- Email: [email protected]
Towards a better pre-registration year
location. The Institute of Molecular Biology at Koltsovo near Novosibirsk, has . expressed an interest in housing it until .,’ WHO reaches a final decision. But this is a military institute, which formerly formed part of the Soviet bacteriological warfare programme. Transfer there could pose a major problem in public relations-even though the institute is undergoing conver-
Cigarette advertising in New South Wales
mented controls on the sale of cigarettes children and teenagers, believing them to be the most vulnerable to manufacturers’ advertising. General restrictions have been placed on advertising at sports grounds in most States. Although specific measures have not been adopted nationally, certain States. : In 1991, the New South Wales (NSW) Public Health Act raised the minimum permissible age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products from 16 to 18 years. The Act also required retailers to be licensed to sell tobacco products and to display an official sign warning that sale of tobacco products to children is illegal. Failure to display the sign attracts a fine of to
A$1000.
:
NSW
public health authorities have reported (NSW Health Department Bul- : letin, 1993; 4: 124-26) on a survey of the display of the signs, following complaints from the community that children were still easily obtaining cigarettes. There was no sign at 120 (31%) of 388 premises visited. If the result of this sample survey are indicative, then there would be many thousands of retailers in New South Wales alone, who are not displaying the sign, : and who might not be licensed. The attitude of retailers to their responsibility was generally poor. Many retailers were uncooperative and dismissive of the need to regulate the sales of tobacco products. The reasons for not displaying the
sign were:
pre-registration
advertising
Departments of health in every Australian State are either considering or have imple-
up to
sion to civilian research. Perhaps because Towards a better of these negative implications, the Acadeyear my of Medical Sciences is keeping clear of the whole issue. : Meanwhile, it will be several months at Postgraduate medical deans in the UK least before WHO decide the fate of the have set February, 1995, as the date by virus. : which the training and the working and living conditions for pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) will be improved in line Vera Rich with the standards set out in a report’ by their working party. The standards are Bid to ban UK tobacco based on the General Medical Council’s aims for the training of PHROs and on the National Health Service’s New Deal on junior doctors’ hours. The UK government is expected to The report singles out hours of work as announce tighter new controls on tobacco the most important problem to be tackled promotion this week in an attempt to since "constant tiredness alone negates reduce politicians’ support for a bill intromuch of the educational value of PHRO duced by a member of the opposition. training. Currently excessive workload The bill, which will be given its second and tiredness are almost universal". Unireading on Feb 11, would make illegal the versity clinical tutors are to inform postadvertisement and promotion by other graduate deans if excessive hours are means of tobacco and products containing being worked. Deans in turn will serve tobacco, other than at point of sale. The notice to withdraw approval of the post if bill covers not only traditional advertising the situation is not remedied. They are to of cigarettes but also things such as impose similar penalties, on behalf of their exploitaion of sports or arts sponsorship universities, for other breaches of stanby associating them with tobacco brand dards, which they will monitor by arrangnames or company names. ing for regular inspections of posts. The bill is believed to be strongly sup- : The report cites 10-30 admissions a ported on both sides of the house, hence week as a guide to what is an adequate the government’s anticipated announcebut not excessive workload. The report ment of several changes to the present volsays that consultants have an important untary agreement with the tobacco role in the education of PRHOs and that industry, such as cessation of advertising there should be regular contact between in women’s magazines and a poster ban. them. It also provides lists of work that The call would not, however, be for a total PRHO are not expected to do and for ban, since sports sponsorship is not which management should make alternaexpected to be affected. tive arrangements. In addition it recomThe announcement will accompany the mends that every PHRO should have an publication of the government’s response educational supervisor and protected eduto the Smee report. In this document, cational time of at least a half day per which was produced in October, 1992, week, or the equivalent (4 h), within stanthe government’s own economic advisers dard working hours. Time should be set analysed the affect of advertising bans in aside for the educational supervisor to carother countries, and found an overall sigry out periodic educational appraisals. nificant link between bans and reduced tobacco consumption. Nevertheless, the Vivien Choo health secretary defended the govern1 Committee of Postgraduate Deans. The ment’s opposition to such bans at the pre-registration house officer experience: time, saying that they would be a "serious implementing change. 1994. Pp 17. inhibition of commercial freedom". Prof Richard Medical
:
Sarah
Ramsay
Oral ganciclovir
Some became abusive when informed : of the possible penalty for non-compli- : ance. Follow-up with new surveys and re- : visiting of recalcitrant retailers are :
planned. Peter Harrison
(Convener West, Postgraduate Department, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR.)
ed that Syntex release the oral form for immediate use on compassionate grounds. The French subsidiary of Syntex, which distributes the intravenous form of ganciclovir to 45 countries worldwide, said it would not do so until the drugs authorities had approved the oral preparation, which could take several months. After the AIDS associations’ protests, Syntex says that it is "studying the possibility of making oral ganciclovir available to the limited number of patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis who cannot tolerate the drug
A dispute has arisen in France between several AIDS-patient associations and the pharmaceutical firm Syntex, following reports of the effect of oral ganciclovir on cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients. Usually ganciclovir is given as daily intravenous infusions to patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis to prevent irreversible blindness. However, results of two studies reported in December at a conference in Washington showed that the oral form was also effective. : intravenously". French AIDS associations had demand- Jean-Yves Nau
349
Cigarette advertising in New South Wales
mented controls on the sale of cigarettes children and teenagers, believing them to be the most vulnerable to manufacturers’ advertising. General restrictions have been placed on advertising at sports grounds in most States. Although specific measures have not been adopted nationally, certain States. : In 1991, the New South Wales (NSW) Public Health Act raised the minimum permissible age for buying cigarettes and other tobacco products from 16 to 18 years. The Act also required retailers to be licensed to sell tobacco products and to display an official sign warning that sale of tobacco products to children is illegal. Failure to display the sign attracts a fine of to
A$1000.
:
NSW
public health authorities have reported (NSW Health Department Bul- : letin, 1993; 4: 124-26) on a survey of the display of the signs, following complaints from the community that children were still easily obtaining cigarettes. There was no sign at 120 (31%) of 388 premises visited. If the result of this sample survey are indicative, then there would be many thousands of retailers in New South Wales alone, who are not displaying the sign, : and who might not be licensed. The attitude of retailers to their responsibility was generally poor. Many retailers were uncooperative and dismissive of the need to regulate the sales of tobacco products. The reasons for not displaying the
sign were:
pre-registration
advertising
Departments of health in every Australian State are either considering or have imple-
up to
sion to civilian research. Perhaps because Towards a better of these negative implications, the Acadeyear my of Medical Sciences is keeping clear of the whole issue. : Meanwhile, it will be several months at Postgraduate medical deans in the UK least before WHO decide the fate of the have set February, 1995, as the date by virus. : which the training and the working and living conditions for pre-registration house officers (PRHOs) will be improved in line Vera Rich with the standards set out in a report’ by their working party. The standards are Bid to ban UK tobacco based on the General Medical Council’s aims for the training of PHROs and on the National Health Service’s New Deal on junior doctors’ hours. The UK government is expected to The report singles out hours of work as announce tighter new controls on tobacco the most important problem to be tackled promotion this week in an attempt to since "constant tiredness alone negates reduce politicians’ support for a bill intromuch of the educational value of PHRO duced by a member of the opposition. training. Currently excessive workload The bill, which will be given its second and tiredness are almost universal". Unireading on Feb 11, would make illegal the versity clinical tutors are to inform postadvertisement and promotion by other graduate deans if excessive hours are means of tobacco and products containing being worked. Deans in turn will serve tobacco, other than at point of sale. The notice to withdraw approval of the post if bill covers not only traditional advertising the situation is not remedied. They are to of cigarettes but also things such as impose similar penalties, on behalf of their exploitaion of sports or arts sponsorship universities, for other breaches of stanby associating them with tobacco brand dards, which they will monitor by arrangnames or company names. ing for regular inspections of posts. The bill is believed to be strongly sup- : The report cites 10-30 admissions a ported on both sides of the house, hence week as a guide to what is an adequate the government’s anticipated announcebut not excessive workload. The report ment of several changes to the present volsays that consultants have an important untary agreement with the tobacco role in the education of PRHOs and that industry, such as cessation of advertising there should be regular contact between in women’s magazines and a poster ban. them. It also provides lists of work that The call would not, however, be for a total PRHO are not expected to do and for ban, since sports sponsorship is not which management should make alternaexpected to be affected. tive arrangements. In addition it recomThe announcement will accompany the mends that every PHRO should have an publication of the government’s response educational supervisor and protected eduto the Smee report. In this document, cational time of at least a half day per which was produced in October, 1992, week, or the equivalent (4 h), within stanthe government’s own economic advisers dard working hours. Time should be set analysed the affect of advertising bans in aside for the educational supervisor to carother countries, and found an overall sigry out periodic educational appraisals. nificant link between bans and reduced tobacco consumption. Nevertheless, the Vivien Choo health secretary defended the govern1 Committee of Postgraduate Deans. The ment’s opposition to such bans at the pre-registration house officer experience: time, saying that they would be a "serious implementing change. 1994. Pp 17. inhibition of commercial freedom". Prof Richard Medical
:
Sarah
Ramsay
Oral ganciclovir
Some became abusive when informed : of the possible penalty for non-compli- : ance. Follow-up with new surveys and re- : visiting of recalcitrant retailers are :
planned. Peter Harrison
(Convener West, Postgraduate Department, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 2PR.)
ed that Syntex release the oral form for immediate use on compassionate grounds. The French subsidiary of Syntex, which distributes the intravenous form of ganciclovir to 45 countries worldwide, said it would not do so until the drugs authorities had approved the oral preparation, which could take several months. After the AIDS associations’ protests, Syntex says that it is "studying the possibility of making oral ganciclovir available to the limited number of patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis who cannot tolerate the drug
A dispute has arisen in France between several AIDS-patient associations and the pharmaceutical firm Syntex, following reports of the effect of oral ganciclovir on cytomegalovirus retinitis in AIDS patients. Usually ganciclovir is given as daily intravenous infusions to patients with cytomegalovirus retinitis to prevent irreversible blindness. However, results of two studies reported in December at a conference in Washington showed that the oral form was also effective. : intravenously". French AIDS associations had demand- Jean-Yves Nau
349