Passive smoking may up snoring risk in kids
New York, July 8 : Parents who smoke at home exposing their children to passive tobacco inhalation may increase the risk of developing habitual snoring in kids, according to a study.
The findings showed that children are at a two per cent higher risk of snoring for every cigarette smoke in home daily.
Children born to fathers who smoke were at a 45 per cent higher risk of snoring than unexposed children. While mothers who smoke increase the risk of developing habitual snoring in their kids by nearly 90 per cent.
Those exposed to prenatal smoke were almost twice as likely to develop habitual snoring.
"Some parents may think snoring in kids is benign or even cute. But snoring is often the first step towards developing sleep apnoea and has been linked to high blood pressure, stroke and heart disease," Lucy Popova, a researcher at Georgia State University was quoted as saying to the Daily Mail.
Sleep apnoea is a serious disorder characterized by regular pausing in breathing while sleeping.
Published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, the study examined data from 24 existing studies that included nearly 88,000 children.
The team found that the younger a child is, the more susceptible he or she is to developing the habit of snoring.
"Quitting tobacco use entirely is the best way to preserve your own health and the health of your children," said Sophie Balk from Children's Hospital at Montefiore in New York, US.
However the study was not able to show how smoking was associated with higher risk of developing habitual snoring among children.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Bill to regulate deepfakes tabled in Lok Sabha
New Delhi (PTI): A Private Member's Bill seeking a clear legal framework for regulation of deepfakes has been introduced in the Lok Sabha.
The Regulation of Deepfake Bill, introduced by Shiv Sena leader Shrikant Shinde in the House on Friday, aims to protect citizens by mandating prior consent from individuals depicted in deepfake content.
"Misuse of deepfakes for harassment, deception and misinformation has escalated, creating an urgent need for regulatory safeguards," Shinde said.
The Bill also lists penalties for offenders creating or disseminating deepfake content with malicious intent.
"With advancements in artificial intelligence and deep learning, deepfake technology has emerged as a significant tool for media manipulation. While the technology has potential applications in education, entertainment and creative fields, it also poses severe risks when misused, threatening individual privacy, national security and public trust," Shinde said in the statement of objects and reasons in the Bill.
The proposed Bill seeks to establish a clear legal framework to govern the creation, distribution and application of deepfakes in India, said Shinde, a three-term Lok Sabha member from Kalyan.
The Bill also seeks to establish the Deepfake Task Force, a dedicated body to combat national security implications and evaluate the influence of deepfakes on privacy, civic participation, and potential election interference.
The task force will collaborate with academic and private sector institutions to develop technologies that detect manipulated content, thereby promoting credibility in digital media.
The Bill also proposes to establish a fund to support public and private sector initiatives in the detection and deterrence of advanced image manipulation.
A Private Member's Bill is a procedure of Parliament that enables lawmakers, who are not ministers, to draw attention to issues that might not be represented in Government Bills or to highlight the issues and gaps in the existing legal framework that require legislative intervention.
