With The Lancet publishing a paper which stated that obesity is now second only to smoking as a cause of premature death in Europe, public health interventions by pharmacy staff have never been so crucial. 

Many members of the general public remain confused about how much alcohol they should and shouldn't be drinking, and the Government tried to introduce some simplicity by stating that there is no such thing as €safe drinking€, only €low risk€ levels of intake. Men and women should not exceed 14 units a week, ideally spread over at least three days, and pregnant women are advised to abstain from alcohol altogether.

Electronic cigarettes continue to gain support for their role in smoking cessation, and the Tobacco Products Directive (TPD) has introduced minimum standards of safety and quality. This will come into full force next May, when only products that comply with the TPD as approved by the UK drugs regulator may be sold in this country.