THIS European country to ban outdoor smoking from July 1, violators to be fined up to...
THIS European country to ban outdoor smoking from July 1, violators to be fined up to...
In a view to improve the health of children, this European country has decided to ban smoking in public from July 1. It is also an attempt to limit tobacco use in public spaces. The ban will cover a wide range of outdoor locations, such as beaches, public gardens, areas outside schools, and public transportation stops.
According to the government, the public areas that may be frequented by children, including beaches, parks, bus stops, and sports venues and in order to look after their health, the government has taken this decision. The country is France.
Health and Family Minister Catherine Vautrin while announcing said, 'Tobacco must disappear where there are children,' Vautrin told the regional daily Ouest-France. Emphasising the government's commitment to protecting minors from exposure to cigarette smoke, she said the freedom to smoke 'stops where children's right to breathe clean air starts.'
The ban will cover a wide range of outdoor locations, such as beaches, public gardens, areas outside schools, and public transportation stops. However, cafe terraces will not be subject to the new rules, and electronic cigarettes will also be excluded.
According to the French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction, 23.1% of the French population smokes on a daily basis – the lowest percentage ever recorded, and a fall of over five points since 2014.
France's National Committee Against Smoking says more than 75,000 smokers die each year of tobacco-related illnesses – 13% of all deaths. Smoking in establishments like restaurants and nightclubs has been banned in France since 2008.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Standard
3 hours ago
- Business Standard
Servier India introduces 'Ivosidenib'(Tibsovo®), in India, First-in-class Targeted Therapy in Oncology for Rare IDH1-Mutated AML and Cholangiocarcinoma
VMPL Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 5: Servier India, a subsidiary of the leading French pharmaceutical Servier Group, today announced the launch of Ivosidenib (Tibsovo®), an oral targeted therapy approved in the management of cancer patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) and Cholangiocarcinoma, with an isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) mutation. Servier India received the approval on 14th May 2025, from Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) for the import, sale, and distribution of the medication. Acute myeloid leukemia is a challenging hematological malignancy. Studies indicate that only about 30-40% of AML patients in India receive adequate treatment1, with high mortality rates due to rapid disease progression and infections. Cholangiocarcinomas (CCA) are rare tumours originating from bile duct. Due to their asymptomatic nature they are usually diagnosed when the disease is advanced.2 The announcement marks a significant advancement in management of the mentioned rare and difficult-to-treat cancers in India, addressing a critical unmet medical need. Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Aurelien Breton, Managing Director, Servier India, said, "Our focus is to advance oncology care by bringing innovative, precision medicines to patients who need them the most. By prioritizing access and working to make treatment options affordable to patients, we are dedicated to bridging critical gaps in cancer care across the country. This launch is a significant step forward in our mission to support healthcare providers with targeted treatment options and ultimately improve survival outcomes and quality of life for patients throughout India." IDH1 mutation occurs in approximately 7-14% of AML patients in India3, making targeted mechanisms especially relevant for this subset. "This therapy represents a significant therapeutic option in the treatment of AML and Cholangiocarcinoma. For healthcare professionals, this precision therapy offers a new, effective option that can improve patient outcomes where traditional treatments have limited success. It highlights the benefits of targeted therapy and caliber of innovation in enhancing lives and advancing cancer care in India.", highlighted Dr. Pranav Sopory, Medical and Patient Affairs Director, Servier India. Speaking on the importance of treatment access, Ms. Pratima Tripathi, Commercial Director, Servier India, said: "Our foremost priority is to ensure that the therapy is accessible and affordable to patients across India. We are actively collaborating with healthcare providers, patient advocacy groups, and policymakers to remove barriers and facilitate timely access to this important therapy. Through these partnerships, we are committed to expanding treatment options and making a meaningful difference in the lives of patients." By introducing these advanced therapies, Servier India reaffirms its commitment to advancing innovative cancer treatments that improve clinical outcomes and enhance the quality of life of patients. Disclaimer: This press release is intended solely to share regulatory and medical information regarding the launch; the reference to "Tibsovo" is not intended as a promotional or public advertisement. Use of the therapy is strictly based on a doctor's prescription and clinical discretion. About Servier India Servier India has been committed for over three decades to delivering innovative pharmaceutical solutions that improve the lives of patients and their families across India. Established in 1985 as an affiliate of the leading independent French pharmaceutical Servier Group, the company focuses on therapeutic areas such as Cardiometabolism, Neuroscience, Venous Diseases, and Oncology. Servier India has a strong pan-India presence and a dedicated workforce of around 580 that strives to address critical healthcare challenges with passion and purpose. As part of Servier group operating in over 150 countries, Servier India inherits a rich legacy of scientific excellence and patient-centric innovation. Globally, Servier invests heavily in research and development, focusing on our key therapeutic areas. About Servier Servier is a global pharmaceutical group governed by a Foundation that aspires to serve its vocation with a long-term vision: being committed to therapeutic progress to serve patient needs. As a world leader in cardiometabolism and venous diseases, Servier's ambition is to become a focused and innovative player in oncology by targeting rare cancers. Headquartered in France, Servier relies on a strong geographical footprint; its medicines are available in close to 140 group achieved a revenue of EUR5.9 billion in 2024. Additional Details on Ivosidenib Internationally, Ivosidenib has already received regulatory approvals in more than 42 countries, including the USA, Europe, China, UAE, and South Korea. In the United States, the US FDA approved it in 2019 as a monotherapy and later in May 2022 as a combination treatment with Azacitidine for patients aged 75 and above, or those who cannot tolerate intensive chemotherapy. The European Medical Agency (EMA) gave its approval in May 2023 for use in patients who are not fit for standard induction chemotherapy. In India, the process moved forward in April 2025, when the Subject Expert Committee (SEC) gave a positive recommendation for Ivosidenib. Following this, the DCGI granted approval for the marketing authorization in May 2025
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Europe suffers its largest diphtheria outbreak in 70 years
The largest diphtheria outbreak to strike Western Europe in 70 years has been affecting vulnerable people such as migrants and the homeless since 2022, new research said Wednesday. Diphtheria is a highly contagious bacterial infection that can attack the respiratory tract and spread throughout the body, causing a sore throat, fever and other symptoms. For unvaccinated people, it can be fatal in around 30 percent of cases, and is deadlier for children, according to the World Health Organization. In 2022, there was an unusual surge in the bacteria that causes diphtheria -- Corynebacterium diphtheriae -- in several European countries, particularly among recently arrived migrants, according to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine. That year 362 cases were recorded by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Contact tracing and screening helped tamp down the outbreak, but rare infections have continued to be recorded, the researchers said. A total of 536 cases, including three deaths, have been recorded across Europe since the start of 2022. Patient samples from 10 countries showed that 98 percent of the cases were in males with an average age of 18. Almost all had recently migrated. "The outbreak, which mainly affected migrants from Afghanistan and Syria, was not the result of people being infected in their countries of origin, but during their migration journeys or in their places of accommodation in European countries," said a joint statement from France's public health agency and the Pasteur Institute. The genetic similarities between the strains seen in people from different countries suggests that there was a "recent point of contact, outside the country of origin" at the source of the outbreak, the statement added. The exact areas affected by the outbreak remains unclear. But a genetic link between the 2022 strain and the one detected in Germany this year indicates that "the bacteria continues to circulate quietly in Western Europe," the statement said. Vaccination is very effective at fending off diphtheria, and the researchers emphasised the importance of immunisation programmes for the general public. They also called for European nations to do more to ensure their most vulnerable people avoid contracting the disease. That included raising awareness of the symptoms among doctors and those in contact with migrants and the homeless, as well as increasing access to vaccines and antibiotic drugs.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Secret leprosy infected the Americas before European arrival
Representative image (AP) What to know: Leprosy is one of the oldest human diseases and originated in Eurasia or Africa A new study has found a different species of leprosy-causing bacteria existed in the Americas before European settlement. Scientists once believed Europeans brought leprosy to the American continents via infection from the bacterial species Mycobacterium leprae. But now a new study published in the journal Science reveals that a different form of leprosy-causing bacteria — called Mycobacterium lepromatosis — was already circulating in the Americas for at least one thousand years. Leprosy was therefore already affecting American indigenous peoples well before European colonization. Mycobacterium lepromatosis in America The study authors analyzed more than 800 samples taken from ancient remains in Canada and Argentina. The genomes of the bacteria taken from the samples were reconstructed, analyzed, and dated. Comparisons between the samples showed the bacterial genomes were of distinctive branches of the lepromatosis species at each end of the continent. However, they remained genetically similar. This suggested that the bacteria species had spread rapidly across the Americas, probably covering the landmass in just a few hundred years. Leprosy is caused by two bacteria species, not one. Leprosy is an ancient disease Leprosy has been infecting humans for thousands of years. The disease presents as multiple numbing skin lesions. If left untreated, it can result in nerve damage, muscle weakness, paralysis and blindness. Today, leprosy can be treated with antibiotics, but ancient sufferers weren't so fortunate. Skeletal records from 2,000BCE have been found in India with traces of the disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae. These are matched by written records of leprosy cases in ancient literature from Indian, Chinese and African civilizations, as well as stories in the Abrahamic religions. Often, these ancient descriptions associated the affliction with stigmas of immorality or ritual uncleanliness. But in 1874 the Norwegian doctor Gerhard Armauer Hansen discovered that leprosy was caused by the microscopic organism Mycobacterium leprae. In 2008, doctors in Mexico found another leprosy-causing bacteria species — Mycobacterium lepromatosis — in a leprosy patient. Before this, it was believed leprae was the only pathogen capable of causing the disease. Now both forms of the bacteria are known to cause it. Europeans spread diseases, leprosy too Nicolas Rascovan, head of the Microbial Paleogenomics Unit at the Pasteur Institut in France led the investigation. He and his colleagues estimate lepromatosis and leprae diverged from a common ancestor about one million years ago. "The diversification happened probably independent of humans," Rascovan told DW. The arrival of the first European fleets to the Americas in 1492 marked the introduction of new diseases to the Americas. Leprosy — in the form of the leprae bacterium — was among them. Archaeological evidence has shown leprae migrated with human groups out of Africa and into Asia and Europe around 40,000 years ago. Its introduction to the Americas, along with other diseases, by Europeans devastated indigenous communities and intensified the impact of pathogens that were already circulating before colonization. The discovery of lepromatosis' longer history on the continent further highlights the diversity of pathogens and their complex relationship with humans throughout history, said Rascovan. "Europeans had a very important impact by bringing this new species [leprae] that was absent in America," he said. Leprosy track and trace Rascovan hopes the presence of lepromatosis in the archeological record will improve understanding of pre-colonial disease, especially in the absence of written records. In addition, the study helps understand modern cases of leprosy, especially how it could make the jump from animals like squirrels to humans. "Our work is giving the kick start to really start analyzing, monitoring and understanding the diversity of natural reservoirs [disease carriers]," said Rascovan. He said monitoring the disease and preventing spillovers from animals to humans should be a priority. The disease is still prevalent today — 200,000 cases are reported each year globally. Brazil, India and Indonesia still report more than 10,000 new cases annually, according to WHO data.
