A round-up of other news in brief.
SMOKING YOUTH: Concerns that over 40 per cent of young people now smoke and that uptake is most prevalent in the early 20s category as people earn their first salaries will be the focus of a national forum this week, writes Áine Kerr.
The Young People for Life Without Tobacco? forum will invite young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 to contribute ideas which might form the basis of an imminent European Youth Manifesto.
Recent statistics from the Office of Tobacco Control show that two-thirds of all children claim to experiment with tobacco, while the 18-35 age bracket represents the largest cohort of smokers (45 per cent) in Ireland.
Assessing the reasons why young people start smoking despite the extensive amount of research which proclaims it to be damaging to one's health will be central to the National Youth Council of Ireland's (NYCI's) debate.
In attendance at this Saturday's forum in the Mansion House in Dublin will be Prof Gerard Hastings of the University of Stirling, an expert in assessing the marketing tactics of tobacco companies.
Those wishing to attend the conference are advised that they must register in advance.
For a registration form, contact the NYCI on 478 4122 or email youthandtobacco@nyci.ie or visit www.youth.ie
NO LUNG CANCER PROTECTION: Contrary to what some smokers may hope, antioxidants and other vitamins seem to offer no protection against lung cancer, new research suggests.
In an analysis of eight previous studies, researchers found no evidence that vitamins A, C, E or folate lower a person's risk of lung cancer.
Across the studies, which followed thousands of adults for up to 16 years, people with the highest intakes of the vitamins were no less likely to develop lung cancer than those with the lowest intakes.
There has been a popular notion that even smokers can ward off lung cancer by taking vitamin supplements.
Dr Eunyoung Cho, the lead author of the new report, said, "This is not true, and our study confirmed that."
Dr Cho is an assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.
SPEAKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH: Issues affecting the mental health of young Irish people will be examined by finalists in the 25th Annual National Public Speaking event for secondary colleges organised by Mental Health Ireland, which takes place in the Edmund Burke Theatre, Trinity College on Saturday.
Successfully through to the national final, following county, regional and semi-finals are teams from Sancta Maria College, Louisburgh, Co Mayo, CBS Kilkenny and St Killian's German School, Clonskeagh, Dublin.
The national public speaking event is organised annually by Mental Health Ireland, the largest national voluntary organisation promoting positive mental health, and advocating on behalf of people using mental health services at national and local level through the participation of over 90 affiliated local mental health associations.
Over 200 schools put forward teams for this year's event.
This year's topic is The mental health of a nation is a direct result of self-reliance, self esteem and social responsibility.
FISHY CLAIMS: Claims that oily fish is good for people's health are not backed by strong evidence, experts said last week.
Researchers studied the effects of omega 3 fats on death rates, heart disease and cancer and found there was no evidence of a "clear benefit" of omega 3 fats on health.
In a study published in the British Medical Journal, scientists were keen to point out that the importance of omega 3 fats should not be ruled out. But they warned that the evidence about potential benefits should be regularly reviewed.
Omega 3 fats are found in oily fish such as mackerel and fresh tuna, supplements and some plant oils.
They have been widely regarded as beneficial for health, with health experts recommending that people eat more of them.
VCJD RISK: Many more people may be at risk of contracting vCJD than previously thought, according to new research.
A long incubation period for the disease, together with an ability to pass it on through blood transfusions and surgical instruments, has the potential to create a "significant public health issue", scientists from Edinburgh said.
Through studies on mice, they concluded that variant Creutzfeldt Jakob Disease (vCJD) could lie in the body for many years without showing any symptoms.
Due to long incubation times for the disease, a "significant level" of underlying vCJD may already be present in the population, they said.