In Italy, it will soon enter into force the law banning smoking in public places. Finally! It was supposed to come to force last year but it has been postponed until the 10th January 2005 due to the opposition of businesses.
Fumare (smoking) will be vietato (banned) in all indoor public places. Areas for smokers need to be separated by walls and signed. Adequate ventilation is also required.
I feel this is a victory for common sense rather than health concerns. It is not illiberal to ban smoking because it is a ban against poisoning someone else! The opposition to the ban accuse 'us' to ghettoise smokers. First of all, smoking endangers non-smokers' health, it is therefore a safeguard to their health. Second, why is it all right to ghettoise non-smokers but not so for smokers? Third, people who work in pubs, restaurants and so on, simply have no choice, they are being poisoned every day and have no escape.
Why should my lungs be your choice?
23 December 2004
13 December 2004
Spiked Hype
Back in September I was alarmed by an article appeared on the Guardian on drink spiking and Cardiff being the capital of 'drug rapes'. So I asked a question in Council and made a few inquiries.
Although the problem is serious and indeed rising, the Guardian article was misleading and more interested in promoting a documentary they sponsored than informing people.
Although Cardiff was a hot spot for drink spiking a few years ago, South Wales Police have collaborated with the Roofie Foundation and now the situation has gone back to 'normal', which means the levels for this crime are the same in Cardiff as in any other city in the UK.
Interesting (although unsurprising) facts are that 70% of victims had their drinks spiked in their local and that 70% of victims know their attacker. The solution is awareness, keep an eye on your drink because the consequences could be very dramatic. The drugs generally used such as GHB and Rohypnol (sold on the internet of course), act as aphrodisiac, thus inducing (generally) women being forward, and also as muscle relaxant, resulting in brutal acts of rape. They also remove memory so that it is much more difficult to bring evidence to court and disappear from the body within 12 hours.
The 'good' news is that the Roofie Foundation are campaigning tirelessly on the issue. On our part, Cardiff Council is launching an awareness raising campaign for the Christmas period.
Although the problem is serious and indeed rising, the Guardian article was misleading and more interested in promoting a documentary they sponsored than informing people.
Although Cardiff was a hot spot for drink spiking a few years ago, South Wales Police have collaborated with the Roofie Foundation and now the situation has gone back to 'normal', which means the levels for this crime are the same in Cardiff as in any other city in the UK.
Interesting (although unsurprising) facts are that 70% of victims had their drinks spiked in their local and that 70% of victims know their attacker. The solution is awareness, keep an eye on your drink because the consequences could be very dramatic. The drugs generally used such as GHB and Rohypnol (sold on the internet of course), act as aphrodisiac, thus inducing (generally) women being forward, and also as muscle relaxant, resulting in brutal acts of rape. They also remove memory so that it is much more difficult to bring evidence to court and disappear from the body within 12 hours.
The 'good' news is that the Roofie Foundation are campaigning tirelessly on the issue. On our part, Cardiff Council is launching an awareness raising campaign for the Christmas period.
AM Air
Is Andrew Davies AM getting carried away? Now that the Assembly got powers over transport he seems to be introducing subsidised flights from Swansea and Cardiff to Anglesey twice a day for the 'bargain' price of £1 million a year!
I side with the critics, I cannot see how this scheme could be anything other than an airline for AMs! Quite rightly renamed AM Air!
This comes at a time when train passengers will see a 4% rise in fares and some passengers something like 25%!
If Labour are so concerned about climate change, why do they want us to use cars instead of public transports?
I side with the critics, I cannot see how this scheme could be anything other than an airline for AMs! Quite rightly renamed AM Air!
This comes at a time when train passengers will see a 4% rise in fares and some passengers something like 25%!
If Labour are so concerned about climate change, why do they want us to use cars instead of public transports?
03 December 2004
Politics of Trust
Last night I went to a lecture by Alastair Campbell on Politics & the Media. The lecture was rather confused and lacking in focus. He painted a rather bleak picture of the media condemning them for being negative and shallow, and for not reporting the successes of the government. Campbell appeared incredibly naïve. Surely he should know why the media take a negative attitude.
First of all, only bad news is news, as Jim Hacker would say. You give them the bad news one day and save the day on the next. Second, Labour have been courting the popular media since they came to power. In this way they wanted to reach everybody, but, alas, they confused the means with the end and became locked in this popularity contest with no exit strategy.
Campbell ingeniously transformed Tony & New Labour into a celebrity, making the party a real success. He forgot, however, that politicians are not celebrities selling their image, they need to deliver results, they need substance.
I believe New Labour have lost the plot because they forgot what they wanted to achieve. To stay in power they relied on spin but lost control of it and let the tabloids set the agenda. So I asked the question that would really wind him up: “considering the negativity (politics of fear!) of the Queen’s Speech, isn’t it fair to say that the tabloids are setting the agenda for the Government rather than the other way round?” :)
He went ballistic! He blamed the media and said stupid at least 5 or 6 times whilst I rejoiced in my seat. The architects of New Labour thought that they could spin anything, even a war, and needed not to take responsibility if things went wrong. By denying responsibility they breached the trust of the people. Sadly, in the ‘No U-turn’ Labour party there appears to be no place for acknowledging the mistakes, the ill-conceived policies and broken promises. That is why Labour are not trusted.
First of all, only bad news is news, as Jim Hacker would say. You give them the bad news one day and save the day on the next. Second, Labour have been courting the popular media since they came to power. In this way they wanted to reach everybody, but, alas, they confused the means with the end and became locked in this popularity contest with no exit strategy.
Campbell ingeniously transformed Tony & New Labour into a celebrity, making the party a real success. He forgot, however, that politicians are not celebrities selling their image, they need to deliver results, they need substance.
I believe New Labour have lost the plot because they forgot what they wanted to achieve. To stay in power they relied on spin but lost control of it and let the tabloids set the agenda. So I asked the question that would really wind him up: “considering the negativity (politics of fear!) of the Queen’s Speech, isn’t it fair to say that the tabloids are setting the agenda for the Government rather than the other way round?” :)
He went ballistic! He blamed the media and said stupid at least 5 or 6 times whilst I rejoiced in my seat. The architects of New Labour thought that they could spin anything, even a war, and needed not to take responsibility if things went wrong. By denying responsibility they breached the trust of the people. Sadly, in the ‘No U-turn’ Labour party there appears to be no place for acknowledging the mistakes, the ill-conceived policies and broken promises. That is why Labour are not trusted.
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