Most drug users are not addicted. Most suppliers of drugs are not dealers. These central truths about patterns of drug use in Britain are incompatible with the policies adopted by those in power who believe ever more muscular enforcement will somehow steer young people away from taking them. In drugs policy, there remains an unparalleled […]
Martin McShane: Evolution or revolution?
The announcement of a pause in the progress of the legislative process has been serendipitous for me. It coincided with a series of events where I could listen to a variety of interesting people offering their take on the reforms. The rap, which thousands have watched, even in America, was referenced on numerous occasions. It […]
Richard Lehman’s journal review – 18 April 2011
JAMA 13 Apr 2011 Vol 305 1441 The old JAMAs were comfortable: they looked good and I looked forward to getting into them – there was a nice feeling, like fluffy cotton against the skin. But sadly the old garment is getting threadbare: I report on this week’s issue more out of a sense of […]
Sarah Welsh: How much exercise is too much?
Tomatoes are good for you, right? They are filled with antioxidants, good for the heart, and associated with decreased risk of cancer. Likewise, exercise is good for you. It improves circulatory, respiratory, and psychological health. But you wouldn’t be in good health if all you ate were tomatoes, and the same goes for exercise. As […]
Kailash Chand: No confidence in Andrew Lansley
With the Royal College of Nursing’s (RCN) no confidence vote in Andrew Lansley, it is generally accepted that it is no longer possible to have a rational debate on the reforms while Andrew Lansley is health secretary. He did not listen during the gestation time of the white paper for the proposed Bill on the […]
David Kerr: Twitterology
The NHS is in love with the airline industry. The idea of checklists before operations has really caught on, and increasingly ex-airline people are being placed in advisory roles for a variety of NHS organizations. Hospitals are especially envious of the ability of the airlines to develop and use technology that allows hundreds of random […]
David Colquhoun: The A to Z of the wellbeing industry: from angelic reiki to patient-centred care
Nobody could possibly be against wellbeing. It would be like opposing motherhood and apple pie. There is a whole spectrum of activities under the wellbeing banner, from the undoubtedly well-meaning patient-centred care at one end, to downright barmy new-age claptrap at the other end. The only question that really matters is, how much of it […]
Cheryl Rofer on the BEIR VII report
I’ve been looking for numbers. What is the probability of a radiation dose of x millisieverts producing a cancer? I should have found the BEIR VII report, BEIR standing for Biological Effects of Ionizing Radiation, some time ago. It’s been almost 20 years since BEIR V was a constant background presence at my job, the […]
Muir Gray: We need bilingual clinicians for population medicine
Without diluting the clinician’s traditional commitment to the individual patient, the clinical community also has a broader responsibility to the community that provides the resources for health services. The new responsibilities of clinicians in the 21st century are for: […]
Peter Labib and Jeremy Jordan: Conducting research in developing countries can be as challenging as climbing Everest
The elective is the highlight of a medical student’s time at medical school. As keen trekkers, we decided to conduct a project in Nepal on the effects of altitude on the hormone hepcidin. The project involved following trekkers ascending to Mount Everest base camp, collecting urine samples, freezing them, and then transporting them back to […]