nisakiman

The gross medico-porn has been forced onto cigarette packets in various countries for years now, and there is no evidence that it has had any effect whatsoever either in reducing smoking rates or in reducing take-up rates. Are the Tobacco Control Industry unaware of this fact?

Of course they are not unaware. Dishonesty has been their modus operandi for the past several decades. Their campaign against smoking has not, and never has had anything to do with health, but is based in an ideological hatred of smokers and smoking, and they work with the ethos "the end justifies the means". That is why, despite all the evidence to the contrary, they still plug the 'Second-Hand Smoke is Harmful" myth. And they have been very successful, too. They have managed to get smoking banned just about everywhere by manipulating figures and omitting inconvenient facts and then issuing press releases to a gullible and unquestioning media, who then print verbatim the misinformation they've been fed. And they will adopt the same tactics with graphic images and plain packaging. Expect a blitz of press releases from them lauding the huge success (regardless of the lack of evidence) of plain packaging in Australia in the near future.

But the whole argument over plain packaging / gross images is merely inconsequential posturing on the part of its proponents. They all know (at least, the movers and shakers in Tobacco Control know, perhaps not the indoctrinated drones) that it's all just a part of the process of denormalising smoking and smokers. The vast majority of anti-smoking propaganda is based on a tissue of half-lies and cherry-picked and manipulated statistics; misleading soundbites and appeals to baser emotions. "Think of the children" is the rallying cry.

The Tobacco Control Industry conveniently fails to mention that in the 1998 WHO study by Boffetta et al into the effects of passive smoking , they found absolutely no statistically significant effect on those exposed to SHS, apart from in one area, and that was that children who were brought up in a home where one or both parents smoked were actually 22% LESS LIKELY to develop lung cancer in later life. Yes, that's right, 22% LESS likely. And just to spell that out, it means that being exposed to SHS has a PROTECTIVE effect for children. So much for the 'dangers' of SHS. And so much for "Think of the children".

(Boffetta P et al. "Multicenter case-control studyof exposure to environmental tobacco smoke and lung cancer in Europe," 'Journal of the National Cancer Institute ', October 7, 1998, Vol. 90. Issue 19, pp, 1440-1450.)

Of course, you won't find any trace of that on the ASH website, and obviously the WHO tried to bury the report, because it didn't fit the agenda, but the Sunday Telegraph unearthed it, and published on March 8 1998. Cue much consternation from the Tobacco Control lobby! The damage limitation machine was swung into action, and the report was re-interred.

As everybody who takes an interest in these matters knows. It's not about the children, and it's not about health. It's about the uglification of anything and everything to do with smoking, because Tobacco Control hate it. Simple as that.

And no, I don't work for Big Tobacco.

I'll be pitching up in Ubon for a few weeks Jan/Feb to visit the outlaws. I don't do much in the way of running - mostly chasing (money, that is), but I'm pretty good at drinking beer, as I train regularly. I'll keep an eye on this forum to see if you have another sortie while I'm there, and if so I may well join you.

the german forum is works again.it was a server Crash.

here the new link:

http://forum.thailand-tip.com/index.php?topic=13089.1140

and for old Advertising

http://forum.thailand-tip.com/index.php?topic=13068.0

There are many great photos on that forum thread, but sadly the photos from what looks to be the most prolific poster (dart) are all now unavailable. I guess he had them hosted on photobucket or similar, and has since closed his account. Great shame. I don't speak more than a smattering of German, otherwise I'd register and try to find out what happened to them.

Perhaps you should think about setting up a couple of hives. I believe it's not so difficult to keep bees (I've never done so myself, but I've known a couple of people who have), and you would have the bonus of collecting the honey, too.

taking any drug that targets neurological pathways and alters consciousness is fraught with danger. ban the drug and keep it banned. it will do no one any good to legalise it-remove this source of misery and dysfunction ...and enforce the law.

What utter bunkum. You realise that alcohol comes under the aegis of "any drug that targets neurological pathways and alters consciousness" don't you? Fraught with danger? Ye gods, you must live a very sheltered life and get all your information from the tabloids.

And as for "removing this source of misery and dysfunction ...and enforce the law.", yeah, sure. That's been a resounding success over the past several decades, hasn't it?

I think you need to get out a bit more...

http://www.ovalethailand.com/wheretobuy/index

If you scroll down on this page there is a guy there called Mr James listed for Bangkok. He speaks decent English and will deliver in the Sukhumvit area, very pleasant guy to deal with.

I bought a ego-C and Elips-C, both are quality products.

Yes, I have an Ego-C, and it is a well made and functional piece of kit. I'd recommend it to anyone looking to buy an e-cig.

If you're taking them to UK, surely it would be better to buy them (it) there? Much wider choice, and I would have thought better prices, too. Lots of online sellers - check out the reviews on various makes and models. There's loads of different types, some better than others.

http://www.ecigaretteshop.com/

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

I use one sometimes; not as a quit aid, as I have neither intention nor desire to eschew the pleasures of tobacco, but they are a fun novelty item, with the different flavour e-liquids available. I quite like the coffee flavour, but mostly I tend to use different tobacco blend flavours.

If you look at the picture I posted it shows the zip area has been tampered with. The zipper (along with padlock) were missing from the bag. I think somebody could cut the zip on a hard case too.

Suitcase zips are the easiest type of luggage to open, hard or soft case. They just jam a Biro through the zip, and hey presto! it's open. They can then close it just as easily so you wouldn't know it had been tampered with.

If you put a good strap with a combination lock round it, then that makes it a little harder to open, and hopefully the miscreant will go for the easier options. However, if someone really wants to break into your case, then break into it they will. The best you can do is to deter the opportunist with only a little time by making it too difficult to bother with.

Is it a coincidence that you, with a username of banglassie (bhang lhassi, as sold in India?) is asking about an intoxicating drink infused with herb / bark?

I was quite partial to a cup of bhang lhassi myself when I was there in the late 60s...

Waiting for someone to come in to say it's a budget flight and well yes that is it. That is why my check in luggage is made up of some tough material not those soft type of bags.

Yes, a hard case with a good strap round it is really the only option for checked-in baggage. It's worth paying a bit more for a hard case, as the handlers can chuck them around all they like, and unless they are dropped from a great height (not unheard of), they will remain intact.

I did the train from Hua Lam Phong to DM one time. It was the Chiang Mai train day train. Quite a gruelling 1hour15 min trip sitting on hard 3rd class seats always ready to be asked to move by somebody who has that seat reserved.

Cost 5 baht.

Just the thing to put you in a bad mood before a flight!

Heh! I did that once. I was staying in Chinatown, a stone's throw from Hualamphong, so I thought "What could be easier? Jump on the train! It's got to be quicker than taxi, what with no traffic 'an all! Cheaper, too!"

Ha! I hadn't realised quite how slowly Thai trains can travel! I came close to missing my flight!

I've used them (Thai trains) again since, because I like trains. You get to meet people, you can relax (sort of), and you get to see the countryside at a relaxed pace. But I now use them in the knowledge that the Thai railway system is not for those who have a schedule to adhere to. If you are on a Thai train, and in a hurry, apoplexy beckons.

I doubt it was AA fault - more likely the airports baggage handlers

Yes, as far as I know the airlines themselves have very little to do with the luggage beyond checking it in at the desk. From that point on it is at the mercy of the companies who have the baggage handling contract at each end. From what I've seen, baggage handlers the world over seem to try to cause the maximum amount of damage they possibly can on all bags that pass through their hands.

However, he acknowledged that he was aware of no research so far proving this assumption.

That's because there is none.

There is, however, plenty of evidence that gruesome images on cigarette packets make not one iota of difference to smoking prevalence or take-up. In fact in Canada, more young people have started smoking since the graphic images were introduced.

It is merely am exercise in the uglification of the world around us. Yet another punishment visited upon those who have the temerity to smoke despite the fact that the finger-waggers don't like it. But of course, the anti-tobacco zealots will put their spin on it to make it seem like it's a good idea. I came across this comment about the medico-porn on cigarette packets a while back which made me smile:

"According to the World Health Organisation, in Canada the introduction of photo images on cigarette packs resulted in a fourfold increase in smoker’s intentions to quit."

They claimed that 70% wanted to give up before. So that's presumably 280% now. (My emphasis on 'intentions')

The reality is that the initial reaction to the medico-porn on packs may be "Yeeuch!", but then smokers just don't see them any more. And as for kids, they love that kind of thing - the gorier the better.

The anti-smoking bandwagon is running out of steam; you can tell by the ever more desperate (and patently unfounded) claims emanating from the fanatics.

As for all the 'smoking-related' deaths they constantly trumpet, people are waking up to the fact that not only are 'smoking-related' deaths multifactorial, (there is not one disease that is exclusive to smokers) so there is no certainty at all whether smoking caused, or indeed had any part to play in that death, but also the majority of those 'smoking-related' deaths occur in old age (past 70). And of course, as smoking prevalence is going down, lung cancer cases are going up. It's a bit like the global warming scam - real life is just not doing what it is supposed to be doing (according to the 'experts').

There's a very good article here:

http://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/judith_wild_guesses_1.html

http://www.infotextmanuscripts.org/judith_wild_guesses_2.html

about how the Tobacco Control Industry massages the figures to get the numbers it wants. It was written in the 90s, but is as valid today as it was then.

It is well past time that the WHO stopped spending gazillions persecuting smokers and started to address world issues that actually matter, like Malaria control and providing sanitation and drinking water to those who need it. Oh, I know the zealots like their WHO funded all-expenses-paid junkets where they can all get together and bathe in the warm glow of self-righteous smugness as they discuss what new punishment they can force on a quarter of the world's population, but it doesn't help the people who are actually REALLY dying (as opposed to the theoretical numbers that are spat out by their computer model, which are the numbers we read about in the papers).

Smoking has provided a very useful red-herring for governments and the petro-chemical industry, and is a very nice little earner for the pharmaceutical industry, but the chickens are coming home to roost now, and they won't be able to get away with their lies for very much longer.

Legalize it, tax it and control it. That way users and abusers can come forward. The mafia business behind it will suffer massive losses, and will slowly disappear. Police can focus on more important issues. Drug abuse is a social problem, not a criminal one. Putting drug offenders in jail just escalates their problems.

That is probably the best and most succinct comment I've read on this subject. Well said mortenaa. If more people thought as you do, the 'drugs problem' would wither on the vine. It wouldn't happen overnight, since the 'war on drugs' has created a massive problem, however in a couple of decades it would come down to manageable proportions. You will never eradicate drugs - human nature will see to that; but the damage caused can be easily reduced to minimal levels if the right approach is adopted.

I always found Chang Draught to be the best tasting and least hangover-inducing beer. Unfortunately when I was there last (a few years ago) it wasn't universally available. Maybe it's more readily available now.

This guy is better than very good; he's bloody brilliant!

Again thank you. Now how the hell do I admit they are correct

Heh! Yes, that's the tricky bit!

I think the idea of a mandatory 500 Baht insurance might be greeted with resentment by those that already have insurance, but I think if it was done on a 'trust' basis it could work well. All it would need is plenty of multilingual signage in immigration telling people that if they don't hold insurance, they must buy the 500 Baht voucher, valid for one month. They could have machines like they had in DM for the departure tax, so it wouldn't cause delays. Have them at all entry points, air, land and sea. The insurance would only be valid for accident and emergency, so 'medical tourism' wouldn't be an issue.

Although there would be some chancers who wouldn't buy it, I honestly think the majority would consider 500 a small price to pay for peace of mind. I certainly would if I arrived without insurance. The incidences of tourists not paying hospitals would drop dramatically if they could present a valid certificate from the airport machine, immigration wouldn't have to waste time checking, and the medical costs would be more than covered.

And if you are doing visa runs every month, you just have to budget an extra 500 every time for a new insurance certificate. It is a small sum of money, and as I say, I think the vast majority would happily pay it without being coerced into it.

I see lots of cheap and nasty furniture made from melamine (chests of drawers that fall apart within six months, that sort of thing), often comes as DIY flatpack, and I'm sure most of it comes from Asia. Try checking out a few cheap furniture stores, and if you see some items made from sheet melamine, ask where the factory is and trace it back to source.

Formica is another thing altogether, and is used for kitchen worktops, tabletops and that type of thing. It is much thicker than melamine, much tougher and much more expensive.

I think what the OP is after is chipboard or MDF (most commonly chipboard) which has a very thin coating of Melamine on both sides. It generally comes in sheets 2440 x 1220 and 3660 x 1830, normally 16mm or 18mm thick.

I use lots of it for the carcasses of the kitchens I make, and also for fitted wardrobes. It's a basic essential for cabinet carcass making.

In Europe, you can get it in white, smooth finish (the cheapest) or a variety of colours / patterns (faux wood-grain for example, in a variety of types of wood). For my kitchens I tend to use Beige with a slightly wrinkle finish, which gives it a 'satin' appearance. I would have expected it to be fairly widely available in Thailand, as it is such a versatile and cheap material for cabinet work. In UK and Europe, it is normally sold at timber yards, and most of them will have the facility to cut it to your specified size. You can also get matching iron-on tape to cover and finish the cut edges.

So I would try a decent timber merchant - you'll probably find what you need there. Plywood is a much more expensive product, so I'd avoid that.