Should alcohol be outlawed?

Posted to Herald Sun (5/6/2011) on 5/6/2011 at 12:24 PM
Commenting on "Learner blows 0.227 on Point Nepean Rd in Dromana"
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/learner-blows-0227-on-point-nepean-rd-in-dromana-police-say/story-fn7x8me2-1226069505926

Alcohol kills and affects more people money-wise and health-wise - physically, emotionally and psychologically. The hospital emergency and rehabilitation departments are clogged up with drink-driving and alcohol related patients. Welfare organisations have to help many to cope and deal with alcohol related abuses.

Why are there no health or risk warning messages with ghastly pictures on drink packaging? Should alcohol be sold behind counter like cigarettes? Should alcohol be banned or outlawed like cigarettes?

This is just another case of human irrationality - double standard!

South Australia Government pays to train Vietnamese nurses to fix local shortfall 2

Posted to Adelaide Now (5/6/2011) on 5/6/2011 at 11:08 AM
Commenting on "State Government pays to train Vietnamese nurses to fix local shortfall"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-funding-nurse-training-in-vietnam/story-e6frea83-1226069318627

Unfortunately too much emphasis is placed on paper qualification and paper shuffling. It's nice to sit in front of a computer, fill in forms, prepare reports or talk about strategies; the crux of the matter is patients lie in beds and need attention; they do not hang around the office areas.

It is true that many agency staff are not familiar with particular hospital environment, including certain crucial equipment, and lack spoken language skill.

Facts and figures, and who has done what are of no interest to the patients. Real throughput can only be achieved by real patient care, not the bright red colour at the bottom line.

South Australia Government pays to train Vietnamese nurses to fix local shortfall

Posted to Adelaide Now (5/6/2011) on 5/6/2011 at 3:01 AM
Commenting on "State Government pays to train Vietnamese nurses to fix local shortfall"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-funding-nurse-training-in-vietnam/story-e6frea83-1226069318627

Many refugees in detention centres are educated and can be trained in various qualifications. What a waste to "imprison" these people and let them rot in those hell holes!

German mutant contagious strain E.coli killed

Posted to Daily Mail (2/6/2011) on 3/6/2011 at 4:54 PM
Commenting on "Mutant E.coli is in Britain: Seven victims in UK have new contagious strain that's killed 18"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1393746/E-coli-outbreak-hits-Britain-7-victims-UK-contagious-srain-thats-killed-18.html

Posted to CNN (3/6/2011) on 4/6/2011 at 2:11 AM
Commenting on "World health officials scramble to stem deadly E. coli outbreak"
hhttp://edition.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/europe/06/02/europe.e.coli/index.html

Posted to Adelaide Now (4/6/2011) on 4/6/2011 at 11:49 AM
Commenting on "E.coli Europe outbreak takes possible 20th victim"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/world/ecoli-europe-outbreak-takes-possible-20th-victim/story-e6frea8l-1226069329338

Death is no laughing matter, and this is not a hoax.

Many people are careful about healthy living yet they forget about hygiene. They do not wash the vegetables and fruits before consuming them, or wash their hands after going to toilet. They walk bare-foot or wear the same shoes that have walked on dirty streets in the house, bringing all the filth from the outside to the living area. Parents allow babies to crawl on floors and carpet full of germs. It used to be homeless and lower socio-economic people that sit on footpaths or grass in public area, but now no one gives any thought about the "shit" they are sitting on. What about dirty pets in the house/beds?

People pay for organic produces that can be dirtier and more bacteria-borne than non-organic ones. No one questions about the water source of bottled water, whether it has been contaminated by someone having a bath or doing business upstream. Idiotically many people choose to put bacteria in their stomaches for good health.

Children becoming overweight on high calorie fizzy drinks

Posted to Adelaide Now (2/6/2011) on 2/6/2011 at 11:14 PM
Commenting on "Children becoming overweight on high calorie fizzy drinks"
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/fizzy-drinks-carry-the-can/story-e6frea6u-1226067561750

Health warming messages and ghastly pictures are put on cigarette packs to deter smokers from smoking. This technique can be used on packaging for high calorie fizzy drinks, or sweetened breakfast cereals to deter children from consuming excess sugar.

After cigarette, is plain packaging of alcohol next?

Posted to Letters to Editor, Monash Weekly (1/6/2011) on 1/6/2011 at 10:41 AM (Not published)
After cigarette, is plain packaging of alcohol next?

I must stress again - I am not a smoker, and do not like the smell of cigarette smoke. Neither I nor anyone I know well has any interest in the industry or related industries.

My protest is about the fundamental right of free speech, and freedom in advertising. It is hypocritical to use cigarettes as a scapegoat, while other harmful products enjoy the freedom of damaging private and public health without governmental interference.

Many smokers do die of cancers and other diseases, but many do not. Similarly, many alcohol drinkers die of some form of cancers or diseases, too.

The effect of excessive consumption of alcohol has more detrimental effects. Once someone gets drunk, all hell breaks loose. They abuse others physically and emotionally. Once they get behind the steering wheel of a car, there is a good chance to discover them in a hospital ICU or death notices in the newspapers.

Until plain packaging comes into force, there are a lot of health warnings and ghastly pictures on the cigarette labels. There are no such warnings or pictures on cans or bottles of alcohol. If the legislators and health do-gooders are serious about saving lives and the health wellbeing of humankind, treatment of alcohol sale and promotion should be no different from that of cigarette.

So, the question is, will we see the day when plain packaging applies to alcohol?