best practice across the health system to ensure babies and children can get the best possible start.)

Alcohol-related harm and drinking behaviour Nuffield Trust

(Excessive alcohol consumption can have harmful health consequences in the short term but also in the long term, through conditions such as liver disease, stroke and some cancers. This indicator explores whether alcohol-related harm and drinking behaviour has changed over time.)