TICAP, The Hague, March 15th 2010

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Doctors Against Smoking Bans

I've decided to concentrate more on my colleagues. So I have changed the name ASSETS to DASB. This stands for Doctors Against Smoking Bans. If anything happens it could well become a very boring place overflowing with medical arrogance. However don't hold your breath! Don't worry everyone is still welcome to contribute and a very satisfactory outcome would be interaction between docs and non-docs. Also don't get too excited I usually don't have too much luck in getting my colleagues to agree with me but its time for an asserted effort. Wish me luck.

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Friday, April 21, 2006

Tips for Success.

By now, many of you will have written to the Department of Health regarding smoking ban issues without success. If your experience mirrors mine then decent replies are never forthcoming and one is simply sent the usual pile of junk statistics and fabrications. From now on I have decided on an appropriate policy to counter this and it is as follows. Every time my questions are responded to with junk, and particularly the little black pamphleton the dangers of second hand smoke, I shall send it back politely with an accompanying letter informing that department that they have not answered my questions properly and have yet again supplied me with misleading propaganda.

Moreover, I am going to buy some cheap little sticky labels which I shall adhere to the front of each of these booklets with glue to make the pamphlets unusable by the Department of Health for a second time.

In addition, I shall then print on each label the words:

Health Warning: Danger, reading this paper/booklet/report will weaken your your mind and render you ignorant of the truth.

I think that such an approach should give that Department just a little something to think about.

Blad.

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Monday, April 17, 2006

Call for lawyers


I could really do with the advice of a sympathetic lawyer. If your reading this contact me. If you know a pro-choice lawyer send him/her to me. I need advice about The Human Rights Act 1998, The ECHR and Employment Law. OK, I want it free, that may be the hurdle!

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Sunday, April 16, 2006

Scroll down as several new posts.

American View of the World













Click on picture for clearer view of text

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Health Fanaticism Hurts

Disease mongering hits the headlines at last. It is defined as "the selling of sickness that widens the boundaries of illness and grows the markets for those who sell and deliver treatments".
Fits in rather well for nicotine replacement floggers, don't you think?

Link to BMJ abstract is in Title of post.

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St Maureen of the Ashtrays


Maureen Moore, director, ASH Scotland.

Think of the people you'd least like to share a desert island with (far less a dinner party) and Maureen Moore is top of our list, although she faces stiff competition from Ian Willmore. 'Po-faced' is how some people might describe her. We couldn't possibly comment. We don't doubt her sincerity to improve the health of the Scottish nation. Nevertheless, listening to Maureen is enough to drive you to drink, let alone smoking. Cheers! Dinner rating: 0/10 (0)

Quote courtesy of Forest

Artwork courtesy of Blad

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Friday, April 14, 2006

Portrait of a Senior Public Health Advisor

This email response from Sally Haw is fairly easily spotted even out of context as hogwash and all comments are welcome. Perhaps we shall send a compilation of comments from the PCSD blog compiled by Professor Sir Gasdoc-Marlboro-Light.


Sally Haw is A Senior Public Health Advisor to the NHS in Scotland. She wrote the following to Belinda, the Emeritus Junior Junk Science Correspondent to PSCD.

Dear Belinda,

The interpretation of relative risk values can be complicated and in general it is unwise to use 'rules of thumb' . In the case of
exposure to second hand smoke - as well as consistency in the data across a number of studies, there is a plausible biological mechanism and clear evidence of a dose response relationship between exposure and disease. Taking these things into account scientific consensus both within the UK and internationally is that exposure to secondhand smoke is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease and lung cancer. In addition, as the prevalence of passive smoking in the population is comparatively high 30% excess risk is unacceptable. Levels of exposure to secondhand smoke can be modified hence the recent implementation of the smoke-free legislation in Scotland.

I hope this is helpful.

Yours sincerely,

Sally Haw
Senior Public Health Advisor.
NHS Health Scotland
Rosebery House
9 Haymarket Terrace
Edinburgh
EH12 5EZ
Tel: + 44 (0)131 537 4709
Fax: +44 (0)131 537 4701
Email: Sally.Haw@health.scot.nhs.uk

I have included all Sally's contact details for those of you who would like to make friends with her.

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Thursday, April 06, 2006

One down, how many to go?

Sent to the newspapers 6/4/06

Dear Sir

A trainee nurse has been stabbed to death whilst taking a smoking break. It was 11am when her body was found in a garden at the rear of St George's Hospital, Hornchurch. It is thought that she had gone for a break and because she chose to smoke she had had to go to a remote area on the periphery of the hospital grounds. There she stood ready for attack by the next passing madman. Please note it was broad daylight.

The life of a mother's daughter has been taken as a direct result of an NHS Hospital Trusts' Smoking Policy and more will follow. I cry for this young lady's family and for all her colleagues at St. George's Hospital. Please all of you accept my heart felt sympathy.

I would like to plead to Patricia Hewitt to start to consider the implications of her Health Department led agenda for "smoke free" hospitals and to look at the wider issue of the inclusion of "smoke free" legislation in The Health Bill. It is not in anyone's interests to expose UK citizens to this level of harassment whereby they are hounded to unsafe places to smoke a cigarette. This risk was no doubt foreseen and taken as acceptable. That is clearly a scandal itself, notwithstanding that the grounds presented as supporting "smoke free" policies and bans are without basis in fact.

I am appalled at this government's determination to be led blindly by the anti-smoking lobby into deeply flawed policy and legislation. There is no excuse for not predicting the possibility of this horrific incident. The blame must lie very squarely at the government's feet. Democracy has been tainted perversely by propaganda. Those in power must see the error of their ways.

The net result so far of what started as a minority of people's dislike for the smell of tobacco smoke is the death of a single nurse. The "smoke police" have convinced the government to fear their invention of "passive smoking" and fascist policy has led to a fatality. This is just the beginning.

Dr Phil Button

Associate Specialist in Anaesthesia & Pain Relief
Email gasdoc@eastrop.wanadoo.co.uk
Blog www.pro-choicesmokingdoctor.blogspot.com
Website www.gasdoc.org.uk

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Blads Satirical Cartoons

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