Healthy Me - At Home and Away: cleanliness

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Sunday, May 3, 2009

More youth smoking

National Health Surveillance Survey
To counter trend, HPB emphasises hip and cool tobacco-free lifestyle

Alicia Wong, alicia@mediacorp.com.sg

THE graphic images of tar-coated lungs and diseased mouths have helped cut smoking for some years, but it appears they are having less of an impact now, with the latest survey showing the first rise in the national smoking rate in 15 years.

So the Health Promotion Board (HPB) is shifting to a more positive tack by highlighting the benefits of a tobacco-free lifestyle. And it is targeting its message especially at young people, among whom there has been a huge jump in those taking up smoking. These younger smokers are typically less affected by the gory images.

Smoking among young men — those aged 18 to 29 — jumped sharply to 25.4 per cent in 2007 from 18.2 per cent in 2004, according to results released yesterday of the HPB's National Health Surveillance Survey. Among the women in the same age group, 9.1 per cent smoked in 2007 compared to just 6.6 per cent in 2004.

While the number of older smokers dropped modestly, the sharp rise in the number of young people smoking contributed to a one-percentage-point increase in smokers aged 18 to 69 in 2007 from 2004's 12.6 per cent. This was the first increase since 1992, when 18.3 per cent of those in this age range smoked.
"Previously we focused on the adult population because they had the biggest number of smokers," said HPB chief executive Lam Pin Woon, "We can identify that the slight uptake from 2004 to 2007 was due to the increase in youth (smokers)."

According to the survey, the top three reasons given by young people for smoking were: To cope with stress, they were addicted and "out of habit". Most started experimenting with tobacco at 16.

Mr Lam acknowledged that warning young people of the long-term harmful effects of smoking would be largely futile as the message would not "resonate with them". And "the more you try to use the law, the more they will rebel against it," he said.

So, the National Smoking Control Campaign 2009 — themed "Live it up without lighting up" and aimed at the younger smokers — will show that a tobacco-free lifestyle is hip and cool. The campaign emphasises the short-term benefits of not smoking, such as staying fit, looking good and having more cash in the pocket.

The three-month-long campaign, which started last month, features various events such as a T-shirt design contest, a fashion event and a hip hop competition.

The HPB is also enhancing its National Smoking Control Programme. From Friday, those aged below 18 caught smoking will be put through a mandatory online counselling course to encourage them to quit. For young working adults who want to kick the habit, the HPB will offer voucher redemption opportunities.

From TODAY, News – Wednesday, 29-April-2009

Saturday, May 2, 2009

No masking male scent

Women have a better sense of smell than men, at least when it comes to detecting underarm odour.

Researchers collected underarm secretions from 59 volunteers — 23 men and 36 women — and pooled them in two batches, male and female.

A different group of 20 men and 20 women sniffed a batch of secretions and then a chemical fragrance, working through about two dozen fragrances applied to each batch of secretions.

Each batch of secretions and each fragrance was considered separately, and each fragrance was rated for its ability to conceal the smell of the underarm odour. The results appear online in The Flavour and Fragrance Journal.

When the armpit odour or the chemical fragrances were presented separately, there was little difference in the perceptions of men and women.

But when the chemicals were used to hide the smell of armpit secretions, sex differences were apparent. For men, 18 of the chemicals succeeded against female underarm odour, and 6 against male odour. But for women, only two worked against female odour, and none worked to hide male odour.

George Preti, the senior author and a member of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, suggested that these odours may be important to women in mate selection and reproduction.

“This study highlights how women receive biological odours even in the presence of fragrances meant to block them,” he said.

“Biological information is present in underarm secretions, even when you try to screen it out.” The New York Times

From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 28-April-2009

ask the paediatrician: Active hygiene care for a healthier life

Active hygiene care for a healthier life
a public education project supported by the Singapore Paediatric Society (www.sps.org.sg) and Lion Corporation

Q1
When my husband comes back from work, he carries and cuddles our baby. I’m concerned that the bacteria on his body will be transferred to our baby. He says it’s fine because he isn’t sick and, therefore, the bacteria on him is minimal. Is he right?

A
If your husband is working in a clean environment — such as an office — there won’t be more germs on him if he is not unwell. If he is working in a hospital or laboratory or factory where he is exposed to germs or chemicals, then he may want to consider changing his work clothes and having a shower before carrying the baby.

Q2
My teenage son loves sports and he plays soccer in school every day. Recently, I’ve realised that he has developed bad body odour. What can he do to manage this problem?

A
Body odour is caused by the release of chemicals when bacteria on the skin break down sweat. These chemicals release an unpleasant smell. Some areas of skin, such as the armpits, produce body odour as these glands produce proteins and oily substances that bacteria feed on.

At puberty, sweat glands develop under the stimulation of hormones. So, your teenage son will sweat more after playing soccer and, therefore, be more likely to produce body odour.

To reduce body odour, advise him to take regular showers and use fresh clothes and socks every day.

An antiperspirant may be used to reduce sweating.

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Questions were answered by Dr Anne Goh from the Singapore Paediatric Society. The information provided is for your general knowledge only. You should seek professional advice or treatment for your child’s condition.

Q1, our question of the week wins a Kirei Kirei gift set worth $60. The winner has been notified. Stand a chance at winning this gift set by emailing your questions on hygiene care to hygienecare@newstoday.com.sg

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From TODAY, Health – Tuesday, 28-April-2009

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Safe hygiene practices for cleaners, too

English: Hand hygiene at Connect 2007 Thoughtful provision of hand sanitiser at the 2007 Connect festival enabled people to clean their hands before buying and eating food. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Letter from Paul Antony Fernandez

I REFER to the recent debate about hygiene standards at hawker stalls.
It is indeed good to note that the National Environment Agency (NEA) will intensify its efforts in educating hawkers on the importance of safe hygiene practices.

May I also seek the assistance of NEA in ensuring that safe hygiene habits are also practised by another group of people handling food in public places: cleaning contractors.

Often, cleaning contracts are awarded to contractors with the lowest bids and there is a monopoly of such services regardless of their track record in adopting cleanliness. When you visit a hawker centre or an established food outlet, you often notice that the leftover food is not cleared immediately. The most common reason cited is a lack of manpower.

This problem can be overcome by paying the cleaners sustainable salaries, which in turn will entice others to join the workforce.

Another unsightly practice is that cleaners often use the same old dirty cloth to wipe tables, dipping them into the same bucket of dirty water over and over.
It doesn't stop there: These cleaners also have the habit of wiping food off the tables and on to the floor.

Perhaps NEA officers, during their enforcement rounds, should also observe the assigned cleaners and when a violation is detected, not just reprimand the cleaners but take action against their employers for failing to inculcate safe hygiene practices among their cleaners.

From TODAY, Voices – Friday, 24-April-2009

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Two ministers, two approaches

FOOD STALL HYGIENE
Benchmark idea for hospital canteens ‘helpful’, but won’t work for hawker stalls: Yaacob

Leong Wee Keat, weekeat@mediacorp.com.sg

WHILE he welcomes the Health Minister’s firm stance that food stalls at public hospitals must score an “A” or “B” on cleanliness, that is Mr Khaw Boon Wan’s “prerogative”, says Minister for Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim, who rules out tying hawker stall tenders to hygiene grades.

“If we just penalise them just because they are (graded) Cs and Ds, there may be other implications,” said Dr Yaacob yesterday. “I think some hawkers have already mentioned ... that this may affect their livelihood. So, rather than make it a legal requirement, we work with them ... On the part of NEA (National Environment Agency), we will continue to work with the hawkers and hawkers’ association to improve their hygiene standards.”

He also called on consumers to send a signal by choosing a B-graded stall over one graded C.

On Sunday, Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan suggested linking the renewal of stall tenders at hospitals to their hygiene ratings, with those not meeting the mark told to close shop.

While there is clear consensus that cleanliness standards need to be improved, why such divergent approaches from two ministers?

There is “no right or wrong” in either approach, said Madam Halimah Yacob who chairs the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health.

In hospitals, the public expect the “highest standard of hygiene possible” and if mass food poisoning were to occur, “the psychological impact would be far greater”, she felt. Pointing out that hospital food stalls see a different clientele, Mdm Halimah added: “Besides visitors, customers could also be patients waiting to see a doctor.”

Her counterpart helming the GPC for Environment, Mr Charles Chong, pointed out that while food stalls in hospitals could be purpose-built, hawker centres on the other hand come in a wide range — including makeshift temporary ones.
“Some are old, some are new. If they impose a minimum standard straight away ... there will be an uproar from the hawkers who may complain that they have been subjectively graded,” he said.

Numbers could also make a difference: While there are just six restructured hospitals, there are 106 hawker centres across the island with 5,600 stalls.
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No hygiene rating for night markets

Pasar malams will not be given a hygiene rating — in spite of the fact that more food stall operators at such night markets were booked last year for hygiene lapses — but that does not mean they are not scrutinised, said Dr Yaacob Ibrahim.

Pasar malams “operate on a very short basis” and by the time the grading is done, the markets are over. “The most important thing is to make sure we check. So, don’t be under the impression that pasar malams are not being supervised ... Our inspectors are down on the ground to supervise,” the Minister said.

There are also licensing requirements, such as that food must be prepared beforehand, with only heating up or frying allowed. Last year, 45 enforcement tickets were issued, up from 31 in 2007 and 23 in 2006.

ONG DAI LIN
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Since 2001, 72 centres have been upgraded with the remaining 30 or so to be madeover by 2012. And Dr Yaacob is confident this would help significantly to raise standards. After all, he revealed, 99 per cent of the stall holders who have benefitted from the Hawker Centre Upgrading Programme, have achieved “A” or “B” grades.

“This shows that as we begin to improve the ambience, design, layout and impose better cleaning practices, hawkers can do a good job in terms of improving hygiene standards,” he said.

The 12-year-old hygiene grading system assesses food hawkers based on cleanliness, housekeeping and food and personal hygiene. Last year, more than 85 per cent of stalls scored an “A” or “B”.

The weak chink in the armour: The four temporary markets currently, where more than nine in 10 stalls have “C” grades. Inspections of such markets have been stepped up, Dr Yaacob said.

Mr Chong hopes more can be done. He got the sense, after speaking to some hawkers, that many are not clear on how grading is conducted. The authorities could also think of ways — such as rental rebates — to reward hawkers who move from a “C” to an “A” grade, he said.

From TODAY, News – Thursday, 23-April-2009