E-Cigs Becoming Cool? Trendy? ... Profitable?
Published on 2013-05-21 09:53:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
I don't know who Jodie Marsh is, but the video below says she is a model, so does that make her glamorous?
Whether the answer is yes or no, she certainly knows her stuff on e-cigs, by crikey!
The reason I ask is that e-cigs have attracted some stellar afficionados.
Hollywood stars like Stephen Dorff and Johnny Depp have embraced them, following on from Katherine Heigl on the Letterman show, no less (please feel free to add others I might have missed). And now, Jodie Marsh, the most informed and eloquent celebrity so far on the subject of vaping in my opinion.
Full article
| Les louanges troubles du directeur de la SSR à Cohn-Bendit
Published on 2013-05-21 08:54:18.
Website: Accueil
lesobservateurs.ch: " Roger de Weck dresse l’éloge de Cohn-Bendit
"Il est de ces jours où le soutien de ses amis est plus cruel que les accusations de ses ennemis, il est de ces matins où les voiles se déchirent sur les complicités entre politiques de gauche de pire facture et médias de nos Etats. Chronique d’une incarcération culturelle, la nôtre.
"De droite, il serait mort et enterré depuis longtemps, mais Daniel Cohn-Bendit est de gauche, ce qui explique et suffit largement à justifier les crimes les plus sombres de l’âme la plus ténébreuse. L’univers hurle son horreur, la tour du pouvoir n’entend pas. Bienvenus dans un monde où tout ce qui est vrai et peut porter à conséquence est décidé préalablement; voilà le vrai visage de ceux que nous avons laissés nous emporter."
Full article
|
Study Shows No Acute Respiratory Health Effects from Active or Passive Vaping
Published on 2013-05-21 04:37:00.
Website: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary
A study published earlier this year in the journal Inhalation Toxicology reports that neither active nor passive vaping has any acute adverse effects on lung function among adult subjects.
(See: Flouris AD, et al. Acute impact of active and passive electronic cigarette smoking on serum cotinine and lung function. Inhalation Toxicology 2013; 25(2): 91-101.)
In the study, a sample of 15 smokers had their lung function measured before and after smoking, and before and after using an electronic cigarette. A sample of 15 nonsmokers had their lung function measured before and after exposure to secondhand smoke, and before and after exposure to secondhand vapor from electronic cigarettes.
Full article
| Believers and Disbelievers
Published on 2013-05-20 18:51:47.
Website: Frank Davis
An old friend phoned up today. She was broke and wanted to borrow some money off me. I agreed to lend her some, and digitally transferred the desired amount to her account. She added she was thinking of coming to … Continue reading →
Full article
|
Alcohol Con bites the hands that feeds it
Published on 2013-05-20 14:04:00.
Website: Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
This is rather wonderful from Alcohol Concern. Less than two weeks after minimum pricing was dropped from the Queen's Speech, the fake temperance charity has decided to have a pop at the politicians.
MPs admit to unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament, new survey reveals
New data released today by Alcohol Concern reveals a quarter (26%) of MPs believe there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament.
That's an interesting interpretation of the statistic. Another—more honest—interpretation would be that a large majority of MPs don't think there is an unhealthy drinking culture in Parliament, but that wouldn't really serve the cause, would it?
Full article
| Shhh, Don't Tell The Food Snobs
Published on 2013-05-20 11:38:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
In their down-time, the little Ps occasionally play a globally popular online game. On different computers, they can compete and 'see' each other within cyberspace as well as interact with each other or with players from all around the world.
It's a massive site with such a huge amount of tricky levels that it allows almost endless game-play. Being so very popular, it constantly requires more new difficult-to-negotiate areas so encourages users to design and submit their own environments.
Here are a couple the little Ps came across at the weekend (click to enlarge) I'm told it is one of dozens of similar 'obbys' (puzzles, to we crusties).
Full article
|
Lutte contre les téléchargements illégaux
Published on 2013-05-20 06:45:01.
Website: Accueil
20 Minutes: "La Confédération propose des mesures concrètes pour combattre le piratage informatique. Les consommateurs risqueraient d'être punis pénalement.
"Selon un rapport de la Confédération, un Suisse sur trois télécharge des films ou de la musique sans que les artistes ou les producteurs touchent le moindre sou. Même si cette pratique est légale en Suisse, les autorités souhaitent lutter contre le piratage informatique, écrit la «NZZ am Sonntag»."
Full article
| The Dangers of Funding Government Programs With Cigarette Tax Revenues: French Government Delays Tobacco Price Increase Because Too Many Smokers Have
Published on 2013-05-20 04:20:00.
Website: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary
According to an article in the New York Times, the French government, in an effort to prevent too many smokers from quitting and therefore seeing a decline in cigarette tax revenue, has reached an agreement with tobacco manufacturers to delay a price increase that had been scheduled to take effect in July.
According to the article: "Governments have an ambivalent attitude about tobacco, on the one hand lecturing smokers at every turn to abandon nicotine, while with the other hand raking in cigarette sales taxes to finance their treasuries. The anomaly was underlined on Friday with a reported agreement by the French government and tobacco manufacturers to delay a scheduled price increase for three months because too many smokers have quit. In the first quarter of 2013, for the first time in 10 years, the value of French tobacco sales fell. ... The next price and tax increases were due in July, but the makers have agreed to take a short-term hit by delaying an estimated 5 percent price increase until October, according Les Echos, the French business daily.
Full article
|
The Lethality of Loneliness
Published on 2013-05-19 17:54:35.
Website: Frank Davis
H/T Walt for this New Republic piece, The Lethality of Loneliness: Just as we once knew that infectious diseases killed, but didn’t know that germs spread them, we’ve known intuitively that loneliness hastens death, but haven’t been able to explain … Continue reading →
Full article
| Auckland: Des patients psychiatriques attaquent l'interdiction de fumer
Published on 2013-05-19 11:14:20.
Website: Accueil
New Zealand Herald: " L'interdiction de fumer imposée aux patients d'hôpitaux psychiatriques "est une torture" déclare un juriste.
"C'est demain (21.05.2013) que s'ouvrira en Nouvelle-Zélande un procès devant une Haute Cour. On n'y attaquera l'interdiction de fumer imposée aux malades mentaux résidant dans des hôpitaux. (Photo: "Abri pour fumeurs" à la Clinique psychiatrique de Belle Idée (Genève-Suisse) dépendant des Hôpitaux universitaires de Genève. De qui se moque-t-on ? Des fous ou des cerveaux qui ont inventé ledit "abri" ?)
"De nos jours, des interdictions de fumer sont mises en vigueur dans des hôpitaux, des bâtiments officiels, des écoles, des prisons, des établissements publics et dans de nombreux parcs.
"Demain, l'avocat François Richard qui plaidera pour trois patients psychiatriques devant la Haute cour à Auckland, a déclaré que les personnes enfermées dans des établissements psychiatriques y résident pour soigner leurs troubles mentaux et non pour renoncer à fumer."
Full article
|
Angelina Jolie and BBC spin
Published on 2013-05-19 06:38:00.
Website: Velvet Glove, Iron Fist
Michelle Roberts. Not a clue.
Michelle Roberts, the BBC's worst health journalist, has taken to the airwaves to talk about Angelina Jolie's double mastectomy. Jolie decided to undergo the operation because she has inherited genes that make her very prone to breast cancer. Her mother died of the disease at the age of 56 and doctors say her DNA means that she has an 87 per cent chance of developing the disease.
Full article
| Norman Lamb: Perfect Example Of The Genre
Published on 2013-05-19 03:09:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
I enjoyed a news-free day yesterday watching cricket with the boy all day and Eurovision in the evening with both little Ps and a deadly pizza.
Reading back this morning, though, I spluttered over my bacon and eggs reading Simon Clark's revelations about the flip-flopping of Lib Dem Health Minister Norman Lamb.
In camera with a potential voter, he was right on their side.
"I'm Norman Lamb, your MP. Have you voted yet today?" I shook his hand and told him that because of the smoking ban and plain packaging I wouldn't be voting for his party.
He made clear that he 'respects my opinion' (ie thinks I am wrong). But we chatted on about plain packs and he said, almost verbatim, "I can reassure you that it won't be coming in during this parliament". He made fairly clear that the preference is to wait to see the body of evidence coming from Australia/New Zealand, which he believes will come.
However, Clark then points to a Guardian article where Lamb shows that he was either attempting to strategically manipulate the voter or ... readers of the Guardian.
Full article
|
Rue89: " Contre le racisme, la France supprime le mot « race » de la loi
Published on 2013-05-18 17:22:36.
Website: Accueil
Rue89: "Faire disparaître le mot « race » de nos lois : c’est l’objectif du texte adopté jeudi soir par l’Assemblée nationale. Mais il reste encore à le faire disparaître de la Constitution... comme François Hollande s’était engagé à le faire dès le « lendemain de la présidentielle ».
"Il fallait « mettre un terme à [une] incohérence », selon les auteurs de la proposition de loi, le communiste André Chassaigne et Marc Dolez (ancien membre du Parti de gauche) :
« [...] La “race” constitue une catégorie juridique, alors que l’ensemble de notre législation vise à combattre le racisme [...].
"Il convient [...] de supprimer de nos textes le mot “race”, qui n’a pas de valeur scientifique et sur lequel les idéologies racistes fondent leur conviction [...]. »
Full article
| Blog Books
Published on 2013-05-18 17:02:35.
Website: Frank Davis
Leggy’s got an interesting idea. Make up a book of blog posts: Here’s my thoughts. We smoky bloggers can put out our own blog books and do with them what we will…. Copyright to anything in this freebie stays with … Continue reading →
Full article
|
Rebecca Taylor MEP On E-Cigs
Published on 2013-05-18 11:12:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
I'm going to do something very dirty now, that is to praise a Liberal Democrat for being - surprise, surprise - fairly liberal.
MEP Rebecca Taylor agreed to be in this short three minute film about e-cigs after attending the shocking EU workshop on the 7th of May chaired by the most dangerous European alive today. I predicted on the morning of the shebang that it would be a farce and it didn't disappoint, as Rebecca found out a bit later on.
Full article
| Link Tank 18/05
Published on 2013-05-18 03:00:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Back whether you like it or not.
Where will the plain packaging slippery slope slide to next?
Wetherspoons boss says pubs are better focussing on food VAT cut than minimum alcohol pricing
More idiotic politicians move to tax e-cigs
Full article
|
Menaces contre un élu: Rielle morigène la cible !
Published on 2013-05-17 18:24:33.
Website: Accueil
Le récent désordre survenu au Conseil municipal de la Ville de Genève n'est pas le seul est unique qui ait émaillé la présidence de Jean-Charles Rielle (photo à g.). Le 15 avril 2013, à la séance de 21 h. 30, un élu du MCG, Denis Menoud (photo à dr.), a révélé en séance publique les menaces dont il fut l'objet dans l'espace public, sur un réseau social. Un auteur (identifié) incitait tout un chacun à punir Denis Menoud de...pendaison ! La cible de tels propos a voulu, au détour de son discours, faire état des menaces qui le visaient. Il fut aussitôt interrompu sèchement par le président fulminant et incitant la victime de l'outrage à régler ses comptes à l'extérieur de l'enceinte municipale. La scène, révélatrice, est immortalisée dans les archives video de Léman Bleu. A ne pas manquer.
Full article
| Nation of Lazy Porkers
Published on 2013-05-17 16:06:09.
Website: Frank Davis
This caught my eye today: Britain a “nation of lazy porkers”: Health expert hits out over spiralling type 2 diabetes figures He hit out after new figures showed the number of Brits under 40 with type 2 diabetes had spiralled by … Continue reading →
Full article
|
Some Nasty Animals Shouldn't Be Kept As Pets
Published on 2013-05-17 11:23:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
As I was laughing throughout this BBC article, I couldn't help but be reminded of stories where big cats have assaulted those who loved and cared for them.
Alcohol Concern's survey suggested that 31% of Labour MPs, 20% of Conservatives and 19% of Liberal Democrats thought their colleagues drank too much and the charity called for a change in drinking habits among politicians at Westminster.
Chief executive Eric Appleby said: "If a quarter of employees reported an unhealthy drinking culture in any other organisation it would provoke immediate action by bosses."
That's the Alcohol Concern, created by government in the mid-1980s, which has been reared and nurtured by the love and financial sustenance of politicians as a pet to snarl, bully, and intimidate a previously content public.
Full article
| La Chancellerie perd la partie face à la société d'Eric Stauffer
Published on 2013-05-17 07:40:22.
Website: Accueil
La Tribune de Genève: "Le Ministère public a classé jeudi la plainte de la Chancellerie d'Etat contre la société Medinex dirigée par les MCG Eric Stauffer et Carlos Medeiros. L'Etat lui reprochait d'utiliser abusivement l'écusson du canton de Genève.
"La Chancellerie d'Etat genevoise n'aura pas réussi à faire condamner la société Medinex, en mains du président d'honneur du MCG Eric Stauffer et de son vice-président Carlos Medeiros. Jeudi, la plainte déposée fin janvier par l'Etat contre l'entreprises spécialisée dans la téléphonie mobile a été classée par le premier procureur Yves Bertossa, relève le quotidien 20 Minutes
Full article
|
New Study Warns of Dangers of Thirdhand Smoke in Nonsmoking Hotel Rooms Located in Hotels that Allow Smoking in Some Rooms
Published on 2013-05-17 03:35:00.
Website: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary
A study published online ahead of print in Tobacco Control warns of the dangers of thirdhand smoke (THS) exposure in nonsmoking hotel rooms in hotels with partial smoking bans (meaning that both smoking and nonsmoking rooms are available).
(See: Matt GE, et al. Thirdhand smoke and exposure in California hotels: non-smoking rooms fail to protect non-smoking hotel guests from tobacco smoke exposure.)
The methods are described as follows: "A stratified random sample of hotels with (n=10) and without (n=30) complete smoking bans was examined. Surfaces and air were analysed for tobacco smoke pollutants (ie, nicotine and 3-ethynylpyridine, 3EP)."
Full article
| L'imposture du DSM V dénoncée: nous sommes désormais tous fous !
Published on 2013-05-16 16:57:51.
Website: Accueil
RTS - CQFD: " CQFD vous propose ce matin (16.05.2013) une émission spéciale. Une heure consacrée aux maladies psychiatriques. En effet, la semaine prochaine sort la "bible" des psychiatres; le DSM 5. Cet ouvrage, controversé et qui fait polémique, répertorie l'ensemble des pathologies psychiatriques. "Les invités en direct: Martial van der Linden, professeur de psychologie clinique à l'Université de Genève, Pierre Bovet, médecin chef à l'Hôpital de Cery et professeur de psychiatrie à l'Unil, ainsi qu'Alexandra Rageth, experte en psychiatrie légale aux HUG."
"Des sujets préparés par Stéphane Délétroz et Christophe Ungar."
Full article
|
English Weather
Published on 2013-05-16 16:19:48.
Website: Frank Davis
It was sunny when I got up this morning. And checking the satellite view of the UK, I saw that it was sunny nearly everywhere: I checked the other available images, and they showed light winds and no cloud … Continue reading →
Full article
| The Honest Campaign
Published on 2013-05-16 14:11:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
I read something in Westminster records today which very much reminded me of this chutzpah from ASH.
The tobacco industry has run a well-resourced and mendacious campaign against standardised packs. If it does not proceed with the proposal, the UK Government risks being seen as bowing to this pressure.
Mendacious campaign? Are they serious?
The past couple of weeks have seen politicians (mostly Labour) queueing up to lie outrageously to their respective houses.
Full article
|
Rielle incapable d'assurer l'ordre au Conseil municipal de Genève !
Published on 2013-05-16 07:47:30.
Website: Accueil
La Tribune de Genève: " Grave dérapage au Municipal de la Ville
"Des propos tenus hier soir par un élu MCG en pleine assemblée du Conseil municipal de la Ville ont conduit à l’arrêt de la séance.
"Mais que se passe-t-il donc au Conseil municipal de la Ville de Genève? Alors que le très attendu vote sur l’ultime étape de la rénovation de la plaine de Plainpalais devait passer l’examen du plénum, les déclarations du conseiller municipal MCG Denis Menoud ont suffi à pousser le président de l’assemblée, le socialiste Jean-Charles Rielle, à suspendre la séance. Ses propos? Accuser le groupe socialiste de faire de la «propagande pour les pédophiles». Pour mieux comprendre la fureur des élus de gauche envers le conseiller municipal, il faut revenir un peu plus tôt dans la soirée."
Full article
| Live Blogging from the TMA Annual Meeting: Mitch Zeller Address
Published on 2013-05-16 06:19:00.
Website: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary
I am listening to Mitch Zeller, the new director of the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, address the TMA Annual Meeting. I will try to summarize his main points as he speaks:
1. The FDA is committed to enhancing communication with all stakeholders, including the tobacco industry.
2. The FDA has three immediate priorities:
a. To deal with the backlog of substantial equivalence determinations.
b. To deal with the menthol issue.
c. To issue regulations regarding alternative tobacco products (e.g., electronic cigarettes, dissolvable tobacco).
3. The FDA is close to releasing scientific guidance regarding substantial equivalence applications, and is close to making decisions on many of those applications.
Full article
|
Malgré les plaintes, la justice donne raison à un bar bruyant
Published on 2013-05-16 05:59:33.
Website: Accueil
La Tribune de Genève: " Malgré les plaintes, la justice donne raison à un bar bruyant. "Le sommeil des voisins passe après le chiffre d’affaires du Roi Ubu.
"Au moment où Ville et Canton prennent des mesures pour réduire les nuisances sonores, la justice rend une décision à rebrousse-poil. Entre l’intérêt des uns à bénéficier d’un peu de calme après minuit et le chiffre d’affaires d’un établissement public ouvert jusqu’à 2 h du matin, les juges choisissent ce dernier.
"Dans un arrêt de la Chambre administrative de la Cour de justice que nous nous sommes procuré, Au Roi Ubu obtient gain de cause malgré les plaintes des habitants et les rapports de police dénonçant les débordements. S’il n’y a pas de recours au Tribunal fédéral (TF), le jugement pourrait faire jurisprudence. Du pain bénit pour les bars, une épine dans le pied des autorités. Alors même qu’elles viennent de décider, comme le révélait GHI , de limiter le bruit sur les terrasses."
Full article
| New Study Purports to Estimate Efficacy of Electronic Cigarettes By Studying Quit Rates for Select Group of Smokers who Failed to Quit Using E-Cigaret
Published on 2013-05-16 03:20:00.
Website: The Rest of the Story: Tobacco News Analysis and Commentary
Imagine that you are a tobacco company and you are concerned about the potential threat posed by electronic cigarettes. You want to deflate the enthusiasm about these products by producing a study which shows that quit rates among smokers who try to quit using electronic cigarettes are very low and are in fact lower than quit rates for smokers who use other cessation methods.
Clearly, the proper way to conduct such a study would be to take a sample of smokers who made quit attempts using electronic cigarettes and compare their success with a sample of smokers who made quit attempts using other methods.
Full article
|
Mesquineries du PDC: Ils coupent les vivres à la Préposée à la protection des données !
Published on 2013-05-15 18:03:28.
Website: Accueil
DDG - RTSInfo - Le Matin: " Les préposées genevoises à la protection des données se rebiffent.
"Les préposées genevoises à la protection des données (photo d'Isabelle Dubois, Préposée) se plaignent de ne plus pouvoir assurer leurs missions et menacent de porter l'affaire devant les tribunaux, a appris la RTS. Une procédure administrative est déjà en cours."
Full article
| Italy To Propose Tax On E-Cigs By The End Of The Week?
Published on 2013-05-15 13:24:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Following swiftly on from yesterday's article about how Italian MEP Giancarlo Scottà has been floating the idea of sin taxes on e-cigs, comes this from German news source Südtirol Online.
(I'll try my own paraphrasing as Google translate comes out like something from the Swedish Chef)
Tax on E-Cigarettes looming
The Italian Treasury is now targeting electronic cigarettes
The Letta government wants to tax them in the economic measures decree that should be adopted by the end of this week, this is expected to raise 14 million euros for ailing state coffers in this year alone.
Next year it could be up to 50 million euros. The state wishes to make up for the losses in tobacco tax revenue.
The state complains that, due to the increasing success of electronic cigarettes ... tobacco sales are declining by 80 million euros with negative effects on treasury coffers.
[...]
The extension of tobacco tax to e-cigarettes would mean that they would equate with normal cigarettes.
Idle rumour? Well, it's possible since this is a regional German operation reporting it, but there seems to be a fair amount of detail. It would be interesting if any Europeans have seen the report elsewhere.
Full article
|
Monbiot on university funding
Published on 2013-05-14 16:02:00.
Website: Freedom-2-Choose (Scotland)
Further to a recent blog post (scroll down for the relevant quote), this article from George Monbiot has popped up in the Guardian concerning the ability of corporations to fund university research.
Many of the comments on this piece, seem to miss his point, accusing Monbiot of wanting to live in a cave because he doesn't like Shell, whereas the argument seems to be more about whether corporate funding comes with strings attached. Not just Shell: the argument extends to any other industry that finances university education.
Full article
| We're Losing Revenue! Quick, Let's Tax E-Cigs!
Published on 2013-05-14 12:45:00.
Website: Dick Puddlecote
Could this be what it's really all about?
Italian MEP Giancarlo Scottà tabled this extraordinary written question a couple of weeks ago.
I wish to put a question to the Council regarding an issue which has recently been attracting a great deal of interest, but which has never been addressed from the point of view set out below.
I am referring to ‘electronic cigarettes’, devices considered to be ‘nicotine-containing products’ which therefore fall within Article 18 of the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning the manufacture, presentation and sale of tobacco and related products (COM(2012)0788 — 2012/0366 (COD)).
Full article
|
