You can tell a lot from body language (but not everything)
/This ad for stroke awareness is absolutely compelling.
Source: American Stroke Association
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Photo Friday: Positano
/It's Memorial Day weekend and time to start thinking beach, for real!
A year ago Lisa and I were spending this day in another beach town a world away — Positano, Italy.
The beach at Positano, Italy, shot May 23, 2013.
Higher taxes may help curb death by tobacco
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The health risks of using tobacco are well documented. And just about every scheme has been tried to get people to quit smoking.
This year the World Health Organization's Tobacco Free Initiative is marking World No Tobacco Day on May 31 by advocating for a global hike in taxes on tobacco.
A tax increase that increases tobacco prices by 10% decreases tobacco consumption by about 4% in high-income countries and by up to 8% in most low- and middle-income countries.
The WHO calls increasing taxes on tobacco "the most cost-effective tobacco control measure." It also makes good financial sense.
The World Health Report 2010 indicated that a 50% increase in tobacco excise taxes would generate a little more than US$1.4 billion in additional funds in 22 low-income countries. If allocated to health, government health spending in these countries could increase by up to 50%.
Tobacco kills some 6 million people each year, including 600,000 non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke.
Learn more about the initiative and how you can support it.
Source: Ads of the World
Photo Friday: Winery storm clouds
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Storm clouds gather over Jonathan Edwards Winery in North Stonington, Conn., shot on May 4, 2014.
Speaking of patient engagement …
/I'll be delivering a general session on patient engagement (and the role of marketing and communication) tomorrow morning at the New England Society for Healthcare Communication's Spring 2014 Conference in Mystic, Conn.
Here are several teasers:
