Pharmacy Assistant - Green Cross Publishing

2
news
YouTube video highlights overregulation
by EU
A video has been launched on
YouTube (www.youtube.com/
watch?v=5JOBY0KDERY), which
points to the questionable attempt
to regulate vitamins and minerals
as if they were more dangerous
substances than cigarettes, alcohol and
commonly available pharmaceutical
medicines. The video directs people to
www.saveoursupplementsireland.com,
where they will be able to access simple
guidelines for e-mailing TDs and MEPs, as
well as find out facts about the efficacy
and safety of vitamins.
According to the website, as health
authorities in countries such as Ireland
struggle to cope with the increasing
burden of healthcare costs arising
from escalating rates of disease, much
Holiday ‘binge tanning’ increasing skin
cancer risk
A new survey by Cancer
Research UK has identified
a worrying trend for ‘binge
tanning’ among young
people going on vacation this
summer. According to the
results, 36 per cent of 15–24year-olds
spend over five
hours in the sun each day on
their main summer holiday.
Additionally, 32 per cent
said they would be happy to
increase their time in the sun
if they did not feel tanned
enough towards the end of
their break.
As well as spending extra
time in the sun, young people
said they are prepared to
go to many other lengths
if they do not feel tanned
enough towards the end of
their holiday. A further 29
per cent said they would
use sunscreen with a low
protection factor, with 19 per cent
happy to go without sunscreen
altogether and 15 per cent using
products like baby oil to speed up the
tanning process.
Meanwhile, 17 per cent of those
surveyed think that sunburn is all part
pharmacy assistant
of this increase in disease is directly
related to poor dietary and lifestyle
practices. People who take responsibility
for their health are more likely to
eat a healthy balanced diet - and to
supplement their diet. They are, contends
the site less likely to be a burden on the
health service, because their overall intake
of nutrients ensures optimum health. In
addition, the site claims that despite much
scaremongering to the contrary, not a
single death or serious adverse reaction
has been recorded in this country as a
result of taking vitamin supplements over
the past 40 years. Yet, says the site, they
are to be regulated under the EU Food
Supplements Directive as if they were
more dangerous than alcohol, cigarettes
or paracetamol, all of which remain
of getting a tan, with 11 per cent saying
they would be prepared to burn if they
did not feel sufficiently tanned towards
the end of their holiday.
While the problem is particularly
prevalent among the under 25s, the
25–34-year-olds also show a tendency
towards ‘binge tanning’ with 19 per
freely available and impose an enormous
economic burden on the State.
“I am outraged that the EU, supported
by our government, is threatening to
undermine my right to choose to protect
my health,” said one consumer Cathy
Doyle. “While any Tom, Dick or Harry can
buy enough paracetamol to damage their
liver, smoke enough cigarettes to cause
lung cancer, or drink enough alcohol to
seriously damage their liver, I am to be
denied access to the levels of vitamins
and minerals that I know are essential
for keeping me away from doctors and
hospitals. It makes absolutely no sense
that people like me who want to take
responsibility for our own health are
going to be prevented from doing so
under these daft EU regulations.”
cent of this age bracket admitting to
spending over five hours in the sun.
Tanning, it would appear, is very
important to young people – of the
under 25s surveyed, 39 per cent said
they would feel upset if they came back
from their summer holiday without a
tan.