Post by tiddles on Jul 14, 2012 17:12:32 GMT 1
www.greenocktelegraph.co.uk/news/freecontent/articles/2012/07/11/431850-the-way-i-see-it-by-eric-baxter/
Bottom Line: CIGARETTES ARE LETHAL
Of course, as we now know, they are just not lethal to the smokers themselves, they kill others who just happen to be near them.
I have heard all the arguments and comments like, "but doctor, it calms ma nerves" and "I only smoke when I'm in company". Sure, nicotine has a calming effect, it's a soporific drug after all and if all it did was provide a mild euphoria I would be all for it but it doesn't. It puts the most toxic and deadly chemicals into your lungs and into the lungs of those about you..AND, it is highly addictive. What a God send for the tobacco companies.
In the Inverclyde area, a good 30-40% of my patients on a weekly basis were suffering from smoking related diseases ranging from respiratory disorders to pancreatic cancer. The costs to everyone in the land are astronomical. Now I accept that there are and there always will be people who will not or cannot give up smoking. Despite numerous expensive government schemes, it still goes on. We have seen advertising banned and packages that are covered in warnings and now some arse wants to make all the boxes plain with no markings at all. That is a charter for smugglers intent on bringing in counterfeit shite from China.
John Reid, that little Labour political chameleon said whilst he was Health Secretary that smokers should be left alone because it is one of the, "last pleasures of the working man". What an arse.
Ok, if we can't stop people smoking, let's have some more legislation. Let's make smoking totally, socially unacceptable. Make it illegal to smoke in ALL public places including the streets and make it a more serious offence if someone is caught smoking on or around hospital property. The sights and smells that greet you at the front of our hospitals is disgusting with boggin bastards all hanging about at the doors whilst patients clad in their nightclothes sit on wheelchairs puffing away. No bloody wonder we have MRSA and C-dif.
People smoking whilst driving are just as dangerous as people using mobile phones. It should attract severe penalties. People found smoking in a car where children are present should lose their licence and face HUGE fines. They might as well give their kids strychnine, in the end it would have the same effect.
Some say that we should double or even treble the taxes on tobacco but let's face it, determined smokers will pay anything for their fags.
A consultant at IRH once said that he planned to refuse treatment to patients with chest problems who smoked. He was wrong, we are not here to be judgemental and we are required to treat everyone without fear or favour. However, if you are sick enough to require an in-patient stay, you should not leave the ward other than to attend other departments. Loitering about in the filth around IRH's door is NOT on. If you don't like those rules, then you should be told to go home for your selfishness is jeopardising the health and safety of other people. The same goes for staff who creep out the back to light up. They are setting the worst example possible.
Young people who start to smoke have no excuse. They have been bombarded by facts and figures about the dangers of smoking since the day they went to school. However, peer pressure makes it look, 'cool' so they start. Parents will often say, "aye ah started when ah wis 14", well shame on you, we'll be seeing you for a bronchoscopy before too long or maybe a wee trip to the Golden Jubilee Hospital for angioplasty during the night....if you're lucky.
Whatever excuse you give yourselves and others for smoking, you KNOW it's crap. Give it up.
Bottom Line: CIGARETTES ARE LETHAL
Of course, as we now know, they are just not lethal to the smokers themselves, they kill others who just happen to be near them.
I have heard all the arguments and comments like, "but doctor, it calms ma nerves" and "I only smoke when I'm in company". Sure, nicotine has a calming effect, it's a soporific drug after all and if all it did was provide a mild euphoria I would be all for it but it doesn't. It puts the most toxic and deadly chemicals into your lungs and into the lungs of those about you..AND, it is highly addictive. What a God send for the tobacco companies.
In the Inverclyde area, a good 30-40% of my patients on a weekly basis were suffering from smoking related diseases ranging from respiratory disorders to pancreatic cancer. The costs to everyone in the land are astronomical. Now I accept that there are and there always will be people who will not or cannot give up smoking. Despite numerous expensive government schemes, it still goes on. We have seen advertising banned and packages that are covered in warnings and now some arse wants to make all the boxes plain with no markings at all. That is a charter for smugglers intent on bringing in counterfeit shite from China.
John Reid, that little Labour political chameleon said whilst he was Health Secretary that smokers should be left alone because it is one of the, "last pleasures of the working man". What an arse.
Ok, if we can't stop people smoking, let's have some more legislation. Let's make smoking totally, socially unacceptable. Make it illegal to smoke in ALL public places including the streets and make it a more serious offence if someone is caught smoking on or around hospital property. The sights and smells that greet you at the front of our hospitals is disgusting with boggin bastards all hanging about at the doors whilst patients clad in their nightclothes sit on wheelchairs puffing away. No bloody wonder we have MRSA and C-dif.
People smoking whilst driving are just as dangerous as people using mobile phones. It should attract severe penalties. People found smoking in a car where children are present should lose their licence and face HUGE fines. They might as well give their kids strychnine, in the end it would have the same effect.
Some say that we should double or even treble the taxes on tobacco but let's face it, determined smokers will pay anything for their fags.
A consultant at IRH once said that he planned to refuse treatment to patients with chest problems who smoked. He was wrong, we are not here to be judgemental and we are required to treat everyone without fear or favour. However, if you are sick enough to require an in-patient stay, you should not leave the ward other than to attend other departments. Loitering about in the filth around IRH's door is NOT on. If you don't like those rules, then you should be told to go home for your selfishness is jeopardising the health and safety of other people. The same goes for staff who creep out the back to light up. They are setting the worst example possible.
Young people who start to smoke have no excuse. They have been bombarded by facts and figures about the dangers of smoking since the day they went to school. However, peer pressure makes it look, 'cool' so they start. Parents will often say, "aye ah started when ah wis 14", well shame on you, we'll be seeing you for a bronchoscopy before too long or maybe a wee trip to the Golden Jubilee Hospital for angioplasty during the night....if you're lucky.
Whatever excuse you give yourselves and others for smoking, you KNOW it's crap. Give it up.