Authors

  1. Kennedy, Maureen Shawn MA, RN

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Last puff in Norway.

Norwegians stubbed out their cigarettes as the clock struck midnight on June 1, in accordance with a new law that bans smoking in public indoor spaces-including restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, buses, trains, and offices. The law makes Norway the second country in the world, after Ireland, to ban smoking. Government-issued posters read, "Welcome to Norway. The only thing we smoke here is salmon."

 

African first ladies fight AIDS.

The first ladies of seven African countries-Burundi, Comoros, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, and Zimbabwe-along with the queen of Swaziland, have launched the Organization of African First Ladies Against HIV/AIDS (OAFLA). According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, of the 40 million people around the world with HIV or AIDS, 26.6 million-two-thirds-live in sub-Saharan Africa. OAFLA intends to work to increase AIDS funding, provide training to health workers, and improve patients' access to medications.

 

Missing the mentally ill.

According to a new study by the World Health Organization, while many people with mild mental disorders seek treatment, those with the most serious disorders often go untreated. In the 12 months prior to the study, 35.5% to 50.3% of people with serious mental disorders in developed countries, and 76.3% to 85.4% of those in less developed countries, did not receive treatment.

 

These rates are consistent with those in the United States. It's estimated that 26.4% of people in this country have a mental illness (such as an anxiety, mood, or substance abuse disorder), and 7.7% have serious symptoms. But of those with serious disorders, only about half receive treatment.