Three Essex men receieve sentences after producing and selling fake drugs

Tuesday afternoon saw three men sentenced at Southend Crown Court for a total of 18 months for the possession and distribution of controlled drugs and prescription only medicines over the internet. One of the guilty trio’s sentences also included a charge of unauthorised use of a trademark and the manufacture of controlled drugs (anabolic steroids).

The three were confirmed as 27-year-old Nicholas Boys from Southend, who was slapped with an 18-month imprisonment, along with 50-year-old Eric Rudanec from South and 43 year-old-Mark Rosson from Westcliffe-on-Sea. Both Rudanec and Rosson received six month suspended sentences for 12 months and will be forced to undergo 150 hours of unpaid labour.

The convictions came about after  the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) decided to take a thorough look into the website www.staymassive.com and thousands of other similar ones, which you can read about here. Following this investigation, MHRA officers swooped onto two locations within Southend-on-Sea and seized over £220,000 worth of drugs including anabolic steroids, human growth hormone and various other prescription only medicines.
To trace the initial source of the illegal substances, the MHRA also took the criminals’ mobiles phones and laptops, managing to find that there had been numerous requests from the three regarding orders for huge quantities of anabolic steroids and raw materials including steroid powder.

In addition to the drugs and electronics that were seized, laboratory equipment and paraphernalia to be used for the home production of anabolic steroid medicines was also taken to be analysed.  The dangerous steroid products had been labelled up by the crooks as ‘Medipharma’. Lab tests later confirmed the presence of either small or unpredictable levels of their alleged ingredient.

MHRA Acting Head of Enforcement, Nimo Ahmed, spoke out on the sentences handed down to the three men, and he echoed a lot of comments that Medical Specialists Pharmacy has said previously regarding the issue. He said, “This case demonstrates the lengths some people will go to make money. These people had no regard for the health of others and the thought of home manufacture of anabolic steroids is frightening. Anabolic steroids are very potent medicines which should only be taken when prescribed by healthcare professionals following diagnosis of serious medical conditions.”

This is what we said less than a month ago when we reported about the new CD3 counterfeit drug scanners:  “Medical Specialists Pharmacy is one of the leading companies in the global fight against the huge problem of counterfeit drugs. It leaves us incredibly angry to know that there are still scheming crooks active all over the world that are looking to make a quick profit against the well-being and safety of innocent people. Unlike us, these types of criminals have absolutely no regards for the health of the unsuspecting public who are purchasing the cheaper knock-offs. Many counterfeit drugs contain little or none of the active ingredient, or may even contain dangerous chemicals that can quite easily result in death or permanent disability.”

Adding to Nimo Ahmed’s words was Dave Bagnall, from the Border Force at Coventry international postal hub. He said, “The case came to the attention of the MHRA after intelligence was received from Barclaycard regarding the registration of two websites and a detection by Border Force officers at Coventry international postal hub. Our officers are on constant alert, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to keep fake and unlicensed medicines, as well as other illegal goods, out of the UK. Border Force officers have a vital role to play in protecting British consumers and businesses from the trade in black market medicines and other goods. Smugglers are only out to make a profit. These goods are often dangerous and the proceeds can be used to fuel serious organised crime.”

How grapefruit can cause fatal drug interactions

Whether you eat the fruit or drink its juice, the large colourful citrus fruit grapefruit would not probably invoke many, if any, concerns amongst the majority of people. For starters, its botanical name is ‘fruits of paradise’, which would automatically hint that it is loaded with a wide range of health boosts. Indeed this is true; grapefruit is incredibly rich in Vitamin C. So much so that just half of a grapefruit provides 46.86 mg, (78.1% of the recommended daily intake). The Vitamin C in grapefruit helps to maintain a healthy immune system, reduce symptoms of the common cold, and can also reduce the severity of inflammatory conditions such as asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis.

If that wasn’t enough, grapefruit contains chemical compounds called limonoids, which decrease the risk of death from cancers such as breast, stomach and pancreatic, and the fruit lowers the chance of death from heart attack or stroke. This is partly because grapefruit is highly effective at lowering blood levels of LDL (‘bad’) cholesterol, with red grapefruit lowering triglycerides as well. It lowers the bad cholesterol because it contains a soluble fibre known as ‘pectin’ which has been shown in studies to slow down the progression of atherosclerosis; a hardening of the arteries that can occur for many reasons including high cholesterol.

Cholesterol is where a major concern arises in regards to grapefruit. For those suffering with high cholesterol, the majority are prescribed statin medication such as Rosuvastatin (Crestor), Atorvastatin (Lipitor), Lovastatin (Mevacor) and Simvastatin (Zocor). You may not be aware but statins and grapefruit do not mix! Although Crestor is widely thought to be safe, grapefruit can make the active ingredients in Lipitor, Mevacor and Zocor more potent, a combination that could prove fatal.

This happens as grapefruit contains high levels of the flavanoid naringin, which interferes with enzymes in the body such as cytochrome P-450 and P-glycoprotein. Both of these enzymes work at breaking down drugs like statins and many others, into more usable chemicals, which are subsequently moved around the body. However, the compounds in grapefruit cause a drug interaction by inhibiting this metabolism process of the medications in the digestive system, resulting in a build-up of the drug’s ingredient in the bloodstream and causing a toxic poisoning.

The dangerous level of statins in the body may cause liver damage or a rare disease associated with statins, called ‘rhabdomyolysis’. This condition is the breakdown of muscle fibre that then triggers the release of muscle fibre contents called myoglobin into the bloodstream which is followed by kidney failure (where waste and urine cannot be removed) and severe muscle damage.

It is not just grapefruit you need to consider though when taking pharmaceutical drugs. Pomelos and Seville oranges, a type of bitter orange sometimes used in marmalades and compotes, may also cause interactions with medicines.  Be warned that interactions can occur even if you eat or drink a small amount of these fruits and researchers are working to find other types of food that could dangerously react with particular medications.

If you are prescribed any medicines, not just statins, then you should immediately check with your own doctor to make sure that it is safe to consume grapefruit products or indeed any citrus fruits whilst also taking your medication. Your doctor could advise you to completely exclude any grapefruit product in your diet, lower your dose of medication if you are adamant about still having grapefruit in your diet, or possibly advise a different medication for you.
We have mainly discussed the certain statins that can have an adverse effect with grapefruit; however there are many other types of drugs that interact with the fruit. These include:

. Anti-anxiety – Buspirone (Buspar).
. Anti-arrhythmia – Amiodarone (Cordarone), Aronedarone (Multaq).
. Anti-depressant – Sertraline (Zoloft).
. Antihistamine – Fexofenadine (Allegra).
. Cough medicine – Dextromethorphan (Coricidin, Delsym, Dimetapp, NyQuil, Robitussin Vicks and other generic cough medicines).
. Erectile dysfunction – Sildenafil citrate (Viagra).
. High blood pressure – Felodipine (Plendil), Isradipine (DynaCirc), Nicardipine (Cardene), Nifedipine (Procardia), Nimodipine (Nimotop), Nisoldipine (Sular).

Oldham schoolboy dies from a severe asthma attack

A mother of three from Oldham has called for more awareness to be raised regarding the seriousness of asthma after her 9-year-old son, Joshua, tragically died from an asthma attack earlier this year. In particularly, his mother wants parents to more educated on the difference between the blue reliever inhalers and the brown preventer inhalers, in the hope that other lives can be saved in the future.

Joshua Platt had initially been formally diagnosed with asthma at the age of just one. Despite the early setback, he never let the condition hold him back in life and regularly participated in things such as camping, football, swimming, basketball, judo and enjoyed playing with his younger sisters Demi-Rae, four, and two-year-old Macie.

On 12 February this year, Joshua helped Joanna tidy the house and then went to visit his Grandmother. He had earlier awoken with what Joanna described to the Oldham coroners court as a ‘bit of a sniffle’ and a mild cough, but nothing that majorly concerned her at that point in time.
Joshua arrived back to his home in the Hollinwood area of Oldham at about 7pm and his mum promptly gave him Calpol medicine. After he then started to wheeze, Joshua began rocking backwards and forwards, requested his blue inhaler and asked his mum to rub his back. She says, “He was trying to take deep breaths while trying to talk to me at the same time but was struggling to do both. He was panicking and I was trying to guide him and try to get him to inhale slowly but he just couldn’t.”

Unfortunately his reliever inhaler didn’t have an effect on him and he lost consciousness, leading to Joanna frantically calling for an ambulance to get Joshua to hospital. Despite her best efforts to get him breathing again, Joshua was rushed to Royal Oldham Hospital and tragically, he was pronounced dead at 8.30pm that night.

In what highlights the condition’s severity, the inquest heard that severe attacks could happen to sufferers who did manage their asthma in addition to those who did not. Coroner Simon Nelson recorded a death of natural causes, stating there was unfortunately nothing that could have been done to prevent Joshua’s death. He further called for all parents, teachers and doctors to make sure that asthma sufferers are fully aware of the importance of their preventative medication.

His comments came after Joanna suggested that Joshua had come too accustomed to taking his blue reliever inhalers when his symptoms were showing, and had generally ignored the brown preventer. However, this works over time to reduce the inflammation and mucus in the airways. It could be that Joshua had ignored this type of inhaler as its benefits are not immediately obvious.  They are very important inhalers though and should not be overlooked by asthma sufferers. Gradually over time, the low dose of steroid medicine in the inhaler will have an impact and chest tightness, coughing and wheezing should occur less frequently. Some may even notice that they need to use the reliever inhaler less than before.

Joanna commented, “I think Josh had become laid back about his medication and thought that because he had his inhaler to use if he had an attack, he didn’t need to worry about the other inhaler that would prevent it in the first place. Everyone else was reminding him to take it but he was not aware of how important it was. I think children who have asthma need to be better educated about the importance of all their medication. Teachers and parents should be given more advice. Parents need to be made aware that whether you have got the asthma in control or not that this can still happen. They need to educate their children as well. A lot of people are so laid back about it and think that you can just rely on your blue inhaler but once those tubes close that’s it. To other parents with asthmatic children all I can say is don’t take the inhalers for granted and keep on your child’s back about taking the brown preventer. Josh lived life to the full and his illness never stopped him. He was loved by so many people and had a lot of friends.”

The story of Joshua’s death deeply saddens everybody at Medical Specialists Pharmacy and it shows exactly why we are such strong advocates for the promotion of better asthma awareness to help support the 5.4 million sufferers in the UK, and millions more around the world. Back in August we created an article trying to dispel the unnecessary embarrassment or shame that some asthma sufferers still have with the condition. We have also offered advice and stated some warning signs that asthma sufferers need to be aware of in regards to understanding if their symptoms are under control.

At Medical Specialists we have a wide range of medications to help asthma sufferers. If you are suffering from asthma like symptoms, you should see your doctor immediately for a diagnosis. Your doctor is able to prescribe medication if he feels you have asthma. If you have already been prescribed an inhaler or have lost your inhaler or run out and cannot get a prescription immediately, we are able to supply you an inhaler to help your asthma symptoms. We now offer both blue (relievers) inhalers such as Ventolin and Salbutamol, and brown (preventers) inhalers such as Qvar Beclomethasone, Qvar Easi-Breathe and Pulvinal Beclomethasone.

There have been occasions when some of our asthma patients have also requested a non-drowsy antihistamine such as Loratadine. Daily use of this medication is particularly helpful for asthma sufferers to reduce season allergies from exposure to pollen, exposure to dust mites, bed mites, pets, etc. or for those who experience severe asthma symptoms after exercise.

18,000 websites selling ‘counterfeit’ drugs shut down

The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), have reported that more than 18,000 websites selling illegal medicines, have been shut down during a global crackdown on illegal internet trade in pharmaceuticals. Domain names for the websites have been taken down or the payment facilities have been removed.

In the UK, 384 domain names have been suspended and a further 120 are being shut down. During the worldwide crackdown, conducted by Interpol across 100 countries, more than £6.5 million worth of counterfeit and unlicensed medicines were seized. The operation, which ran from September 25 to October 2, resulted in 79 people being arrested including two in the UK. More than £3.8 million of unlicensed medicines have been seized by the MHRA and the Border Force.

MHRA acting head of enforcement Nimo Ahmed said, “This week we have recovered a range of medicines being supplied without prescriptions and stored in unacceptable conditions, by people who are not qualified to dispense medicines. When you buy medicines from an unregulated source, you don’t know what you’re getting, where it came from or if it’s safe to take. The dose could be too high or too low, or the ingredients could break down incorrectly in the body which makes the medicine ineffective. Illegal suppliers do not adhere to quality control or standards that are required in the licensed trade. If people could see the filthy conditions some of these medicines are being made, stored and transported in, they certainly wouldn’t touch them.”

Neal Patel, spokesman for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, said, “It is hugely worrying that prescription medicines are available from illicit websites. This is a serious patient safety issue. Not only is supplying prescription only medicines without a prescription illegal, it means that the user has no information about the ingredients, dosage instructions, or potential side effects, so patients would not be receiving proper healthcare advice.”

This is the fifth year of a coordinated action against websites selling illegal and sometimes fake medicines. Most of the haul is Viagra and assorted versions of it; one raid had turned up 13,000 packets, labelled as a Chinese herbal remedy for erectile dysfunction. It claims to have none of the side effects of synthetic western medicines.

But when they test it on the spot, they find it contains the same active ingredient as Viagra (sildenafil). If you have a heart condition that might be extremely dangerous, and you might have turned to a herbal remedy precisely because you have a heart condition, that means your GP wouldn’t prescribe Viagra.

To conclude Neal Patel said, “We would urge the public if they wish to buy medicines online, to always check that they are dealing with a genuine pharmacy.” This is a problem we at Medical Specialists have repeatedly reported on and campaigned against. Unfortunately these illegal online pharmacies, who have no regard for the public’s safety, have given online pharmacies somewhat of a bad name.

However here at Medical Specialists we are based in the UK, we only supply genuine branded medication such as (Pfizer) Viagra, we only dispense medication after a patient has undergone a consultation with one of our fully registered GP’s, who will make sure the medication is both right and safe for you. In addition to that we are fully registered with the National Pharmacy Association and the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Green Coffee Bean Extract: Does it work? Is it safe?

Over the years we have seen dozens of ‘miracle’ weight loss supplements come and go, including bitter orange, chromium picolinate, CLA, hoodia, yerba mate, raspberry ketones, and now green coffee bean extract. Each has been touted as an effortless way to shed pounds, by either boosting metabolism, mobilizing body fat or suppressing appetite.

You may have seen green coffee extract at Starbucks, promoted as a natural energy source with no coffee flavour. It was also featured recently on The Dr. Oz Show. On his program, the doc revealed the results of his own investigation, which involved recruiting 100 women who either received a placebo or a 400 mg green coffee bean supplement.

The ladies were instructed to make no changes to their diets and after two weeks, those who had taken the green coffee bean extract lost an average of two pounds, compared to one pound for the placebo group.

So, what exactly is green coffee bean extract? Does it really work? And is it safe. Green coffee beans are actually the green seeds inside the bright red berry. Roasting them turns the seeds brown and creates the characteristic aroma and flavour that coffee gives. To create green coffee bean extract, the seeds are left unroasted. Instead they’re soaked and then concentrated to create the extract.

When coffee seeds or beans are roasted, their antioxidant levels increase, however one natural substance called chlorogenic acid decreases. This chemical is thought to block fat accumulation, boost weight loss, curb carb absorption, and help regulate post meal blood sugar levels.

In a study done at the University of Scranton in January 2012, they carried out a double blind, placebo controlled, cross over study of 16 overweight adults, between the ages of 22 and 46 that were given varying doses of Pure Green Coffee Bean Extract (700mg and 1050mg) and matching placebos over a 22 week duration. Subjects were not asked to change their diet or exercise patterns.
At the end of the 22 week study, subjects who took the Green Coffee Bean Extract lost an average of 17 pounds, which is roughly 10.5 % of their body weight and 16 % of their body fat. Of particular interest was the fact that both the low dose green coffee bean extract and high dose green coffee bean extract groups lost weight.

As to whether green coffee bean extract works, the jury still appears to be out. The study was criticized because it involved such a small number of subjects only 16 and it was funded by a green coffee bean extract manufacturer. An independent analysis of three randomized clinical trials that included a total of 142 participants concluded that the effect of green coffee extract is only moderate at best, and the studies were poorly conducted.

As regards the study carried out by Dr. Oz, the women lost 1 extra pound over those who took the placebo over a two week period, which is interesting but maybe not enough to warrant taking the pills.

The other factor to consider is how safe are they. Unfortunately there is no standardization when it comes to these supplements. In other words, manufacturers don’t have to follow a specific formula, so one green coffee extract product could be made completely differently than another. And one brand could contain significantly more caffeine than the bottle next to it. That is a concern because concentrated doses of caffeine can cause headaches, GI upset, nervousness, insomnia, anxiety, ringing in the ears, and irregular heart beat, or even more serious problems in some people.

In addition, using caffeine based weight loss supplements and then stopping them has also been associated with withdrawal symptoms including headache, fatigue, depression, trouble concentrating, nervousness, muscle tension, and a flushed face. Caffeine based supplements can also react with other prescription medications such as diabetes, blood pressure and anti-depression drugs.

Clearly, despite some positive results, the jury is still out on green coffee bean extract. However there are weight loss aids available such as the prescription only Xenical and the newly released XLS-Medical, both of which are clinically proven to aid weight loss in conjunction with a reduced fat diet and exercise.

How well-endowed are British men compared to others around the globe?

The scientific journal ‘Personality and Individual Differences’ has recently published some research that has compared the penis size from men around the world, ranking 113 nationalities in total.

The sensitive subject is one that has led to numerous assumptions and stereotyping in groups of friends in particularly, for many years. ‘It’s not the size; it’s what you do with it that counts’ is a phrase that is typically often repeated from men to each other. However, just what is the average penis size of men around the globe?

This wondering was therefore probably provided the motivation for the latest study into the issue, conducted by Richard Lynn, emeritus professor of psychology at Ulster University.

According to Lynn’s research, the average size for Brits is 5.5 inches (13.9 cm) when erect. How does this compare to other countries you may ask, well, overall Brits rank at 78th place from the 113 different nationalities. The average size of 5.5 inches is more than the French at 5.3in, Australians (5.2 inches), Americans (5.1 inches) and Irish (5 inches).

It seems though that British men are less endowed than their German counterparts, who are apparently right on the European average size of 5.7 inches. Both come up a little short when compared to Africans, which the study claims average at 6.3 inches. The smallest average was North-East Asians who average at 4.2 inches.

Men hailing from Africa’s Republic of Congo region would appear to be at the top of the list, averaging at a whopping 7.1 inches. The smallest average lengths seem to be in North and South Korea, with men averaging at 3.8 inches.

A more detailed list is as follows (in inches):

Republic of Congo - 7.1

Ecuador - 7

Ghana - 6.8

Colombia - 6.7

Iceland - 6.5

Italy - 6.2

South Africa - 6

Sweden - 5.9

Greece - 5.8

Germany - 5.7

New Zealand - 5.5

UK - 5.5

Canada - 5.5

Spain - 5.5

France - 5.3

Australia - 5.2

Russia - 5.2

USA - 5.1

Ireland - 5

Romania - 5

China - 4.3

India - 4

Thailand - 4

South Korea - 3.8

North Korea - 3.8

Mr Lynn argues that his findings support earlier arguments of ‘race differences in penis length’. He says, “For most populations, penis lengths are predictable and confirmed.” Men should not be too disheartened by the published report though. Indeed like most studies, there are those who have come forward to dispute the findings, questioning their validity. One such critic to the study is Jelte Wicherts, professor of methodology at Tilburg University, Holland. He said, “This is a brave paper in a controversial area but the data has no methodology.”

The topic of a male’s penis size is one that can cause a lot of unnecessary stress to many men around the world. It needn’t be though. A study published a few years ago in show that 85% of women are actually happy with the size of their partner’s penis! Moreover, of the 63% of men who complained about their ‘inferior’ size, none of them were smaller than average.

These stresses may in fact contribute to one particular genuine health condition that affects millions of men around the world; erectile dysfunction (ED). Also known as male impotence, it is the inability to achieve or maintain an erection that is satisfactory for sexual intercourse. It can be severely damaging to a man’s self-esteem and confidence levels, which in turn can even worsen the problem. Help is at hand though from Medical Specialists Pharmacy, and if you are suffering from ED there are a wide range of treatments that are available from Medical Specialists to help you. Certain studies have even gone some way to showing that men who have ED and take sildenafil citrate (Viagra’s active ingredient), can experience a huge improvement to confidence levels and their relationships even see a boost.(1)

Premature ejaculation is yet another condition many men suffer with and wonder just how they can prevent it. There are those who are still too embarrassed and do not seek help. Certain things to do during foreplay and even some breathing exercises may help to some degree, but effective treatments available to combat the problem remain as the prescription medication Priligy and the over the counter Stud 100 spray.

(1)O'Leary MP et. al (2006)“Self-esteem, confidence and relationship satisfaction of men with erectile dysfunction treated with sildenafil citrate: a multicenter, randomized, parallel group, double-blind, placebo controlled study in the United States.” J Urol. Mar;175(3 Pt 1):1058-62.

Ian Wright is using everything in his arsenal to make Stoptober a success

If you have been paying close attention to the Medical Specialists Pharmacy website, you will be aware that yesterday saw the start of The Department of Health’s national anti-smoking campaign ‘Stoptober’, of which Medical Specialists is a proud supporter of. It will be running for 28 days, finishing on 28 October. This specific time period was chosen as it is believed that you are five times more likely to quit for good after abstaining for 28 days.

The campaign is the first mass attempt at getting the nation’s 8 million smokers to kick the habit for good, mainly for the benefit of their health and those around them, and also to save the NHS millions of pounds each year. New Year’s Resolutions may be the only reason why many people try (and fail) to stop smoking, however why not get involved with Stoptober and join millions of people around the country in the fight against harmful cigarettes, improving your appearance, health and cash.

However, you don’t need to just listen to us. The campaign is being backed by a whole host of celebrities including former Arsenal and England footballer Ian Wright, former Apprentice contestant Kate Walsh and leading makeup artist Gary Cockerill. Using their area of expertise, the trio will be providing motivation and support in helping smokers to quit. Other famous faces who are backing the campaign are Gordon Ramsay, Sharron Davies and Jeff Brazier.

As well as expert advice from the celebrities, those looking to quit will also receive support via a Stoptober support pack, an app on their smartphone, and there has been a dedicated Facebook page setup for people to connect to each other and share their experiences.

Stoptober mentor Ian Wright, like Medical Specialists, seems to understand the huge dangers of cigarettes and why smokers need to get on board with the campaign. He says, “Smoking is one of those habits that’s so easy to fall into but takes real focus and perseverance to get out of. Anyone who makes the effort to quit has my total respect. Stoptober is a great campaign because for many, willpower isn’t enough. Most people need that additional support to avoid slipping into bad habits or kidding themselves that having one won’t hurt. Soon they’re off again. The worst thing is that smoking gives you nothing and it is, literally, killing you, which is why I feel so strongly in backing those who are trying to quit. We all know people who’ve been smoking for 20 years and the damage this can cause to their health is huge. Who wouldn’t want to be able to run up the stairs, play more easily with their children or even put in a man of the match performance every week at football? I tried smoking myself when I was younger. Everybody did it. But I stopped after a few years. I was asthmatic so I knew it wasn’t for me. Loads of people smoked back then and it can’t have helped me. I found it hard to breathe in rooms full of smoke.”

One very interesting point we note is that Wright mentions he suffers from asthma, joining other former and currently footballers who also suffer from the lung condition; including David Beckham and Paul Scholes. Hopefully if more asthmatic celebrities speak up about their asthma struggles, this may go some way to dispelling the stigma and feeling of embarrassment that is present in some people who suffer with the airway-constricting lung condition. Not only can smoking trigger asthma attacks, babies and children who are exposed to cigarette smoke are at a high risk of then developing asthma, a subject we covered way back in March.

Adding to Wright’s comments about Stoptober was fellow anti-smoking advocate and mentor Gary Cockerill, who commented on just how smoking can ruin a person’s looks. He said, “Not many people realise how damaging smoking is for skin, hair and teeth. It causes premature aging, yellowing of the teeth and brittle and smelly hair. I’ll be providing some top insider beauty tips and advice on how to improve ‘smoker’s skin’ and minimise the harmful effects smoking has to our looks.”

For part of his involvement with the Stoptober challenge, Wright has agreed to mentor and provide support for one of three ‘superquitters’, together with Walsh and Cockerill who are also doing the same for two other superquitters. Wright is backing 29-year-old Emergy Godden from Liverpool, who remarkably has been smoking ever since she was 14-years of age. Emergy wastes £40 every week on her smoking habit, which could be better spent on more important times in the midst of a double-dip recession. She says, “I want to stop smoking before I turn 30 next year. I’m well aware of the damage I’m doing to my body and know that making just this one change alone will make me much healthier.”

For smokers out there who require some extra support in quitting, allow Medical Specialists to help you. We realise it may be asking a little too much for some people to completely go cold turkey for 28 days. However, we do have the smoking cessation medication Champix, which many argue is better at helping you to stop lighting up in comparison to nicotine patches.

Champix is a prescription medication that works out from as little as just £75.00 per pack, an incredibly small price when it comes to your long-term health. Champix mimics the effect of nicotine on the body, reducing the urge to smoke and relieving withdrawal symptoms. It can also decrease the enjoyment you experience of smoking if you are still smoking whilst on the treatment.