Dangerous weight loss products for sale online with no health warnings

  • An investigation by Which? found that weight loss products containing substances that can induce a stroke or heart attack are being sold on websites such as eBay, without any health warnings or dosage information.
  • The products found contain plant extracts that can make users agitated or aggressive and increase their heart rate and blood pressure.
  • These products are sought by people seeking to lose weight, bodybuilders, and gym-goers, through easily accessible online marketplaces like eBay, Wish and AliExpress.
  • Full story, here.

Twitter to boost Spaces to show which friends are attending

  • Twitter is experimenting with a feature that will allow some iOS and Android users to see if people they follow are attending a Space at the top of their timeline.
  • Spaces is a live audio platform like Clubhouse, where users can host live conversations with another person or a group of people.
  • This new feature would allow users to see if someone they’re following is currently tuning into a Space.
  • This expands on their previous feature that allows users to see if someone they are following is hosting a Space.
  • Users can turn off the feature if they don’t want their followers to know what Spaces they are attending in the ‘Privacy and Safety’ section of their settings.
  • Full story, here.

UK Covid deaths average 100 a day with fears of rise when schools return

  • The seven-day average for deaths within 28 days of testing is at 100, this is the highest since March 2021, as children in Scotland return to the classroom.
  • In Scotland, cases have risen dramatically, going up from 799 on 2 August to 3,190 on Sunday since the return to school last week.
  • While schools are unlikely to be the only cause, this rise in cases has caused concern for the future.
  • Scientists have warned that the case rates will jump again when millions of pupils return to schools next week in England, Northern Ireland, and Wales.
  • Full story, here.

Smoking surge in young people during Covid lockdown

  • England saw a rise in young adults taking up smoking during the first lockdown, according to a study published in the journal Addiction.
  • The data suggested that an extra 652,000 young adults were smoking, compared with before the pandemic.
  • However, the study also showed that the pandemic may have been a trigger for many smokers, including young adults, to think about attempting to quit tobacco.
  • The data didn’t explain why the changes occurred, but experts believe many turned to cigarettes in response to stress.
  • Full story, here.