Health news watch: what patients read about in April

Here, we look at the clinical stories patients might be reading in the mainstream news media and provide the original evidence behind the stories so that you can answer any questions that may come up. Cahal McQuillan reports.

Smoking banned for people born after 2008

Under the Tobacco and Vapes Bill, no one born on or after 1 January 2009 will ever be allowed to buy cigarettes in the UK.

The passing of this ‘landmark’ bill was covered by multiple outlets on 21 April, including the BBC and The Independent, and it is expected to come into effect next year.

The legislation, which cleared both Houses of Parliament on Tuesday (28 April) and received royal assent on Thursday (30 April), will also give ministers the power to strengthen the existing ban on smoking in public places such as near children’s playgrounds and outside schools and hospitals.

Condom prices to increase due to Iran war

The price of condoms is expected to increase by 20-30% because of the war in Iran, reported the BBC and The Guardian on 22 April.

The story stems from an announcement by Karex, the world’s largest condom producer, which warned it will raise prices by as much as 30% – and potentially more – if the war continues to disrupt supplies of its raw materials.

The firm, which is based in Malaysia, produces more than five billion condoms annually and supplies major brands like Durex and Trojan, as well as state health systems like the UK’s NHS.

This price hike comes as Karex’s chief executive, Goh Miah Kiat, told media outlets that demand for condoms has risen by about 30% this year. It also coincides with UK Health Security Agency’s launch of their three-year plan to tackle rising rates of syphilis in England.

Climate change extending UK pollen season

The pollen season in the UK and mainland Europe has been extended by between one and two weeks since the 1990s, found a new report picked up by The Guardian on 22 April.

This finding was included in the third iteration of the Lancet Countdown report, which systematically tracks the health effects of climate change adaptation and mitigation action, economics and finance.

Warmer temperatures and elevated carbon dioxide concentrations linked to climate change are touted as key factors driving the prolonged pollen season.

Since the previous Lancet report in 2024, researchers found that the seasonal severity of birch and alder pollen had increased by 15–20% across southern UK, northern France, Germany, and eastern Europe.

HRT producer reprimanded in the UK

One of the UK’s largest producers of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has been reprimanded by regulators for ‘systemic failures’ that jeopardised patient safety.

On 22 April, The Guardian reported that Theramex – the producer of HRT drugs Evorel and Intrarosa – was found to have breached fundamental compliance standards, such as not updating crucial prescribing information, and not making it clear that a drug couldn’t be used during pregnancy.

The UK drug industry’s self-regulatory body, the Prescription Medicines Code of Practice Authority (PMCPA), issued the public reprimand after Theramex’s own staff alerted the regulator to the compliance failures.

In total, PMCPA found that Theramex breached the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry’s code of practice 21 times.

Before the reprimand was publicly made, Theramex withdrew from the PMCPA’s jurisdiction in January 2026.

UKHSA issue whooping cough warning

Parents are being urged to listen out for the tell-tale signs of whooping cough – otherwise known as pertussis – by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

On 9 April,  The Mirror and Daily Express reported on a social media post by the government agency, in which they included an audio clip with the distinctive ‘whoop’ sound typically exhibited by those who are infected.

Both publications highlighted that this warning comes in the wake of an outbreak in 2024, when cases spiked at 14,894 confirmed infections and 11 deaths in England alone.

While cases have fallen since then, experts warn the threat has not gone away – particularly for young children.

UKHSA cautioned that whooping cough can start like an ordinary cold, and that not all infants or adults ‘make the classic sound.’