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HEALTH

Spain’s La Liga to hold minute silence for coronavirus victims

A minute of silence will be held before all La Liga games in memory of the victims of coronavirus, the league and Spanish football Federation (RFEF) announced on Sunday.

Spain's La Liga to hold minute silence for coronavirus victims
Photo: JOSEP LAGO / AFP

The tribute will also be paid before matches in Segunda, Spain's second tier, as well as play-offs for promotion in the Segunda B and Tercera divisions, the two governing bodies confirmed.

“Both organisations have reached an agreement to pay a sincere tribute this season to all those who have left us because of the pandemic, as well as their families,” said a joint-statement.

The first match back will be on Wednesday between Rayo Vallecano and Albacete, who will play the second half of their Segunda contest in December that was abandoned due to offensive chanting.

READ: What will Spain be like to live and work in after the coronavirus crisis?

 

Top-flight fixtures will then restart on Thursday, when Sevilla host Real Betis, with reigning champions Barcelona playing away at Real Mallorca on Saturday and Real Madrid hosting Eibar on Sunday.

Barca are top of the table, two points clear of Madrid, with 11 games left to play. 

The return will bring an end to a three-month hiatus after La Liga suspended matches due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 12.

Spain has been able to bring the virus under control in recent weeks but is one of the worst-hit countries overall, with more than 27,000 deaths confirmed according to the latest figures on Sunday.

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HEALTH

Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Danish stores sold a significantly lower quantity of alcohol and cigarettes over the counter last year, new data from Statistics Denmark show.

Are Danes cutting back on cigarettes and alcohol?

Some 3,852 cigarettes were sold year, which amounts to 804 per person over the age of 18. But that compares to a figures of 854 per person on 2022.

Cigarette sales in Denmark have been declining since 2018.

Sales of sprits, beer and wine fell by 7.8 percent, 5.3 percent and 0.9 percent respectively.

Danish business sold the equivalent of 44.4 million litres of pure alcohol, which works out at 11.9 units per week on average for each person over the age of 18.

Although that is a lower value than in 2022, it still exceeds the amount recommended by the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen).

The Health Authority recommends that adults over 18 drink no more than 10 units per week and no more than four in a single day.

READ ALSO: Should Denmark raise the minimum age for buying alcohol?

“The numbers are still too high and it’s an average that could have a skewed distribution,” University of Southern Denmark professor, Janne Tholstrup, said in relation to the alcohol sales figures. Tholstrup has published research on Denmark’s alcohol culture.

That is in spite of a 30-year-trend of falling alcohol consumption, according to the professor.

“The majority of Danes stay under the recommended 10 unite per week. That means there is a large group with a persistently excessive consumption of alcohol,” she said.

The Statistics Denmark figures also show that sales of loose tobacco – such as the type used in roll-up cigarettes and pipes – also fell last year. Some 58 tonnes less were sold compared to 2022.

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