OBJECTIVES: The study aimed to identify alcohol-related advertisements and access to alcohol outside selected Metro Manila schools as well as to identify alcohol-related ordinances and determine their enforcement.

METHODS: An area within 100 meters of ten randomly selected colleges in Metro Manila were included in the study using the Global Positioning System (GPS). These areas were grid-searched for alcohol related advertisements and alcohol outlets. Ordinances related to alcohol were also identified.

RESULTS: An average of six advertisements and 12 establishments which sell alcoholic drinks were seen near the selected colleges in Metro Manila. Three of the five cities where the ten colleges were situated had ordinances which prohibit selling to minors while two cities prohibit issuing of liquor licenses to establishments within 200 meters from a school.

CONCLUSION: Alcohol-related advertisements and alcohol outlets were plentiful near Metro Manila colleges even when there were ordinances which prohibit giving licenses to establishments to sell alcoholic beverages.

Alcohol Drinking In College ; Minors ; Cities ; Advertising ; Alcoholic Beverages ; Universities

A congenital hernia into the base of the umbilical cord is known as an exomphalos and when the size of the defect is 5 cm or less and containing only bowel, it is called as exomphalos minor. We present a case of a newborn with an exomphalos minor within a Meckel diverticulum. He underwent surgical resection of the Meckel diverticulum and repair of the abdominal wall defect. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of Meckel diverticulum in an exomphalos minor in Korea.
Abdominal Wall ; Hernia ; Hernia, Umbilical* ; Humans ; Infant, Newborn ; Korea ; Meckel Diverticulum* ; Minors ; Umbilical Cord

Expectation that stem cell therapy products will prove better and more effective in treating a variety of medical conditions continues to drive expanding research efforts. Stem cell therapy products consist of, or are derived from, populations of stem cell progenitors. They are complex and dynamic biological therapies which are highly regulated for safety and efficacy as biological products. The Korea Food Drug Administration (KFDA) is the legal authority responsible to regulate stem cell therapy products as stipulated by the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act. In this article, the regulatory review process used by the KFDA to assess the safety and effectiveness of novel stem-cell therapy products is described. The agency regularly updates and re-evaluates recommendations applicable to production and testing of stem cell therapy products based on the accumulation of scientific and clinical experiences.
Biological Agents ; Biological Therapy ; Informed Consent By Minors ; Korea ; Stem Cells ; Treatment Outcome

"Every human being of adult years and sound mind has a right to determine what shall be done with his own body...." It is a "basic and constitutionally predicated right" and courts have consistently "upheld a patient's right to refuse medical treatment even at risk to his health or his very life." It is recognized as a part of the right of privacy protected by both thestate and [federal] constitutions. Its exercise requires no one's approval. It is not merely one vote subject to being overridden by medical opinion. It follows that [such] a patient has the right to refuse anymedical treatment, even that which may save or prolong her [his] life. In other words, "the patient himself should then be the ultimate decision maker" and accordingly, "[a] physician shall respect the right of the patient to refuse medical treatment. Even substitute decision maker (parents, spouse, guardian, health care proxy) "ought to be guided in his or her decisions first by his knowledge of the patient's own desires and feelings..."What if the patient is a minor? Under Republic Act 68098 "[E]mancipation takes place by the attainment of majority. Unless otherwise provided,majority commences at the age of eighteen years." Understandably, a person less than 18 years old is a minor and conversely, any person at least 18 years old is considered a "human being of adult years and sound mind." The law made it clear that a minor could not enter into a contract with a physician for medical and surgical treatment. In the same manner, an attending physician cannot validly honor a refusal for treatment by a minor. According to the court, "most children, even in adolescence, simply are not able to make sound judgments concerning many decisions, including their need for medical care or treatment. Parents can and must make those judgments." A physician therefore must obtain theconsent of the child's parent or someone standing in loco parentis to the minor. Take note that the concept of "emancipated minor" or "mature minor" no longer exist under the law. "The only acceptable exception was an emergency, when it was either impractical to obtain parental consent, or any delay would unduly endanger the patient's life."On one hand, the definition of "sound mind" "in the context of refusing medical treatment means that the patient can understand the risks and benefits of the proposed treatment, and the patient is able to make an informed choice."However, caution must be made in labelling a psychiatric patient as "mentally incompetent" because "[i]n some situations, psychiatric patients are "mentally competent" for purposes of refusing medical treatment.Like any other rights under the constitution and laws, the right of a parent or guardian to refuse medical treatment of a minor or mentally incompetent is not absolute. "Traditionally, the law has recognized the fundamental right of parents to make decisions regarding the care of their children. This right is based on the premise that children generally lack the maturity and experience necessary to make reasonable, informed decisions regarding their own care and that parents presumably act in the best interests of their children." Under the principle ofparens patriae, "which translates to "parent of the country," the state may, and in some cases must, act as guardian of those who are under a legal disability to act on their own behalf, including children. This intervention may involve the appointment of a guardian for the child and/or prosecuting parents for neglecting their child's health." Simply put, the state can intervene and remove that right if the parent or guardian is not acting in the best interest of the minor.Respect for [adult] patient's autonomy mandates physicians and hospitals to honor a patient's informed refusal of any kind of treatment. Furthermore, a physician must competently determine if the parents or surrogate decision maker is acting in the best interest of a minor. In a way, a physician is also a surrogate decision maker for a minor.
Human ; Male ; Female ; Aged 80 And Over ; Aged ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Young Adult ; Adolescent ; Child ; Child Preschool ; Infant ; Infant Newborn ; Patient Rights ; Human Rights ; Minors ; Treatment Refusal

OBJECTIVETo explore the access to tobacco and exam the predictors of successful tobacco purchase attempts among Chinese minors.

METHODSA simulative trial of purchasing cigarettes was participated by 201 sixth grade students to assess the prevalence of illegal cigarette sales to minors in Guangzhou. Methods of Chi-square and unconditional logistic regression were used to identify the significant predictors,with the result of tobacco purchase as the dependent variable and the characteristics of stores, retailers and minors as the independent variables.

RESULTSA total of 165 students succeeded in purchasing cigarettes but 36 failed, and the percentage of successful purchase attempts was 82. 1% . Data from univariate analysis indicated that 9 factors were significantly associated with students' success in purchasing cigarettes. They were age and height of the purchasers, types of stores, seller's gender and age, posting cigarette advertisements,showing warning signs of 'no cigarette selling to minors' ,asking buyer's age,and asking whom you buy the cigarettes for. The results of multivariable analysis showed that only three variables entering the final logistic regression: the age of students, the type of stores, and showing warning signs of 'no cigarette selling to minors'.

CONCLUSIONChinese minors have easy access to purchasing cigarettes, especially in groceries and small markets. Selling cigarettes by sellers to minors should be monitored and managed in the future.

Adolescent ; Child ; China ; Commerce ; legislation & jurisprudence ; statistics & numerical data ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Minors ; statistics & numerical data ; Smoking ; epidemiology ; legislation & jurisprudence ; Students ; statistics & numerical data

This study looks at the demographic characteristics and psychiatric diagnoses of minor perpetrators of sexual abuse. Subjects of the study were all minor perpetrators seen at the Child Protection Unit of the University of the Philippines - Philippine General Hospital from March 1997 to September 1998. Of the seventeen subjects seen by the psychiatrists of the unit, majority were in their adolescence (11-14 years) with 5-10 year of age difference from their victims. All were known to the victim as relatives, playmates or neighbors. One third of the minor perpetrators denied committing the abuse. Among those admitted the abuse, no common reason for the act was obtained. Majority of the perpetrators did not have an existing psychiatric disorder at the time of the abuse and majority attended school. Three of the seventeen minor perpetrators had conduct disorder with two having a co-existing mental retardation. Five of the seventeen had an adjustment disorder with depressed mood following the incident.
Human ; Adolescent ; Child ; MINORS ; SEX OFFENSES