Monday
Apr272009
Debating matters
Monday, April 27, 2009 Today I'm in Cambridge to help judge the East of England Regional Final of the Institute of Ideas' Debating Matters Competition for sixth form students. I have to judge two debates on the following topics: organ donation and cheap flights.
The organisers sent me loads of homework and I am belatedly doing some last minute revision. It's just like being back at school. I'm not sure who is going to be more nervous - the judges or the contestants.
PS. Debating Matters is sponsored by the pharmaceutical giant Pfizer. Today's venue is Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Research Institute. I hope there are a few friendly faces!
Reader Comments (12)
I don't think anyone from Pfitzer will be in a good mood tonight. At 8.oopm on R4 its smoking cessation drug Champix is being investigated.
I would be interested to know in the organ donor debate if the health fascists still want us smokers to carry donor cards.
Since they do not wish us to be treated on the NHS why should we?
I've just been listening to the R4 programme while driving home. Pfizer continues to defend Champix in the face of criticism that, in clinical trials, only those with no history of mental health problems were tested despite the fact that 44% of smokers suffer from mental health problems, and it's been found that in the UK even those with no history of mental health problems experienced psychotic episodes, depression and suicidal ideation after being prescribed champix.. Pfizer still believes that the benefits outweigh the risks. A British public health person said that the medics were officially keen to stress a four week success rate with the drug (despite this period being far too short to realistically assess success) because it made the figures look good (her very words, I believe). Yet another indicator of the cynical manipulation of best practice for political reasons, quite apart from which they're perfectly happy for people to go through real mental anguish in their attempts to stop smoking. They are utterly despicable.
I know of one person who has taken these smoking cessation drugs. I only see her about 3 times a year.
She visited around 8 months ago and I noticed that she'd stopped smoking. She said that she'd used Champix. She said that although she'd 'stopped smoking' she wouldn't recommend using Champix to anyone.
She stated that she was 'out of control' whilst taking the drugs and that they made her really sick with horrendous stomach problems.
The last time she visited (2 months ago) she was smoking again. She said that she would never go through what she did with Champix ever again and prefers smoking to the non-smoking life that she briefly had. She doesn't smoke much - only 12 a day.
It's probably been the only time in her life when she's felt really ill - so much for Champix and stopping smoking.
She said that she'd stopped smoking for about 4 months - I told her that she'd be counted as a success in this target driven stupid country that we live in.
I gave up smoking when I was 20 in 1971 for four years. I developed acute skin problems, joined a religious cult and began to head for clinical depression. I wonder when I would have died had I not started smoking again?
Joyce, 44% of smokers have mental problems? Where was this gem of information pulled from. a cracker? If it was it must have been at Ash's Xmas party. A garbage statistic like all the rest, that is based on discrimination, and should not be repeated here. Mental problems certainly exist in the above mentioned group though and that CAN be proved.
Zitori - the 44% was the figure quoted by Pfizer and related to smoking in the USA (and no, the reporter didn't query such a high figure)! I wonder if I've picked it up wrongly and they meant that 44% of those with mental health problems smoke (which seems to be a more realistic figure)? At any rate, Pfizer's spin is that it's impossible to determine that champix is dangerous because there's no knowing whether the depression etc can be attributed to the drug use or the user's problems. This, of course, doesn't wash if there's a high incidence of side-effects in those with no history of mental ill-health, as seems to be the case in the UK.
The drug companies' deceit knows no bounds. It's all about marketing, and truth and compassion are far out-weighed by the financial gains to be made. The whole Anti-Smoking Crusade worldwide is just one huge marketing campaign, and nothing else.
The 44% figure that you quoted Joyce, actually has been outdone bigtime recently by an American nut, his name escapes me, who claimed around 75% of smokers were mentally retarded, and guess what the papers printed it! Who are the mentally retarded ones.
Wasn't Stanton Glantz by any chance? The trouble with these kinds of insult being given house-room is that it doesn't matter that they're false and outlandish, they still sink into the consciousness of a public primed to accept them. Very dangerous...
44% of smokers have mental problems?
But 100% of anti-smokers have mental problems, as far as I can see. You really have to be seriously twisted to do what they do.
I can confirm that I am a smoker and and I have suffered depression, albeit at a just about copable level, most of my life - smoking has helped greatly with coping with the depression and the anxiety that has come with it.
In 2006, however, once the smoking ban was confirmed, I suffered, what is known as a 'major crisis'. This meant that for the first time in my life I had time off work due to depression - 6 weeks, which should have been more, but I couldn't manage on SSP only!
Since then I have been on varying levels of medication and now also need sedatives to help me through airports when we travel.
All this because of the smoking ban!
I have met a lot of other people with depression and anxiety and other related problems too, who do not smoke and have never smoked, but that does not mean that it does not help those of us who choose to smoke. I believe it has been said that it is a form of self medication and is probably what had helped me over the many years prior to the ban, inlcuding through the death of my first husband!
This government along with the other 2 major parties, as far as I am concerned, are no more than a bunch of criminals who are taking delight in harming far more people then they are helping with their gestapo approach to 'governing'!
With all the forecasted gloom and doom about further job losses in the economy and the related mental depression thereof, will it be a toss up as to which crutch people will reach for i.e a packet of fags or Champix.
My guess is they will reach for a packet of fags because at least people know the history of tobacco unlike these dangerous mind altering and unaccountable drugs.