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Latest News:
Smoking tortoise found in China
Fri, 28 Mar 2008
A tortoise that smokes and appears to be addicted to nicotine has been discovered in China's northeastern province of Jilin, state media reported on Thursday.
The animal is the pet of a man, identified by his surname Yun, who is himself a smoker, Xinhua news agency said, quoting a local newspaper.
One day, Yun teased the tortoise by putting a cigarette butt into its mouth, and to his surprise it started to smoke it, according to the news agency.
From then on, he shared his cigarettes with his pet, Xinhua said.
"It seems to have become addicted," Yun was quoted as saying.
"Whenever I smoke in front of it, it will stick its head out of the water and fidget about until I give it the stub."
Yun proved his claim by putting a cigarette in the tortoise's mouth in front the paper's reporter and his neighbours, Xinhua quoted the newspaper as saying.
To everyone's surprise, the tortoise finished it in less than four minutes, the news agency said.
Monkeys have been know to smoke in imitation of human beings, the deputy secretary-general of Jilin's Wildlife Conservation Society told Xinhua.
But he said he had never heard of a tortoise lighting up.
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Drink epidemic 'not being tackled'
21st Feb 2008
Dr Vivienne Nathanson, the BMA's head of science and ethics, said: "Recent governments have worked too closely with the alcohol industry and have pursued policies of deregulation and liberalisation regarding alcohol control. As doctors, we see first-hand how alcohol misuse destroys lives. It causes family breakdowns, is a major factor in domestic violence, ruins job prospects, is often related to crime and disorderly behaviour and it kills."
Who the hell does Dr Vivienne Nathanson think she is kidding? Recent Governments?
We have only had one Government in nearly 12 years. This bunch of rabble who call themselves a Government has caused everything wrong in our society,
and now they have the audacity to start preaching to us about what is wrong?
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1st Feb 2008
EXPERT STATES PLASMA TVs PRODUCE MORE CARBON DIOXIDE THAN PATIO HEATERS
Dr Eric Johnson, national expert reviewer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said plasma televisions produced more carbon dioxide than patio heaters.
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Patio heaters have a minimal effect on the environment, an expert said
yesterday.
Dr Eric Johnson spoke out as Euro MPs were about to demand that outdoor heaters be banned to tackle climate change. Millions of Britons have the heaters in their gardens and they give a vital boost to trade at pubs, cafes and restaurants by enabling customers to sit outside in cool weather. They have become particularly important to pubs since the smoking ban prevented customers smoking inside pubs. Industry experts say a ban on outdoor heaters could cost the pub and catering trade £250million a year in lost business. Euro MPs are today due to vote on a resolution calling on the European Commission to set a timetable for abolishing goods with low energy-efficiency ratings, with outdoor patio heaters specifically mentioned. But Dr Eric Johnson, national expert reviewer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said plasma televisions produced more carbon dioxide than patio heaters. "The overall impact of outdoor heaters on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions is very minimal, and once you look at the domestic models used in homes, the impact is almost non-existent," he said. |
"Once comparisons start with wellknown offenders such as aeroplanes, outdoorheaters dwarf in comparison. In fact, plasma TVs produce far more CO2 than patio heaters when you compare normal usage patterns for each appliance.
"What constitutes a waste of energy is always going to be open to debate but it is important that the public is properly educated about environmental impacts."
Dr Johnson said Government figures showed that emissions from all domestic patio heaters amounted to 22,200 tons of carbon dioxide - only 0.002 per cent of the total UK CO2 emissions.
By contrast, TVs produce 4.6million tons of CO2 a year in the UK. It would take an equivalent of more than five patio heaters to produce as much CO2 as one TV on stand-by mode does in a year.
Today's European Parliament vote was initiated by Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall, who represents the North-East.
She has also called for the abolition of the stand-by mode on electrical appliances and new EU-wide minimum standards for energy efficiency covering air conditioning, TV "decoder" boxes and lightbulbs.
If her motion is passed the Commission will have to consider it. The resolution does not specify how long the phasing-out period should be, saying the decision should be left to the Commission.
(see article below)
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MEPs back ban on patio heaters
in fact thay back anything to get back at smokers 31st Jan 2008
and ruin the Traditional British Pub
MEP Fiona Hall |
Euro-MPs have overwhelmingly called for a ban on patio heaters, challenging
the European Commission to abolish them as part of its promised energy efficiency
legislation.
The call was approved by 592 votes to 26, as part of a report backing a legally-binding European Commission target of improving energy efficiency by 20% by 2020. The UK Government has already vowed to try to boost use of renewable energy to 15% of all energy needs by then, and to reduce CO2 emissions by 16% by the same deadline. But the Commission's plans for how member states should share the burden of increasing energy efficiency do not so far include an assault on patio heaters which have soared in popularity since the UK smoking ban forced pubs to provide outdoor areas in a bid to keep customers. Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall's bid to target the heaters may have won wide backing amongst MEPs, and will be considered by the Commission, but her "own initiative" report has no legal force. Two major retail chains in the UK have already decided not to stock patio heaters on environmental grounds, and Friends of the Earth Director Tony Juniper has described the heaters as "carbon-belching monstrosities". But any attempt to legislate to abolish the heaters faces a major backlash from the catering industry in the UK, which claims pub and restaurant businesses will lose £250 million a year in lost trade if heaters are not allowed to keep smokers warm in outdoor smoking areas. The industry claims the CO2 emissions impact of such heaters - used in many of the country's 58,000 pubs - is "minimal". |
This latest initiative by Ms Hall, is only one, in a long list of her interfering in things that should not concern her. She is supposed to be Liberal Democrat Energy Spokesperson in Europe, an MEP for the Northeast of England, so why is she involving herself in climate change in Kenya? Does she think Kenya is part of the North East England, or maybe a part of Europe? Read full story here.
She also wants to ban bullfighting throughout Europe. What on earth has bullfighting to do with "Energy"? Read story here.
Ms Fiona Hall, was until very recently a play group leader in Northumberland. Maybe she needs reminding that the voting population of Great Britain, as well as Africa, and indeed the rest of Europe, are grown ups, and do not need play group leaders trying to tell them how to run their lives.
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Bill Wyman rolls on Playing with the mighty Rolling Stones... well that was OK. But now Bill Wyman has new passions 28th Jan 2008 by John Bungey
Bill Wyman is 72 years old, an age which we are constantly being told by the anti smoking brigade, is almost certainly your last year on this earth, if you are a smoker that is. But Bill, like so many smokers, proves just the opposite. This excellent article by Times writer John Bungay, gives the lowdown on Bill and his lifestyle.
I met Bill Wyman at his Sticky Fingers restaurant, award-winning purveyor of burgers, fries, sticky toffee pudding and all those comfort calories that are supposed to knock you off your perch early. But here's its 71-year-old founder having a morning fag amid the chrome, mirrors and ancient guitars and looking the picture of health. "I'll eat anything – chocolate, crisps. I smoke 30-odd a day, which I've been doing for 54 years," he tells me. "Exercise? Nah. "I went to see my doctor for a thorough examination last year. He said I've never seen a subject as healthy as you at your age." Take that, keep-fit police.
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Pub landlord flouts smoking ban BBC News 24 Wednesday, 9 January 2008
A pub landlord in West Yorkshire is openly flouting the smoking ban because he says it goes against his customers' "human rights".
Stuart Smith is allowing customers to smoke inside the Golden Fleece pub in Greetland, Halifax.
Mr Smith said the ban, which was enforced in enclosed public places from July, 2007, has had a detrimental effect on his business.
But since allowing customers to light up, he said trade had improved.
Council checks
Mr Smith said: "I think it is against people's human rights not to be able to smoke like this.
"People should be allowed to smoke here. I see people outside shivering to death and I don't think it's right."
The landlord said he was prepared to take his fight to court if he was prosecuted.
Steve Wood, health and safety manager for Leeds City Council, said there had been about 6,000 check visits made to public places since the ban was enforced and these were continuing.
He said anyone wanting to report a breach in the ban should contact the council.
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LANDLORD: 'SMOKING FINE TOTAL NONSENSE'
By BEN.WRIGHT@SWWMEDIA.CO.UK
09:00 - 07 January 2008
The first landlord in Wales to be fined for breaking new smoking laws has branded his conviction ridiculous.Ian Lemasurier, who owns Morriston pub the Plough Inn, was hit with a £1,000 fine from magistrates after council enforcement officers said they caught people lighting up in his pub.
But pub regulars have since spoken in support of Mr Lemasurier, who feels his punishment was too harsh.
He said: "I did the decent thing and held my hands up in court, and I got hit with a £1,000 fine.
"Because I am the first landlord to be caught out they are making an example of me.
"I am also annoyed by the fact the council claimed the pub was full of ashtrays - that is total nonsense."
Swansea Magistrates Court heard on Wednesday that council enforcement officers visited the Clase Road watering hole in August. Prosecutor Adrian Jeremiah said the council workers found a number of men and women smoking inside the pub - which is in breach of the Health Act 2006.
The law, brought in last April, outlaws smoking in enclosed public places.
After pleading guilty to the offence, Mr Lemasurier was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £90 in court costs.
However, the pub landlord said the incident was an isolated one and claimed that only one person was caught in the act.
"On that day it was raining heavily and the person went out the back to have a cigarette," he added.
"They were standing half inside and half out.
"I don't know why the council did not just fine that person or tell them to put out the cigarette.
"It would have nipped it in the bud there and then."
Mr Lemasurier said he was not in favour of the new laws on smoking in public places.
"The laws are full of contradictions," he said.
"Ordinary, decent people are no longer allowed to smoke in public places, and it's totally ridiculous."
Pub locals echoed Mr Lemasurier's sentiments.
Non-smoker and Plough regular Paul Robbins, aged 46, said: "Pubs aren't the same since the smoking ban came in.
"The atmosphere is dead. I follow people outside when they go for a smoke.
"In fact, I'm full of cold because of this!"
John Evans, aged 41, added: "Where's our freedom going?
"It's disgusting that elderly people who have smoked all their life are forced to go outside in the rain for a cigarette.
"If anything kills them it won't be smoking, it'll be pneumonia."
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Turkey bans cigarettes in bars
By Gareth Jones Reuters - Thursday, January 3 06:59 pm
ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey's parliament approved on Thursday a sweeping ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, but commentators say enforcing the new law could prove difficult in a nation long addicted to nicotine.
The ban will be implemented in full 18 months after President Abdullah Gul has signed it into law.
The move, revolutionary for Turkey, comes hard on the heels of similar bans this week by France and Germany. Many other members of the European Union, which Turkey hopes to join, have also outlawed smoking in enclosed public places.
Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, known for his strong dislike of tobacco, had championed the ban and parliament, where his ruling Islamist-rooted AK Party has a big majority, endorsed the law by 240 votes for and just two against.
The ban will include cigars, pipes and the traditional water pipe, or nargile, a popular attraction for tourists visiting Istanbul and Turkey's coastal resorts as well as for locals.
Smokers in Ankara were defiant ahead of the vote.
"This ban is disgusting. It is against individual freedom," said Mustafa Puskullu, 29, a sales advisor, enjoying a cigarette during lunch at an Ankara shopping mall."
I will certainly not comply with any ban," he added.
Turkey is both a major producer and consumer of tobacco.
In the country of 75 million people, some 25 million smoke, working through 115 billion cigarettes a year, statistics show. Nearly two-thirds of men smoke -- twice as many as in western Europe -- as well as 11 percent of children aged 7 to 11.
Clouds of smoke hang in the air of most teahouses and bars as customers chat over glasses of black tea or alcoholic beverages such as the aniseed-flavoured raki.
BIG BUSINESS
Major global firms are active in the Turkish market, including Philip Morris -- which has a joint venture with Turkey's Sabanci Holding -- British American Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International.
The government is also pressing ahead with its sale of state tobacco firm Tekel Cigarette, with a January 25 deadline for bids. Tekel has a 40 percent share of the local market, with sales of $8 billion (4 billion pounds).
Health campaigners say one in five deaths in Turkey is caused by tobacco-related illnesses which cost the relatively poor country some $2.7 billion annually. Erdogan's government has hiked taxes on tobacco to discourage Turks from smoking.
As well as most enclosed public spaces, the ban will apply to some outdoor locations such as stadiums and the gardens of mosques and hospitals and to taxis and trains. Smoking is already banned on buses and planes.
The government resisted efforts by some lawmakers to water down the bill, for example quashing an attempt to allow bars and restaurants to retain restricted areas for smokers.
But enforcing the ban will not be easy.
"We are a society that can promulgate laws ranging from tax regulations to traffic rules, from smoking restrictions to bans on torture, but we can't implement them," said columnist Murat Yetkin in Thursday's edition of the liberal daily Radikal.
"The smoking ban must not remain only on paper," he said.
Those flouting the smoking ban will face a fine of 57 lira (25 pounds). Owners of bars, cafes and restaurants where customers light up could be fined up to 5,000 lira.
Nuri Bayraktar, a 24-year-old bank employee, said: "I don't find this ban a good idea. People should be left in peace. But I will have to abide by it because I don't want to pay the fine.
(Additional reporting by Selcuk Gokoluk and Emma Ross-Thomas; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
