Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Tuesday
Increasing 'coercion' at Danish child psychiatry centres, a big bust on illegal e-cigarette vendors, and why you shouldn't crank the radiator despite falling prices are among the top stories in Denmark on Tuesday.
Only by saving energy can Danish consumers avoid high prices this winter
While the price of electricity has fallen back to earth from its recent sky-high levels, it's important that Danish consumers don't return their usage habits to normal too, energy experts tell broadcaster TV2.
Right now, the Danish gas reserves that serve as an emergency backup are full, while issues at European power plants that exacerbated the crisis have been largely resolved.
"We have been able to keep prices down because we have stood together and been good at saving. If we go back to normal, we could be in a situation again where we will lack gas, coal or electricity," says Jim Vilsson, senior economist at Energinet, an energy company owned by the Danish state. "We will have to think about what we use our electricity and gas for."
READ MORE: Danes change habits to cut energy use at home by over 12 percent
Restraints, force-feeding and forced medication: coercion on the rise at Danish psychiatric hospitals for children and adolescents
More than one in five children who receive inpatient psychiatric treatment in Denmark experience some form of coercion, a report from the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) indicates.
The current figure — 21.1 percent — is up from 15.3 percent in 2015, and the Health Authority describes the upward trend as "very worrying."
Jane Alrø Sørensen of the Better Psychiatry association (Bedre Psykiatri) says an increase in force-feeding, the use of restraints, and other forms of coercion are symptomatic of insufficient staffing — it simply takes less time to force a child to do something than to persuade them.
"We know that one of the most effective things in reducing coercion is time for patients," she says. "And that there is time to work in a motivating way, with patience, with empathy, so that you can see how to motivate treatment and avoid children becoming uncomfortable.
READ MORE: Experts call for Denmark to spend billions on mental health
Agency busts illegal e-cig dealers, charges millions in fines
The Danish Patient Safety Authority has reported 56 dealers of illegal disposable e-cigarettes to the police, in addition to levying 36 million kroner in fines, a press release from the agency says.
The dealers — a mixture of website operators, physical stores, kiosks, and social media sellers — are accused of selling nicotine products targeted at minors. The illegal disposable e-cigarettes are often imported from the US and come in sweet, fruity flavours that make them more palatable to young people, the agency says.
As part of the operation, the DPSA shut down 280 profiles on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook peddling the illegal e-cigs.
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Only by saving energy can Danish consumers avoid high prices this winter
While the price of electricity has fallen back to earth from its recent sky-high levels, it's important that Danish consumers don't return their usage habits to normal too, energy experts tell broadcaster TV2.
Right now, the Danish gas reserves that serve as an emergency backup are full, while issues at European power plants that exacerbated the crisis have been largely resolved.
"We have been able to keep prices down because we have stood together and been good at saving. If we go back to normal, we could be in a situation again where we will lack gas, coal or electricity," says Jim Vilsson, senior economist at Energinet, an energy company owned by the Danish state. "We will have to think about what we use our electricity and gas for."
READ MORE: Danes change habits to cut energy use at home by over 12 percent
Restraints, force-feeding and forced medication: coercion on the rise at Danish psychiatric hospitals for children and adolescents
More than one in five children who receive inpatient psychiatric treatment in Denmark experience some form of coercion, a report from the Danish Health Authority (Sundhedsstyrelsen) indicates.
The current figure — 21.1 percent — is up from 15.3 percent in 2015, and the Health Authority describes the upward trend as "very worrying."
Jane Alrø Sørensen of the Better Psychiatry association (Bedre Psykiatri) says an increase in force-feeding, the use of restraints, and other forms of coercion are symptomatic of insufficient staffing — it simply takes less time to force a child to do something than to persuade them.
"We know that one of the most effective things in reducing coercion is time for patients," she says. "And that there is time to work in a motivating way, with patience, with empathy, so that you can see how to motivate treatment and avoid children becoming uncomfortable.
READ MORE: Experts call for Denmark to spend billions on mental health
Agency busts illegal e-cig dealers, charges millions in fines
The Danish Patient Safety Authority has reported 56 dealers of illegal disposable e-cigarettes to the police, in addition to levying 36 million kroner in fines, a press release from the agency says.
The dealers — a mixture of website operators, physical stores, kiosks, and social media sellers — are accused of selling nicotine products targeted at minors. The illegal disposable e-cigarettes are often imported from the US and come in sweet, fruity flavours that make them more palatable to young people, the agency says.
As part of the operation, the DPSA shut down 280 profiles on Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook peddling the illegal e-cigs.
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