York's public health director wants crackdown on gambling ads
Mr Roderick told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: "As a council we have some powers over granting gambling licences to premises but we haven't talked about this issue enough and there needs to be a space to call it out."We also need to crack down on advertising in the same way we have done with tobacco and we're going to do with fast food."Tobacco adverts were banned in the UK in 2002.Mr Roderick's report said gambling was emerging as a real and substantial threat to the physical and mental health of young people.It found 16% of young people in York had gambled and a quarter of those who did had taken money without permission to pay for it.Almost 15% had encountered conflicts with friends and family over gambling.Mr Roderick said the rise in gambling among young people had followed the relaxation of regulations in the 2000s under the then Labour government."The government at the time didn't anticipate the advent of the smartphone and that we'd all essentially be able to have a super casino in our pocket," he added."The number of gambling adverts you see is really noticeable and that's affecting children. The effects on young people we can measure are the tip of the iceberg."A Department for Culture, Media & Sport spokesperson said: "We recognise the impact harmful gambling can have on individuals and their families and we are absolutely committed to strengthening protections for those at risk, including children and young people."The government has already announced plans to bring in a statutory levy on gambling profits to generate £100m for the research, prevention and treatment of gambling harms."There are already a range of robust rules in place on gambling adverts, wherever they appear, but ministers continue to consider the best available evidence in this area to inform effective action as needed."
Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
10 hours ago
- Daily Record
Calls for more urgency over need for new medical centre in West Lothian village
Built to serve just 4,500 it is now responsible for 16,000 patients Livingston's MP has accused the Scottish Government of squandering opportunities to improve health services in a West Lothian village. Labour's Gregor Poynton MP was joined by Scottish Labour Leader Anas Sarwar alongside other party members in East Calder where he highlighted the urgent need for a new medical centre to serve the growing community. West Lothian Council Leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick and Jordan Stokoe, who will be the Labour candidate for Almond Valley in next year's Scottish Parliament election, were also amongst the delegation that toured the current facility with Practice Manager Thanos Keramidas. They heard first-hand how staff and patients are being impacted by overcrowding and inadequate infrastructure. Built to serve 4,500 patients, East Calder Medical Centre is now responsible for 16,000 people - a figure projected to rise to 19,600 by 2028. Also present was Pauline Cowan from the East Calder Medical Centre Campaign Group, who outlined the community's ongoing pressure on the Scottish Government and NHS Lothian to deliver the long-promised new facility. Campaigners warn that without investment, the situation will only worsen. Gregor Poynton MP said: 'This UK Labour Government is delivering the largest budgetary settlement in the history of devolution with an extra £9.1 billion for Scottish public services. Yet the SNP Scottish Government continues to squander opportunity after opportunity and waste public money. 'Nearly five years ago, the SNP's Angela Constance called for 'further and faster' progress towards a new medical centre for East Calder. Five years later, nothing has happened. That's five years of failure for local people. We cannot give the SNP Scottish Government another five years to fail again.' The Scottish Government say they are reviewing capital spending following 'historic real terms cuts' to its block grant from the UK Government. Jordan Stokoe also criticised the Scottish Government over the current facilities, saying: 'I have yet to hear from anyone that disputes East Calder desperately needs larger and better GP facilities. I've worked on many projects in my career and I see that the centre team have squeezed every single thing they can out of the current building. "There is no more to give. The result is more wasteful spending to keep the centre from bursting at the seams all while the pressure continues to build as more and more people move into the area. 'The neglect being shown to the people of East Calder, Mid Calder, Calderwood, Kirknewton and Wilkieston is unacceptable. As it stands, it's only the SNP Scottish Government that can make the decision to push ahead. Everyone else is ready to do what it takes, so it's time to make them listen.' A spokesperson for the Scottish Government said: 'Historic real terms cuts to our block grant from the UK Government have put pressure on our capital budget and we have only recently received clarity from the UK Treasury for our capital and FT funding up to 2029-30. 'As part of our own Scottish Spending Review, we are undertaking a full review of our capital spending to prioritise available funding towards projects that drive progress against our priorities. We will provide clarity over which projects will receive funding in the medium term when we publish this review, alongside our new Infrastructure Pipeline.'
The Herald Scotland
2 days ago
- The Herald Scotland
Cancer deaths up although risk of dying from disease falls to new low
Cancer deaths in Scotland have risen over a 10-year period, despite figures showing the risk of dying from the disease is at the lowest on record. New data showed that the European Age Standardised Rate (EASR) for cancer deaths – which set out the risk of dying from the disease – fell to 296.8 per 100,000 population for 2022. That is down by 2.9% on the previous year, with a decrease of 11.1% compared to 2013, with the EASR now at the lowest it has been in data that goes back to 1998. However, figures published by Public Health Scotland showed that between 2013 and 2022 cancer deaths rose by 3.2%, from 15,764 to 16,265. This increase 'largely reflects an increase in the proportion of older age groups within the population, and the fact that cancer is more common among older people', the report from Public Health Scotland said. READ MORE: In 2022, more than two-thirds (69%) of all cancer deaths were in people aged seventy and over, the figures showed. Meanwhile four cancers – lung, bowel, breast and prostate – accounted for almost half (46%) of cancer deaths in that year, the report added. Lung cancer remained as the most common cause of cancer deaths, with a total of 3,925 people dying as a result of this in 2022 – almost a quarter (24.1%) of all cancer deaths that year. The report also found that in 2022 cases of cancer were almost a quarter (23.9%) higher in the most deprived parts of Scotland than they were in the least deprived communities – and mortality rates were 78% higher in the poorest areas. Public Health Scotland said that 'mortality reflects the combined effects of increased risk and poorer survival from cancer in more deprived areas'. The report also noted that while overall cancer death rates have declined for both men and women since 2012, there had been 'notable increases' for some forms of the disease. Liver cancer deaths have risen by 15% amongst men and by 20% amongst women over the period 2013 to 2022. However, Public Health Scotland said; 'Nearly half (49%) of liver cancer cases are preventable through lifestyle changes such as reducing obesity, smoking, alcohol consumption, and preventing viral liver infections.' Labour health spokesperson, Dame Jackie Baillie, said it was 'deeply worrying that the number of cancer deaths in Scotland has risen over the course of a decade'. She added that these deaths include 'an alarming increase in the number of men dying from cancer, with a rise of 5% between 2013 and 2022.' Dame Jackie said the Scottish Government was 'moving too slowly on its commitment to introduce lung cancer screening'. She further insisted: 'SNP ministers must also act urgently to improve waiting times for cancer treatment as almost a third of patients referred to the NHS in Scotland are waiting longer than the 62-day target to start treatment.' Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton said the figures showed that 'cancer patients cannot depend on this SNP Government'. Hitting out at SNP ministers the Liberal Democrat said: 'In Scotland, more people die of lung cancer than any other form of disease. Survival rates aren't much better than what they were in the 1970s. 'International studies show Scotland falling behind with cancer care. The SNP's failure to roll out a national lung cancer screening programme is another example of that.' He added: 'My party wants to see the government ending their dithering and making a full rollout of this screening programme a top priority. 'We know there isn't a moment to lose when it comes to getting cancer patients life-saving interventions.' However Health Secretary Neil Gray said: 'It is encouraging to see the risk of dying from cancer in Scotland is at a record low. 'This is down to the hard work of NHS staff, improved treatment options, and people reporting their symptoms at an earlier stage.' He added: 'We are determined to further improve cancer survival, reduce waiting times and provide excellent, equitably accessible care right across Scotland.' The Health Secretary said the Scottish Government is 'taking action to improve the awareness and earlier diagnosis of cancers, including expanding our Rapid Cancer Diagnostic Services and our investment of more than £14 million towards cancer waiting times this year'. He also stated: 'Reducing health inequalities is a clear ambition for this government. 'Cutting smoking rates is key to tackling lung cancer incidence in areas of deprivation – our world-leading tobacco control measures are helping us in our goal of a Tobacco-Free Scotland by 2034.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Dog owner urges caution after pet bitten by adder near Whitby
A dog owner has urged others to be vigilant when walking their pets after her Labrador was bitten by a Mawer was walking three-year-old Malcolm on moorland above the North Yorkshire village of Egton, near Whitby, when he was bitten on 5 Mawer said her dog became dazed and its face began to swell up after the incident so she rushed him to a nearby vets for treatment."What scares me is that if I hadn't have seen the snake and what happened I wouldn't have known he had been bitten," the 55-year-old added. Mrs Mawer, from Egton, said she had stopped to take a photo of the adder - the UK's only venomous snake - moments before Malcolm was bitten."It only looked like it was the tail end of the snake that moved, so I wasn't 100% sure. "Malcolm didn't yelp, he didn't bark."When the pair got back to the car, Mrs Mawer noticed Malcom retching."After the 10-minute drive home he was really dazed, just stood there."When we offered him something to eat he just didn't take it, at which point we knew something was wrong. By the time we got to the vets his face was swelling up." 'It can be lethal' Dr Simon Beck, from the Beck Vetinary Practice where Malcolm was treated, said the practice saw adder bites about once a fortnight during summer months."It can be lethal if you don't get them treated quickly," he said."If a dog is bitten you need to get it straight back to your car and get it to a vet."If dog owners want to be low risk then they are better to take the dogs out in areas where there isn't moorland or heather." Mrs Mawer said Malcolm had made a full recovery since the incident, but said the experience had taught her two things."Don't stop to take a photo and if you see your dogs behaviour change after you have been on the moors, or if they are just acting unusually, seriously think about whether they have been bitten by an adder," she said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
