{"id":32326,"date":"2014-09-17T10:18:56","date_gmt":"2014-09-17T09:18:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/?p=32326"},"modified":"2014-09-17T11:02:26","modified_gmt":"2014-09-17T10:02:26","slug":"the-bmj-today-profanities-and-protests-in-public-health","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.bmj.com\/bmj\/2014\/09\/17\/the-bmj-today-profanities-and-protests-in-public-health\/","title":{"rendered":"The BMJ Today: Profanities and protests in public health"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tom_m_sep\"<\/a>Public health has become heated, with the fiery debate over e-cigarettes pushing one public health director over boiling point, and public health leaders across Europe becoming incensed by changes at the European Commission.<\/p>\n

As Gareth Iacobucci reports<\/a>, John Ashton, the president of the UK Faculty of Public Health, described a supporter of e-cigarettes on Twitter as \u201can obsessive, compulsive, abusive onanist.\u201d He followed this with a question: \u201cHave you always been an anonymous c..t?\u201d<\/p>\n

The BMJ<\/em> wasn\u2019t being prudish in its presentation of Ashton\u2019s comments. (In fact, for those interested in such matters, The BMJ<\/em>\u2019s house style is not to censor any language.) But Ashton himself chose not to spell out his message in full, which may speak volumes for the continued power of some phrases in the English language.<\/p>\n

Ashton has now voluntarily taken a leave of absence while the faculty carries out an internal investigation of the incident. He said he regretted his \u201cchoice of language\u201d and the faculty issued a statement apologising for Ashton\u2019s \u201cinappropriate language.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the UK, public health leaders across Europe have warned of \u201ca potential disaster\u201d following the decision of the incoming European Commission president to move responsibility for health technology, pharmaceuticals, and the European Medicines Agency. This responsibility will be taken away from the commission\u2019s health directorate and transferred to the commission\u2019s industry counterpart<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The European Public Health Alliance said the decision was \u201cin direct contradiction to the need for a coherent and unified health policy within the European Union.\u201d Others have warned that the decision is \u201cill advised\u201d and \u201cconcerning\u201d.<\/p>\n

Tom Moberly is editor, BMJ Careers.\u00a0Follow Tom\u00a0on Twitter,\u00a0@tommoberly<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Public health has become heated, with the fiery debate over e-cigarettes pushing one public health director over boiling point, and public health leaders across Europe becoming incensed by changes at […]<\/p>\n

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