Fighting To Stay At The Trough

See, via the BBC, this is why 'public health' is an expensive and wasteful drain on our taxes and society in general (it doesn't reflect well on the BBC as a renowned news source either, to be honest).

A sharp decline in the number of smokers using an NHS support programme to help them quit has been linked to the rise in popularity of e-cigarettes. 

The Smoking Matters service in Dumfries and Galloway helped 102 people in deprived areas kick the habit in the past year - 251 below target.

What's not to like, eh? Instead of quitting smoking the expensive way for the country - by taking up the time of public sector staff being highly-paid out of funds ripped from the wages of workers who quite need the cash right now - smokers are spending their own money on something much more effective and which doesn't cost the state an arm and a leg during times of austerity.

Public Health Consultant Dr Andrew Carnon said the trend was being mirrored across Scotland.

Public health 'consultant'? Good grief, it's wheels within wheels of waste, isn't it?

He said many people saw e-cigarettes as a stepping stone to stopping smoking.

Yes indeed, I believe the figure is 1.1 million ex-smokers thanks exclusively to e-cigs ... and counting.

That was the first decrease seen in recent years and it was also suggested this could be "partly explained" by the rise in the use of e-cigarettes.

Partly explained? Does this guy know how very big a number 1.1 million is?

Dr Carnon said that although there was still a lack of evidence about their effectiveness, the NHS might have to review and adapt its smoking cessation service in the future.

Erm, there are 1.1 million confirmed cases proving that there is, indeed, evidence of the effectiveness of e-cigs. This guy is a doctor, are they not required to be able to count?

"The position of e-cigarettes is at the moment not fully clear because they are so new there hasn't been all the research carried out," he said. 

"We actually don't know at this stage just how effective they are in helping people to stop smoking."

No, we really do. And research really has been carried out, I've linked to some of it above. There is also a dedicated report from the Smoking in England site if he would care to look, it comes to the same kind of conclusions.

Shouldn't someone being paid out of our taxes as a 'consultant' have some clue of what he is meant to be talking about?

"There is also a risk, potentially at least, that smokers may use them in certain settings where they are not allowed to smoke tobacco but without any intention of actually stopping smoking tobacco cigarettes."

That really is none of your fucking business sunshine. Are you really saying that e-cigs are bad because they offer smokers a choice? If you offer patches to a smoker and they decline, that's as far as your involvement should go. Same applies with e-cigs if they choose not to quit. The most insane and tyrannical reaction is to condemn e-cigs entirely because people won't bow to your fascist demands, you weapons grade chimp.

He said that was clearly a case where they would not be of any benefit to a smoker's health.

Utter bollocks. If they are using an e-cig instead of going outside to smoke, there is a benefit. How the tobacco control industry has evolved to believe that the theories of Paracelsus have been suspended for just one substance is quite remarkable. It's nothing short of being a cult now.

"The third possibility, which again would not be a great one, is that people who don't smoke might feel that e-cigarettes are something that are much safer that they would like to try," he added.

It's only a possibility in the minds of people whose income relies on pretending it is a possibility. All research worldwide has concluded that it isn't happening. I think Mr Carnon should take his fat nose out of the tax trough and go do something more worthwhile with his life ... like fetching shopping trolleys for Asda.

"We just don't have the research evidence at the moment to say whether there is a risk that those people who might simply be experimenting with e-cigarettes might get drawn into using tobacco cigarettes at a later stage."

No, Carnon, we damn well do! In fact, even ASH say that "there is no evidence from our research that e-cigarettes are acting as a gateway into smoking". You're on the same side, you must have heard of them, surely?

Dr Carnon said it was clear from research that people had the best chance of quitting with some support.

No it's not. There has been a dramatic uptick in successful quitting since e-cigs appeared on the scene, and considering most stop smoking services don't advocate e-cigs, it suggests you're badly wrong.

"It is not just about the nicotine replacement, it is not just about use of e-cigarettes," he said.

No, it's also about your wallet, isn't it?

"It is actually about working with somebody to help you through the difficult process - because it's not easy to quit smoking."

Well, apparently, for over a million ex-smokers, it is with an e-cig.

"So really we would encourage people either to go to the smoking cessation service which is called Smoking Matters or to one of their local pharmacies who can help them or they can ask their GP if they would like some advice."

Or they can save the country money by doing what 1.1 million smokers have done, do it on their own without shovelling wasteful cash at self-enriching parasites like you, who endorse a service which boasts an embarrassing record of failure at an astonishingly high cost to the public.

The sooner costly, inept, smug, and mendacious troughers like Carnon are unhooked from the state's teat, the better.

Follow the money, it's never been about health.