2013-05-25T16:54:11-04:00 Simon Gillespie http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=simon-gillespie Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Simon Gillespie Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.3199295 2013-05-02T19:00:00-04:00 2013-05-02T12:23:28-04:00

Simon Gillespie http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simon-gillespie/ standardised cigarette packaging at British American Tobacco's Annual General Meeting in London.

Their colourful banners stated 'plain packs protect' while another read 'I don't ever wanna lose my best friend, smoking kills'. The cardboard cut-outs perfectly reflected peer-reviewed research that shows standardised packs would:

• Reduce the attractiveness and appeal of tobacco products, particularly for young people


• Increase the prominence and effectiveness of health warnings

It's not difficult to understand why the British Heart Foundation supports standardised packs. Tobacco remains the leading cause of preventable premature death and 25,000 deaths from heart and circulatory disease each year are as a result of smoking. Crucially, two-thirds of adult smokers started before they turned 18.

Despite the tobacco industry's misleading claims about smuggling and counterfeiting, a wealth of good evidence shows standardised packs are popular, inexpensive and will help stop young people getting hooked on a lethal habit.

So far so good, right? Surely it's only a matter of time before the UK follows Australia's lead and introduces legislation? Well, in the last few weeks all the noises have been very positive. A senior Whitehall source apparently told the Guardian that there would be legislation, with the newspaper claiming it would be announced as part of the Queen's speech next week. Public health minister Anna Soubry MP even declared she was in favour of standardised packs on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

But now we're hearing something very different. The word from Westminster reaching campaigners is that we might not get this life-saving legislation after all.

It's at this point we have to look to the Secretary of State for Health, Jeremy Hunt MP, for leadership. When he was appointed, Mr Hunt set out four priorities that he wanted to be judged on at the General Election in 2015. One of those was improving mortality rates. He said: "We languish in the lower half of the European league tables for cancer survival rates, respiratory and many other diseases. We should be the best - and if we were 20,000 lives would be saved every year."

If Mr Hunt does indeed want to join Europe's top table, standardised cigarette packaging will help him get there. Legislation on this issue cannot come soon enough.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1607916 2012-06-19T03:49:11-04:00 2012-08-18T05:12:12-04:00

Simon Gillespie http://www.huffingtonpost.com/simon-gillespie/
The story has got people talking about MS, asking the same questions we hear all the time: What is MS? What causes it? Is there a cure? Is it fatal? Is it normal to be diagnosed so young?

In fact, being diagnosed at 26 is not unusual at all. MS is most commonly diagnosed in someone's 20s or 30s.

For some, diagnosis comes as a relief; it explains an array of mysterious symptoms, and opens the door to treatments to manage them. For others, it can be the start of a confusing, upsetting and anxious journey, filled with uncertainty and fear.

Diagnosis usually leads to a search for answers, and many turn to the internet, where there is a lot of good information and bad.

Naturally, I'd point people to the good: the MS Society website has information specifically designed to guide people through a diagnosis, and pointers on where further support can be found, not least on our forum where there is a very lively and supportive community.

To offset some of the bad information also out there, I'd like to use this opportunity to clarify some of the basics about MS:

MS attacks the nervous system. We don't know the cause and there is no cure, but through research funded by donations to the MS Society, we think we may be around 15-20 years from finding one.

It damages our nerves' ability to send messages to different parts of the body, so can cause many symptoms.

Jack Osborne's first symptom was the loss of 60% of his sight in one eye. This is quite common.

One of the most common symptoms is fatigue - not just tiredness but an overwhelming sense of exhaustion which can be very debilitating.

Other symptoms include problems with muscle spasms, balance, bladder, bowel, speech and memory.

Most people have 'relapsing remitting' MS, meaning symptoms are worse during a relapse and better or even completely gone during periods of remission. Others have progressive MS, which gets gradually worse over time. Many will need to use a wheelchair at some point in their lives; many others will not.

All of this makes MS hard to explain, and even harder to really understand.

Around 100,000 people live with it in the UK, but it rarely gets much attention in the press. This can be a real problem for people with MS. It means diagnosis, an already upsetting experience, can be even harder as you have to start from the beginning to understand - and explain to others - what MS is.

Poor awareness can also fuel unhelpful attitudes and stigma, making it harder than it needs to be to live with the condition.

Most people with MS just want to get on and live as full a life as possible. For most this is eminently possible, and is of course easier if family, friends, work colleagues and also strangers show understanding and support. It is reassuring to hear Jack Osbourne is getting that vital support from his friends and family, and we wish him the best over the coming months and years.

For any others in his position reading this article, please do visit our website, or call our free helpline on 0808 800 8000 if you'd like to talk about it. To donate to the MS Society and help us find a cure, go to www.mssociety.org.uk/donate.]]>