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Abstract
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The Nuclear Weapons Group of Medact, the UK affiliate of the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, commends the Editors1
for drawing attention to the first meeting of states parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, which will be held in January, 2022. Publications in The Lancet have previously referred to the controversial but important public health issue of nuclear war.
In our response to the UK Government's 2021 integrated review of security, defence, development, and Foreign Policy, we drew attention to the dangers of raising the cap on the UK's stockpile of weapons unilaterally to "no more than 260 warheads", and to the plans to deliver new and flexible W93 warheads on upgraded mark 7 re-entry vehicles. These developments show that the UK is reinforcing a global trend towards usable nuclear options, thereby increasing the likelihood of nuclear conflict.
Beyond the devastating blast and heat effects of nuclear explosions, and the vast release of ionising radiation, lie the long-term global environmental effects of a nuclear war on cities, which contain the highest quantities of combustible materials. Specifically, the so-called nuclear winter would cause many millions (if not billions) of people, including non-combatants, to die from starvation.The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons thereby offers a real international opportunity to reinforce the world's security after the COVID-19 pandemic...
Language: en |