Skepticism, evidence, science, mythbusting, consumer protection
Polish Minister of Health officially denied that smog poses a risk to health despite solid evidence saying otherwise. Konstanty Radziwill claimed that protecting members of public from air pollution is not a health priority and can virtually be ignored, as there are more pressing health issues.
Meanwhile, it is estimated that over 45,000 Poles die from air pollution each year – second highest number (per 1000 citizens) in Europe (after Bulgaria)
Skeptics in the UK rightly campaign against money being wasted by the National Health Service on alternative medicine. But it seems that much more money is being spent on ineffective treatments and procedures that come from within mainstream medicine. The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges (AMRC) has announced that dozens of treatments for ailments ranging from small wounds to cancer make little or no difference compared with no treatment at all, while also potentially incurring side effects. The organisation, which represents 22 royal medical colleges, has called for doctors to think more carefully and critically before they prescribe the treatments, warning that ‘more doesn’t always mean better’. The AMRC has previously estimated that up to £2bn per year may be wasted on pointless treatments.