This year Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday brought along a special gift for the aam janta in India — the ban on public smoking. Indian Health Minister Anubumani Ramadoss finally had his way after chasing the tobacco smokers for a long long time.

First, it was the ban on onscreen smoking that even targeted top notch stars like Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan. The result is no actor dares to light that offensive roll of tobacco which they sometimes carry for an effective role portrayal in front of the cameras.

Afterwards came the respect for passive smokers. Apparently, if you smoked in front of your maid she has the right to register a complaint against you. Soon, due to an amendment in the traffic laws smoking while driving was ordained illegal.

Then there were talks of introducing pictures/images of diseases caused by smoking on the cigarette box, a law which too was implemented on 2nd October. 

Ramadoss has been pummeled for his radical approach to health problems. Cigarette smoking is a major health concern facing India right now. Will these laws actually help? I, too like many others, have some doubts.
a) Will these give some more reasons to the cops to earn the extra 50 bucks?
b) Will smokers come up with ways around these laws? (I am not predicting anything, but the human mind is a great innovative machine in times of ‘crises.)
c) If India is so serious about banning the tobacco, then why not stop the production altogether? Let tobacco join the bandwagon with heroin, LSD and the likes.

All that said I am still very happy to see the government take action against cigarette smoking. Just that these laws still have some loopholes which the authorities and law enforcers should not ignore. Also, the public health care scheme should include ‘leaving tobacco’ procedures. We know how expensive they are. Maybe the government hospitals should be guided to provide the same at less or no cost.

But yes, it is indeed a pleasure to say goodbye to public smoking!

If you remember well, there was an email doing rounds about the weird and bizarre ‘tree man’ Dede from Indonesia who suffers from a rare condition of human Papiloma virus. This made him grow warts and his skin remained skin no more, but looked like the bark of trees. The poor chap in fact could not move around and nor could he wear clothes and take care of his personal needs.

An American doctor visited him and decided to put him on a strong dosage of Vitamin A and now he is gradually improving. A heartwarming story, I would like to express my admiration for that doctor who changed the life of this miserable man. It was not so simple though. He had to be put under chemotherapy and grueling surgery to treat the warts and also be given expensive Vitamin A doses. Dede is now a transformed man and to me, he represents hope, a hope that can be oppressive always. I quote my friend Grace who once said hope is the most oppressive and torturous condition ever. Well, I do agree with her completely but with Dede, his hopes in fact made him a stringer person and now he can continue to hope for more.

Unfortunately, hope isn’t always so promising, and most hopes are quashed by oppressive societies, politicians, religions and even science. I would not like to get depressed over the more sinister forces of the world for this moment, and I’d rather share Dede’s happiness and wish him luck. He, is slowly but steadily improving and the doctors hope he will soon be able to live a normal life.

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Via: TheSun

Recently, a 71-year-old man was diagnosed to be pregnant after he complained of abdominal pains in U.K. John Grady Pippen was shocked to get a report saying he was going to be mothering a child very soon. As expected, it turned out that there was a mix up of reports and the hospital later made some statements to save itself from embarrassments. This brings to our notice the fatal flaws existing in hospitals and health industry. There have always been reports of medical documents getting misplaced and patients even being put on chemotherapy after being misdiagnosed.

What I would really like to know is why such incompetence and carelessness exists among medical professionals and also among those who are in the administrative positions in hospitals and clinics, for they are the ones who send out the reports. People who have been misdiagnosed with HIV have been put on AZT, which is as toxic as a medicine can get and it can hasten the process of death. The authorities must be vigilant enough to prevent such grievous mistakes and put the responsible under the scrutiny of law.

Unless punishments are handed out top irresponsible health professionals, innocents shall continue to suffer. It is easy to make a statement on the press or media and apologize for the blunder, however, the damage can’t be undone easily, if it concerns bodily harm to the patient concerned.

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Via: OK

Playing is an activity long forgotten by the current child generation of India. Yep, seeing kids play just like that is such a rare sight that now schools have started celebrating ‘Play Days’ only to encourage little pranksters to get back to their default settings and play!

But hey, no kid is willing to do that. Kyonki TV hai na? The growing influence of the idiot box on the progenies has been ignored for a long time by parents and the harm will be serious. Blame it on the work lives of the progenitors that they rely on leaving their kids with a TV program rather than a babysitter (who they always fear to be a paedophile). Or maybe it is the space crunch? Insufficient number of parks? Or perhaps, the kids are now just too lazy to stretch those muscles.
The lack of outdoor activity is leading to social, psychological and physiological problems in children. They are unable to pay complete attention, the flitting focus changes like the channels on the idiot box. Temper tantrums and eating troubles are also seen.

My personal problem is – Kids are not behaving like kids anymore; running around, going wild and having fun. Can anyone tell me where exactly is the play?
Via ibnlive

The issue of euthanasia has once again come to the shore as Kerala Law Reforms Commission presented a proposal to SC asking for the legalisation of mercy killing in the state. Not only this, the proposal even recommends the deletion of Section 309 of the Indian Penal Code that considers attempt to suicide as an offence.

The proposal states that if the victim is suffering from an irrecoverable medical condition, then his/her friends and relatives should be allowed to seek responsible medical opinion and then request for euthanasia. In such a case, mercy killing would be performed for humanistic and compassionate reasons only.

The SC’s previous stand on the issue will be a tough nut for the Kerala government to crack. For starters, the former declared euthanasia as nothing but “homicide”. But the appealing party is not deterred. They believe that the right to live also means right to live with dignity, good health and a freedom from distress.
Some forms of euthanasia are legal in Belgium, Luxemburg, The Netherlands, Switzerland, the U.S. state of Oregon, Andalusia and Thailand.
Via topnews

“Condom, condom” will be on the lips of mobile phones in India. Yes, it is a ringtone that has been launched to promote safe sex in the infamously conservative society. Cheekily called the ‘condom capella’, this effort flaunts the support of Bill Gates and his wife Melinda and hopes to become popular with the youth.
The BBC World Service Trust, charity behind the ringtone, reports that 2.5 million people suffer from HIV in India. The idea of a ringtone came into existence in order to use a day-to-day aspect of our lives to make condom talks more acceptable, and tackle the growing problem of AIDS in the country. Radharani Mitra, creative director BBC World Service Trust, said, “We thought it would be a fun way to deliver a practical message. Ringtones are regarded as personal statements. We are hoping “condom, condom” will lift the taboo over condom usage in India.”
Well, the itsy bitsy fact that the mobile telephone market is growing fastest in India on the globe may be another reason behind the ringtone endeavour.  A very smart approach… any takers?
Via dnaindia

Anubumani Ramadoss will surely be the most remembered Health Minister of India. Agreed that he received a lot of flak for his rigorous anti-tobacco campaign and the AIIMS controversy, I bet the gay community of India will always be grateful to the man. Attending the World AIDS meet in Mexico, Ramadoss made a controversial statement when he said, “The fight against AIDS will be significantly advanced when homosexuality is legalized in the country.” Now, this was a complete shocker for the conservative and homophobic Indian community. Currently under section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, men who have sex with men are regarded as criminals as this act is “against the order of nature”.
Well, he makes sense to me. AIDS is a result of multiple partners, among other reasons. So legalising homosexuality will make people more open about their sexual status. Also, dependence on drugs will be reduced. A recent study by United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) finds that a majority of drug addicts in the Indian subcontinent are in fact HIV positive.  The report added that most drug users fell in the age group of 21 to 30 years and that just 20 percent of them used a condom before having sexual intercourse!
 Via newslocale

The world of health is struck by news of anorexia hitting men. A medical condition usually associated with teenage girls has left experts dizzy as men have increasingly started to eat less to get the “ideal body.” Laying stress on the fact that most cases go unreported, Susan Ringwood, CEO of eating disorder charity beat, believes that rise in male anorexia is a much bigger problem because men traditionally are less likely to seek help. Psychiatrist Frances said that it was doubly humiliating for men to come forward because mental health and anorexia were seen as “girl problems”.
The rise in the focus in the body aesthetic has affected the masses deeply, men and girls in particular. Male magazines are also being blamed for this. Ringwood adds, “Clinics are seeing many more men, as well as children as young as eight. We know children are more likely to develop an eating disorder during puberty and puberty is starting on average five years earlier than it did 50 years ago.”
Via timesofindia

It seems California will emerge as the most eco-cum-health conscious state worldwide when a consensus would be drawn for green & healthy cities! First the city adopts a green building code and within days of that announcement comes this one that, trans-fats are now banned in California. Processed via hydrogenation of liquid vegetable oils, trans- fats (solid product) are labeled as the culprits behind increasing number of CHD (coronary heart disease) patients.

Governor Schwarzenegger has announced that the new legislation employed henceforth is a “strong step toward creating a healthier future” and that it will take effect in 2010.

Trans-fats are used extensively in the baking industry for frying and baking processed foods like cakes, pastries, muffins, doughnuts (the average American’s breakfast-lunch-dinner and in-between snack option!). Hot chocolate preparation also uses trans-fat to some extent. According to US Food and Drug Administration, Americans (on average) consume 2.14kg (4.7lb) of this trans-fat which is affecting their health in form of increased heart diseases (by increasing ‘bad’ cholesterol levels) and rapidly increasing child-obesity. The latter pushes the risks of getting affected by ailments like diabetes even further up among kids!

Thankfully, the scenario is going to change now for as per the new legislation, any violation will incur strict fines between $25 (£13) and $1,000 (£502).
The use of trans-fat has been hotly debated for its unhealthy side effects in scientific circles from quite some time now but they are continued to be used because they are cheap, have a neutral flavor, add bulk to products, and most importantly give products a long shelf-life.

While I am glad to read about this development in California, my heart goes out for the Indian situation which perhaps is worse in terms of consumptions of trans and hydrogenated fat. We Indians are fond of eating traditional sweets made out of desi ghee! But with increasing consumption in festival season, marketing & business strategies and increasing corruption most of these desi ghee sweets are actually prepared in Trans-fats like Dalda..:(  The results are evident: the number of heart patients and diabetics has sharply increased in our country. I don’t know when we will see any such legislation in our country for the officials in food administration body are busy lending  support to chewing gums than worry about public health (sigh)!

Via: BBC

A little butterfly on your butt line, a roaring tiger on your inner thigh or a sexy ballerina on your chest and the list continues…there’s no denying tattoos are invasive! A traditional body–art form which has adorned the burntsienna bodies of natives since time immemorial has become a big fad now-a-days. Thanks to its adoption by the fair skinned models and Angelina Jolie (in particular), tattooing has emerged from its low-art image to something which is a rage among teenagers, celebrities and those aiming-to-be fashionistas, alike!

Getting one on your body parts (read private parts or near-private parts) and exposing them is one trend which is now getting clichéd. So, what next? Get a tattoo on the most visible body part of yours – your Face! And be one more step bolder by getting a tattoo on your EYELIDS! Yes, eyelid tattooing and extreme face & body tattooing seem to be the latest trend these days. This is height of attention-grabbing tactics- an extra set of eyeballs above one’s eyelids! (Perhaps the person got inspired from some cheap horror movie and was desperate enough for the ‘extra’ thrill).

Tattoos as an art form are a very personalized expression of one’s angst (against society or one’s boss), amour, adventurous spirit, remembrances and what not. But getting one your eyelids or smothering your face with it, is the loudest of all messages you want to give. What kind of mental constitution a person would have if he/she comes to work, wearing an expletive tattooed on his/her forehead ? Would such individuals be allowed at work thereafter if they come with chess boards on their faces and Halloween masks on their shaven heads?

Of course it’s your body and you can get a tattoo any where on it. But, what concerns me more than the questions raised above (which I m sure will arise if extreme face tattooing becomes commonplace among literatis)   is the health aspect. I’m horrified to even think about what all kinds of ill-effects such reckless tattooing can have on me (If in my insanity, I opt for it)? Many of the color pigments used for such colorful designs can be potentially carcinogenic. Unlike cosmetics, the chemical constituents of the dyes & colors used for tattooing are hardly known and analyzed for their side effects. Even tattoo manufacturers are ill-informed over the chemical composition of these coloring agents used to make brilliantly flashy and complex tattoos on their clients.

Chemical experts who have analyzed a variety of tattoo inks disclose that most of these pigments are highly impure industrial organic dyes which render your body parts (being tattooed) susceptible to dangerous microbial, fungal and bacterial infections! The latter which fall under the Transfusion-Transmitted-Diseases (TTD) category, can be life threatening even and especially in the case of pregnant ladies are very hazardous. One can even risk contracting Hepatitis from an infected needle (used to pierce and inject the pigment into skin).
Besides the risk of acquiring an allergic reaction and metal toxicity is always looming large because tattoo pigments contains metals like titanium, zinc, chromium, copper. Just imagine, how much vulnerable you are making yourself, by exposing your body to such toxic metals when you opt for tattooing. The pigments leach out from tattoo and get absorbed in your skin. These dyes further get deposited into the fat layers of your body and many are known to cause cancers of skin and other organs. So much so, for a mere fashion statement! Its time you think deeply over the issue before you decide to get an extreme facial or eyelid tattoo. A two minute craze might ruin your life forever!

Via: trendhunter