2009 was the safest year on record on Irish roads since records began in 1959. There were 240 deaths on Irish roads, which represent a 14% reduction from 2008 figures. Despite these improvements, 40% of all road deaths in 2009 occurred in those aged under-25 years of age. Globally road traffic...

Blood donation is dependent on the goodwill of people, to voluntarily donate blood, without financial reward. There is a continuous need for new blood donors, because the demand for donor blood is increasing, whereas the supply of blood is declining. Only 3% of the eligible population in the...

In Ireland, blood donation and supply is dependent on the enthusiasm of individuals to voluntarily donate blood without payment. Only 3.6% of the eligible population in the Republic of Ireland donate blood. The need for blood is steadily increasing and it takes more and more effort to persuade...

Countless studies have shown that young people who begin drinking before the age of 15 are four times more likely to develop an addiction to alcohol than those who did not start drinking until they were of legal age. This paper is concerned with social marketing and its application to the...

Estimates from the Irish National Cancer Registry show that lung cancer is increasing by 3% a year in women. From being a predominantly male disease for the past fifty years, lung cancer will be predominantly a female disease by 2020. The United States' FDA classifies smoking as a "pediatric...

Cigarette packages in almost all countries in the world carry health warnings to inform consumers about the risks of smoking. Health warnings on packages are appealing both because of their low cost to regulators and their unparalleled reach among smokers. They constitute the most cost-effective...

There were 279 road fatalities on Irish roads in 2008 - the lowest level since records began. Young male drivers are 7 times more likely to be killed on Irish roads than other road users. The car driver fatality rate was found to be approximately 10 times higher for young male drivers than for...

Ireland has one of the highest rates of binge drinking among university students in the world. Binge drinking has been identified as the number one substance abuse problem in university life. Women are at an increased risk from alcohol use because they need less alcohol per kilogram of body...

The success of organ transplantation has led to the primary problem facing transplantation today: lack of sufficient organ donors. In the US, the number of individuals awaiting organ transplantation has been growing by 15% per year but the number of donors has only increased by approximately 5%....