Bees can be nicotine addicts too

Research out of the University of Haifa in Israel has shown that bees, like humans, can become natural addicts of caffeine and nicotine. Bees in the study consistently preferred nectar that contained small amounts of the addictive substances over nectar which was nicotine or caffeine free.

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Footballers helping to tackle smoking and obesity

Barcelona football club have launched a mobile app to help people quit smoking with advice and encouragement from fan's favourite players. It is claimed that so far this app has resulted in 33-40% quit rates, although it is not clear whether these results have been verified with carbon monoxide measures, as is required of NHS stop smoking services.

In the UK football clubs have also been involved in schemes to help fans lose weight. These schemes have taken advantage of the shared interests of fans to build up mutual support within weight loss groups. The smokers' clinic also run a small number of weight clinics and this idea of building support networks is an important part of both the smoking and weight clinics.

If you are interested in getting help with quitting smoking or losing weight, call the smokers' clinic on 0800 169 1943 or email smokers-clinic@qmul.ac.uk and our administrator will talk you through your different options, including opportunities to take part in research.

Read more about how footballers are helping to tackle smoking and obesity here.