That slippery slope that doesn’t exist?

Like a soft drink do you? Well get ready to be de-humanised for it over the next few years.

Smokers such as myself have already experienced it. But is only just starting for the lovers of soft drinks.

For smokers it first started with colossal rises in tax on tobacco products.

Guess what, soft drink lovers, it's going to happen to you in the near future.

Thousands of cases of diabetes and cancer could be avoided, saving the NHS £300million, by putting a health tax of 12p a can on sugary drinks, it is claimed. (My bold: They don’t actually know)

Academics have calculated the likely reduction in consumption caused by putting up the price of full sugar drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi and the resulting health benefits.

The work by experts at the University of Liverpool and the Children’s Food Campaign will fuel the growing campaign to extend the principle of a duty on unhealthy products from cigarettes and alcohol to some types of drink and food.

The start of your fall from grace begins there. They actually admit to wishing to follow the tobacco control template

Health campaigners and doctors have controversially likened sugar and its contribution to obesity and ill-health as the ‘new tobacco’.

Next will be horrendous images of diseased kidneys, rotting teeth, and pictures of ill people in bed  covering your can of delight.

The next step will be to of course will continue with fizzy pop being hidden behind screens for “THE SAKE OF THE CHEEEELDREN”.

You tell me what comes next….

SOURCE

Save a tiger.

In my last post, Ban it, ban it, I wrote about the abuse of telemarketing on the old and vulnerable.

I also have issues with the various charities that deluge the old and vulnerable with requests for small amounts of money (Why is it always £3?). Of course after they have donated they are then submitted to numerous telephone calls entreating them to up their subscription.

I myself subscribe to a few charities and I have informed them at length that I will cancel my subscriptions if I’m pestered in future.

If they’re that hard up for money then I suggest that they sack their call centre staff and sell the building they’re housed in.

Ban them. Ban them.

Chicken McNuggets that is. If the vid below is anything to go by.

Ban it, Ban it.

 

Barking

Billy No Mates

So the Anti smokers thought they would be able to populate pubs full of non smokers?

Didn’t see that coming did they?

Mind you where I live we all buy our drink from the Supermarket (Cos it’s cheaper) and drink in each other’s homes in comfort, enjoying each other’s company.

Bulgarian bars and restaurants booming after smoking ban.

Or maybe not.

Empty tables, grumpy customers, and worried owners were the common picture in nightclubs and bars during the first weekend of the full smoking ban in public spaces in Bulgaria.

According to the Cross news agency, lines of people smoking outside were seen near some of the most popular establishments in the capital Sofia with some of them having no more than 7-8 visitors inside during what was previously known as their peak hours.

"If this remains the same, we will soon go bankrupt," terrified owners are quoted saying.

Remember how the Tobacco Control Industry* said that wouldn't  happen after the 2007 ban in the UK. Their spin on the ban was that non-smokers would fill the pubs in their droves. All I see is boarded up pubs the length and breadths off our high streets.

A few weekends ago I visited the nearest pub to me due to it being a sunny day and I had guests. Outside the pub were tables with about 80% of them being smokers. Inside there was just 2 people. The tenant of the pub is doing his best, but admitted to me that he is losing the battle when the weather is inclement.

Back to Bulgaria.

At least they don’t have as many prod nosed Fascists that we have patrolling their streets. (No apologies for calling them fascists. After all they are following the exact same strategy that Adolph Hitler promulgated).

Cross further reports that a number of owners of bars and nightclubs in the second largest city of Plovdiv have allowed their customers to smoke despite the steep fines. Their boldness is grounded in the fact that there are only four teams of health inspectors with two people each checking more than 4 000 night establishments in the city.

"We were waiting for you and thought you would never come," the owners have joked upon the arrival of the inspectors.

If only we had a few more publicans like Nick Hogan to have stood up against the smoking police. we might have more of our favourite watering holes alive and well.

I’m just going to pour myself another Whisky and have a fag. (For American readers a fag is a cigarette).

*Apparently they hate the word industry. Tough shit. The cap fits.

Liberal my arse

In January I was attracted to a blog hosted by a Liberal Democrat MP by the name of Stephen Williams. He of course is on the Committee that is pushing discussing the plain pack, packaging of cigarettes.

I just happened to see a link to that post this morning. This MP of course is an expert (Definition: Drip under pressure), who has served for a whole year (2005 – 2006 )(He has a degree in History BTW) as an opposition health committee member. WOW. In his post he states:

This morning I was pleased to help launch Europe’s first major campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of glitzy tobacco packaging to children.  The Coalition Government will shortly launch its consultation exercise on whether to follow the example of Australia and introduce the plain packaging of cigarettes. 

Glitzy. WTF is that? The biggest piece of “Glitzy” on my fag packet is half of one side  taken up with “Smoking Kills”, and the other side taken up with a pic of a bent cigarette with the caption “Smoking may reduce the blood flow and cause impotence.” (I’ve smoked all my life and impotence is no way an issue). You notice that they never say will, it’s always “may”.

It was interesting to review the comments. In a normal post of his, he would attract probably ten comments. In that post he attracted over nine hundred. The few Anti-smokers that appeared were comprehensively shot down with facts and figures, and as usual resorted to playing the man not the ball. Even Mr Williams was not so cocksure towards the end.

However I suspect that being one of our lords and masters he will have decided that us proles are to be treated with contempt, as plain packaging is all for the sake of the Cheeeeldren. (The professional bansturbators love to find someway to use the Children in their cause).

My opinion is that after the plain package introduction and the display ban we will see a rise in smokers. Anything that is tried to be hidden from view will tempt people to try it. It’s human nature.

Water, Water everywhere…….

Well not really. Here in the sunny south east of the UK, it’s purported that there is a hose pipe ban in force. and that anyone failing to comply could be hit with a fine of up to £1,000.

But is there really a ban? If for instance you don’t watch TV news or the MSM, or local media, how would you know? I suppose that letter from your water company that dropped through the letter box would.

But wait. Filthy Engineer Towers has never received any formal notification from the thieving bastards. So how am I to know? Telepathy, Ouija board, a sign from God?

Bearing in mind recent surveys that show only a tiny minority would dob their neighbour in anyway, due to the fact most people consider the water companies are another set of thieving bastards (Tourette's syndrome at work here), by their shear incompetence in stemming leaks, over share holder profits, they could be in  for a near zero sum game.

Of course I’m a model citizen. Here is my project for the summer.

Hypocrites

There has been an early day motion put forth in the house of commons, (I refuse to capitalise that pit of snakes), to stop the beer duty escalator being continued in this budget. Their reasoning is that this would slow down the demise of our Pubs and Clubs.

Now most of us have realised that the rapid decline of the pubs has been directly linked to the smoking ban introduced in June 2007. (I rarely use a pub now as I refuse to have to venture out into the British weather to partake of a perfectly legal habit.

It would seem that out of the 97 signatories, (Why do we need 650 members of parliament, if so few can be bothered to turn up?), 47 voted for the smoking ban. Have they no shame. (Then again I suppose being MPs they are above the rest of us. Or just thick as two short planks to realise what the smoking ban did).

I give you the list of the hypocrites, Maybe one of these is your MP? Why not drop him a note exposing his hypocrisy.

Mine’s not on the list as the lazy bugger only ever submits quite banal questions, as far as I can see, to  justify his existence (He voted strongly for the smoking ban). He can’t use the excuse that he is busy with his constituents, I have lived in his ward for 45 years and he has never knocked on my door. Needless to say, Sir John Stanley, I’ve stopped voting for you. 

Anyhoo here’s the list:

Peter Bottomley (Con), James Clappison (Con), David Anderson (Lab), Adrian Bailey (Lab), Kevin Barron (Lab), Clive Betts (Lab), Tom Brake (LD), Annette Brooke (LD), Lorely Burt (LD), Menzies Campbell (LD), Martin Caton (Lab), Tom Clarke (Lab), Rosie Cooper (Lab), Jim Dobbin (Lab), Frank Doran (Lab), Jim Dowd (Lab), Louise Ellman (Lab), Paul Flynn (Lab), Don Foster (LD), Mike Gapes (Lab), Andrew George (LD), Mike Hancock (LD), Stephen Hepburn (Lab), David Heyes (Lab), Jimmy Hood (Lab), Martin Horwood (LD), George Howarth (Lab), Gerald Kaufman (Lab), John Leech (LD), Tony Lloyd (Lab), Steve McCabe (Lab), John McDonnell (Lab), Alan Meale (Lab), Austin Mitchell (Lab), John Pugh (LD), Linda Riordan (Lab), John Robertson (Lab), Dan Rogerson (LD), Bob Russell (LD), Dennis Skinner (Lab), Gerry Sutcliffe (Lab), Mark Tami (Lab), Joan Walley (Lab), Robert Walter (Con), Hywel Williams (PC), Mark Williams (LD), Mike Wood (Lab)

Go on give them hell. Ask the awkward question.

Meanwhile I’m going to pour myself a large duty free whisky and settle back in my armchair and saviour a large cigar, knowing for the moment that I can.

Ban it, Ban it.

If Leg iron can do it so can I.

He really is the face of Nu labour the new conservative party. It’s not the way I want to be governed.

Look Dave. Stop pandering to the focus groups and special interests. There’s more important things such as saving our country from going down the financial drain.

Radio Puddlecote

Stony Stratford. The interview

Dick talks to talk sport on why he considers that the call for an outdoor ban on smoking in Stony Stratford is an affront to civil liberties. As added fun listen to councillor Bartlett frothing at the mouth towards the end of the programme.

And do go to Puddlecote Towers to read Dick’s take on the interview.

Power “Hungry”

I see NHS Medway are at it again. This time they want to restrict the building of fast food outlets.

Fast-food outlets could be banned from operating near schools in Medway as part of an effort to cut child obesity.

More meddling from the Righteous. Their justification is..

The obesity rate among Year 6 children for 2008/9 in Medway is 19.4%, above the national average of 18.3%.

Oh dear you might say. Something must be done for the sake of those poor cheeeldren.

But then in the same article this figure is quoted.

The statistics also showed the rate had dropped from 20.4% in 2007/08.

Huh?

I think this is power for power’s sake, and a desire to protect these Health Fascists professionals’* jobs.

It might be a better idea if they just got on with the job that we pay them for. Healing the sick.

I’m off for a burger.

* I use the term professional loosely here, very loosely.

ASH sets the Budget

 

It's really all about the money isn't it. This little snippet from the ASH site.

We also believe that the Government should, in addition, increase tobacco prices this year by 5% above the projected rate of inflation through taxation. The attached report for ASH models the impact both in terms of the impact on public finances and economic benefit from such a tax increase and finds that government revenues will increase by over £500 million a year, amounting to £2.6 billion over five years. These benefits arise from the following revenue streams set out in the table below:

Increased revenue from tobacco taxation;

Reductions in healthcare costs;

Increased tax receipts from additional years of working life;

Increased tax receipts from reduced absenteeism;

Reduced spending on benefits relating on benefits related to sickness and disability; taking into account

Increased spending on state benefits for retired people.

Here is the link. Don't go there if you have high blood pressure.

Insufferable prigs

CUNTS

At it again. Smoking is now cast as an epidemic.

Although smoking rates are declining, the epidemic is far from solved

The Health secretary is at the forefront of a campaign to stop smoking in Britain completely.

Why is it that they want to stop a perfectly legal pastime for millions?

maybe it's the money it costs the NHS?

Smoking costs the NHS £2.7 billion a year

Nope it can't be that. From HMRC website, the tax take last year is £10.3 billion (Vat included). Now that is nearly 4 times as much as the cost to the NHS. If we eradicate smoking altogether it will mean that a typical family of 4 will have their tax go up by £500 per year. You anti-smokers are going to love that, aren't you?

No, just more control freakery.

 

SOURCE

Binge drinking?

Just been pointed to an article in the Times back in late 2007 relating to safe levels of drinking.

The Times reveals today that the recommended weekly drinking limits of 21 units of alcohol for men and 14 for women, first introduced in 1987 and still in use today, had no firm scientific basis whatsoever.

That's the bad news. But then comes this:

Subsequent studies found evidence which suggested that the safety limits should be raised, but they were ignored by a succession of health ministers.

Gets even better:

One found that men drinking between 21 and 30 units of alcohol a week had the lowest mortality rate in Britain. Another concluded that a man would have to drink 63 units a week, or a bottle of wine a day, to face the same risk of death as a teetotaller.

Well that's me out to the Offie to stock up then.

It looks like the bansturbators have been running with this for some time, as the end of the article comes up with this gem:

In a further attack on Britain’s drinkers, it was revealed yesterday that a coalition of health organisations is mounting a campaign to force a 10 per cent increase in alcohol taxation.

The group, headed by the Royal College of Physicians, is also seeking to secure the support of MPs for stricter regulation of the drinks industry and warnings on alcohol advertising. A total of 21 bodies, including Alcohol Concern and the British Liver Trust, will form the Alcohol Health Alliance, according to Harpers Wine and Spirit magazine.

Nazis

Facebook: "Can we have our anti -smoking ban group back please?"

A new group has been started on facebook to re-affirm the public disgust at the blanket ban on smoking in pubs and clubs.

It would be interesting if the owners of facebook actually came out with a statement of why they removed the group in the first place. I wonder who lent on them?

Here is the link. Go on, join, you know you want to.

Can we have our anti-smoking ban group back please?