Resolute

Happy New Year to all our readers!

New Year's resolutions usually involve cutting back on the 'bad' habits and increasing the 'good' ones.

The Department of Health's latest anti smoking campaign focuses on the claim that every 15 cigarettes smoked causes a genetic mutation that can lead to cancer. We will be examining this claim and the use of genetics in public health messages in a future edition of BioNews.

Meanwhile we have resolved to 'detox' the news and to continue to bring you free, independent and unbiased information plus opinion pieces and reviews.

New Year is also a time for predictions; Professor Lord Robert Winston warned in the Telegraph that the postcode lottery which already exists for those wishing to access fertility treatment on the NHS is likely to become worse with the introduction of Clinical Commissioning Groups in April. There is a real risk that this change will further widen the regional disparity as panels of doctors gain control of local budgets.

We too have a prediction: 2013 will see the publication of the 700th edition of BioNews and the 21st Birthday of Progress Educational Trust (PET).

Whether we succeed in keeping our resolution and whether our predictions come true depends on you because we simply can't accomplish our goals without your support.

Please give generously to the BioNews Appeal right now by texting 'PROG23 £10' (or any other amount) to 70070, or by donating via PayPal on our website.

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