Thursday, October 30, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

More Danish children rely on sleep medication

Updated November 8, 2024, Published November 7, 2024 – By Editorial staff
If the child is otherwise healthy, lifestyle changes are recommended instead of medication.

Children and adolescents in Denmark are increasingly using sleep medication to help them fall asleep, according to data from the Danish Health Data Authority. The use of the hormone melatonin is on the rise, while the use of stronger medications is decreasing.

The number of people under the age of 18 using some form of sleep aid has increased by 14% between 2022 and 2023, according to the agency. However, according to Poul Jørgen Jennum, professor and chief physician at the Danish Center for Sleep Disorders, there is no reason to interpret these figures as more children suffering from sleep disorders.

We have seen an increase in the use of sleep medication in children and adolescents for several years, but this is probably not because more young people than before have sleep disorders. There is probably a greater awareness of sleep problems in children and adolescents and an increased pressure on pediatricians to give and recommend sleep medication, he told Danish state broadcaster DR.

The most popular is melatonin, a hormone produced naturally in the body that mainly regulates circadian rhythms and sleep, while the use of stronger sleep aids such as benzodiazepine-like drugs and promethazine is declining, the figures show.

Although Jennum does not believe that more children than in the past are actually suffering from sleep disorders, he emphasizes that a number of studies show this, but that prescribing sleep medication is not the solution.

– If a child has an underlying condition such as mental illness, the situation may be different, but if the child is otherwise healthy, I recommend changing the lifestyle of the adolescent or child instead.

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Denmark: Majority of gang criminals have non-European background

Deteriorating safety

Published October 27, 2025 – By Editorial staff
According to a recent report, more than two-thirds of all gang-convicted individuals in Denmark are of non-European origin.

Nearly three-quarters of all those convicted of gang-related crimes in Denmark have immigrant backgrounds from non-Western countries, according to new figures from the country's Ministry of Justice. The statistics have once again sparked a political debate about crime, culture and integration in the Scandinavian nation.

According to the Danish government report, 72 percent of all those convicted under the country's so-called gang paragraph have immigrant backgrounds, reports Berlingske, a major Danish newspaper.

The data, compiled by Statistics Denmark and the Danish Director of Public Prosecutions at the request of Conservative MP Mai Mercado, covers the years 2018 to 2025.

During this period, a total of 213 people were convicted under the paragraph. Of these, 54 had Danish backgrounds, 36 were immigrants from non-Western countries, and 117 were descendants of immigrants from the same regions.

Section § 81a of the Danish Penal Code allows courts to double sentences if a crime is committed within gang criminal circles.

Researcher Lars Højsgaard Andersen at the Rockwool Foundation notes that several countries stand out in the statistics: Iraq, Turkey, Somalia and Lebanon. He suggests that cultural differences in views on law and authority "may play a certain role".

Conservative spokesperson on migration issues Frederik Bloch Münster describes the figures as "remarkably high".

Clear difference from population composition

The fact that the figure is so markedly high attracts attention, as only about 15 percent of Denmark's population consists of people with foreign backgrounds. Although this percentage is not insignificant in itself, the statistics show a strong overrepresentation of non-European immigrants.

According to Statistics Denmark, Lebanon is the most common country of origin among convicted gang members (35 cases), followed by Somalia (29), Iraq (23) and Turkey (17).

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has previously called uncontrolled immigration Denmark's "greatest threat".

In a statement in May, she said: — If too many people come who commit crimes, who are not democrats and who threaten our trusting and open society, then that is the greatest danger.

Archive image. Photo: Welcomia/iStock

Danish People's Party mobilizes

The new figures are being released as the Danish People's Party (DF) launches one of Europe's most restrictive immigration programs ahead of the upcoming election. The party proposes mass returns, citizenship reviews and bans on Islamic customs.

In its manifesto, DF claims that mass immigration from the Middle East and North Africa has brought "crime, parallel societies and cultural change".

The party also warns that immigration from countries such as Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Somalia has led to "the largest demographic change in Denmark's history," and argues that "Middle Eastern conditions must be pushed back so that everyone in the country can feel at home."

Unlike countries such as Germany and France, Denmark registers crime statistics based on migration background. The purpose is to better evaluate integration even among citizens with foreign parents.

But the figures are striking: according to Statistics Denmark, second-generation immigrants show even higher crime rates than the first generation – which already stands at a level far above ethnic Danes.

Denmark criticizes new nuclear power plans in southern Sweden

Published October 23, 2025 – By Editorial staff
The Barsebäck nuclear power plant in southern Sweden shut down in 2005.

A new investigation shows that new nuclear power plants can be built in the Barsebäck area, Sweden, after a political majority in Kävlinge municipality expressed a desire to establish nuclear power there.

However, the plans are causing irritation among Denmark's ruling Social Democrats, who consider this would be "unfortunate".

The Barsebäck nuclear power plant in southern Sweden consisted of two reactors that were decommissioned in 1999 and 2005. Demolition began in 2016 and the plan is for the site to be leveled by 2030. Kävlinge municipality, where the decommissioned nuclear power plant is located, has agreed with the landowner that the site should accommodate development of fossil-free energy solutions such as solar power.

However, the new investigation commissioned by the municipality with support from the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency shows that it is also possible to establish new nuclear power in the area. That said, it would require strong consideration for the nature in the area. The report primarily points to Barsebäck marsh, Ulakärr, Lödde stream and Salviken as having high natural values that need to be protected.

We're not at the point of breaking ground. But they have concluded that in certain areas it works well, in other areas the investigation says that nature interests take precedence here, says Annsofie Thuresson from the Moderate Party to Sydsvenskan.

Proximity to Copenhagen causes concern

The Swedish government has recently presented a new legislative proposal for amendments to the Environmental Code that would allow the establishment of new nuclear power along the coast.

The Barsebäck area is located near Denmark, and the potential plans to build new nuclear power are meeting resistance from Danish Social Democrats.

"It is unfortunate that Sweden continues on this path and plans to build new reactors near Copenhagen. Especially at a time when our security is under so much pressure", writes the party's political chairman Niels Bjerrum to Danish newspaper Berlingske.

At the same time, the Danish party Liberal Alliance, among others, is positive about establishing new nuclear power and wants to scrap wind power in Denmark to instead invest in more nuclear power facilities.

Danish People’s Party demands mass deportations: “We must get Denmark back”

Migration crisis in Europe

Published October 20, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Morten Messerschmidt wants to see a Denmark "where Danes are once again masters in their own house".

With proposals for mass deportations, citizenship reviews, and extensive bans on Islamic expressions, the Danish People's Party (Dansk Folkeparti) is campaigning on an immigration policy that is very radical by Nordic standards.

— We must get Denmark back. A Denmark where there are no headscarves in schools. Where Danish is spoken in nursing homes. Where Danes are once again masters in their own house, argues party leader Morten Messerschmidt.

The DF notes that the demographic composition of Denmark has changed drastically since the 1980s, when the proportion of residents with non-Western backgrounds was 1 percent. Today, 10.1 percent of the population, equivalent to over 500,000 people, have non-Western origins.

The party particularly points to immigration from the Middle East and North Africa – including from Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Lebanon, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somalia – as the cause of the country's extensive social problems.

In the manifesto, a series of negative consequences are listed: ghetto formation, ethnic conflicts, radicalization, clan cultures, honor violence, social control, persecution of Jews and sexual minorities, infiltration of public authorities, Islamic censorship, and gender segregation. The DF claims this constitutes "the largest demographic change in Danish history".

"Immigration from the Middle East and North Africa in particular brings a lot of crime and is fundamentally changing our country. If you do not want to adopt Danish culture and Danish values, the Danish People's Party will work to ensure that you stay somewhere else", it states.

Citizenship review

The program contains proposals that go significantly further than current Danish legislation. The DF wants to review all citizenships granted over the past two decades. For those who received citizenship in the past eight years, new language and citizenship tests should be introduced. Those who fail the tests should lose their Danish citizenship.

Criminals should also lose their citizenship, and the party wants Denmark to try to leave or renegotiate international agreements that limit the ability to make people stateless.

To enforce deportations, the DF wants to use economic pressure against countries that oppose receiving their citizens. Aid should be withdrawn and economic sanctions imposed. The party proposes that a special ministry for returns should be established.

Those who accept financial support to leave Denmark should be banned from ever returning. Border controls should be made permanent and strengthened.

Restrictions on Islam

The DF's program also includes a series of measures specifically targeting Islam and Muslims. The party wants to ban or heavily tax halal products, stop foreign financing of mosques, and withdraw state recognition of Islamic religious communities.

Domestically, the party wants to ban the call to prayer, prohibit headscarves in public buildings, and shut down Muslim independent schools. Permanent residence permits should only be granted to persons of Danish origin. Foreign citizens whom police list as gang members should be deported.

"Remigration now"

Messerschmidt has intensified his criticism of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen's immigration policy in recent weeks, which he calls "the great immigration fiasco".

"We must have Denmark back. A Denmark where there are no scarves in schools. Where Danish is spoken in nursing homes. Where the Danes are masters of their own house again. The most important issue of all is the issue of repatriations. That is why we need a remigration policy", Messerschmidt wrote on social media last week.

In another post, he claimed that immigration has increased sharply during Frederiksen's time as prime minister:

"REMIGRATION AND HOME SHIPMENTS NOW! Since Mette Frederiksen became Prime Minister, Islamic mass immigration has increased by a staggering 124 percent. In fact, she has allowed as many as 40,000 Islamic foreigners into our country since she came to power in 2019".

PFAS during pregnancy alters child’s brain

Published October 16, 2025 – By Editorial staff
Research shows for the first time how PFAS in pregnant women can alter children's brain structure several years later.

For the first time, researchers can demonstrate how PFAS in pregnant women affects their children's brains long-term. The Finnish-Swedish study shows that structural changes can be observed in children when they are five years old.

The study, which has been published in Lancet Planetary Health, is a collaboration between Örebro University (Sweden), Åbo University (Finland), and Turku University Hospital (Finland), and is part of the EU project INITIALISE (Inflammation in human early life: targeting impacts on life-course health).

PFAS consists of a range of chemicals that are difficult to break down and have been found not only in nature, but also in humans and animals. Some of these chemicals can be harmful to health. Research has shown that PFAS can affect the immune system and is also suspected to have effects on metabolism, hormonal balance, and brain development.

Because PFAS remains in the body, it can also pass from a pregnant woman to the placenta, which means the child can be exposed. Previous studies have, for example, indicated that if pregnant women have PFAS in their blood, there is a greater risk that the child will become overweight later in life.

Affected brain structure

This study is the first of its kind to examine the entire brain simultaneously in a brain scanner in children in relation to PFAS exposure during pregnancy – several years after birth.

The study was conducted using the FinnBrain Birth Cohort Study, which was established at Åbo University (Finland) in 2011. It is a long-term study that follows thousands of children and mothers from pregnancy onward. Some of the children underwent brain scans, and these results have been compared with the levels of PFAS measured in the mothers during pregnancy.

The results show that there is a connection between higher levels of PFAS in pregnant women and changes in both the brain's structure and in the connections between different brain regions in their children. These changes were observed five years later.

This is the first time researchers have been able to describe how PFAS in pregnant women can be linked to changes in their children's brains several years later.

This is an important piece of the puzzle in understanding how chemicals can affect children's development. Step by step, we are gaining more knowledge about how different environmental factors interact and can contribute to health problems, says Tuulia Hyötyläinen, professor at Örebro University, in a press release.

Exposure to PFAS during pregnancy and also during early development in the child is considered particularly sensitive, the researchers say, because the brain and other organs grow rapidly and are formed during that time. More research is now needed on how PFAS affects brain function.

Overall, the research shows that PFAS can affect brain development even at low levels. More research is needed on how chemicals affect cognition and brain function in children, what the causes are, and what it leads to, says Hyötyläinen.

Researchers' tips to avoid PFAS while awaiting stronger legislation:

  1. Eat fish, but avoid fish from lakes contaminated with PFAS. For more information about contamination levels, contact your local municipality. Also reduce consumption of takeaway food and microwaveable meals in grease- and water-repellent paper packaging.
  2. Avoid cooking with non-stick products.
    Avoid makeup, soap and beauty products containing PFAS. In ingredient lists, look out for: PTFE, polytetrafluoroethylene, "...perfluoro..." or "...polyfluoro...".
  3. PFAS is often found in water-repellent functional clothing. Since most PFAS is released during production, buying second-hand clothes can help reduce these chemicals in nature.

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