Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Woman, 61, in cig ban fury
Just one glass of beer a day can be deadly, claims survey
A SHOP refused to sell cigarettes to a 61-year-old because they weren’t for her.
Susan Morgan told staff at her local Sainsbury’s the pack was a present for her 51-year-old friend.
She said: “I was told I couldn’t have them, even when I said the age of my friend. I felt like a criminal.”
A Sainsbury’s spokesman in Paignton, Devon, said: “We have apologised – but it’s important colleagues do not risk cigarettes being purchased for anyone underage.” A SINGLE glass of beer or wine a day doubles the risk of a deadly heart attack or stroke, a survey claims.
It said moderate drinkers, who had up to 13 glasses of alcohol a week, were likely to develop the dangerous health conditions.
The findings add to the debate about whether small amounts of alcohol are damaging or have a protective effect.
Data was gathered from 17,000
Americans in a six-year study. Dr Amer
Aladin, of Wake Forest Baptist Health in North Carolina, said: “It’s the first study showing both heavy and moderate alcohol consumption can increase hypertension.”
He added that drinkers should get regular blood pressure checks. UK guidelines advise no more than 14 units of alcohol a week – six pints of beer or 10 small glasses of wine.