Monday 23 August 2010

The spud addicts are revealed.

A few posts back, someone sent this link. Sorry to those who've sent in links I haven't covered yet. there are so many it's hard to keep up!

These are charlatans looking to make money out of the smokophobia craze sweeping the world. So, let's play.

Nicotine is an alkaloid poison in tobacco

Nicotine is a precursor of vitamin B3. Hardly a poison. In concentrated form it can be dangerous (as can most vitamins) but in real life, it's as poisonous as caffeine. Which is also dangerous if you take too much.

and is approved by the FDA for use in insecticides.

It is a natural insecticide. It is poisonous to insects because it paralyses insect flight muscle. I don't know about you , but I don't have any of those. Caffeine is another natural insecticide which is why coffee grounds from my espresso machine go in the compost, along with the contents of ashtrays. If you like chocolate, remember that it kills dogs and other species that are far more closely related to you than is a bluebottle.

It has many deleterious effects on human body

Really? Vitamin B3 is bad for you? Oh, that is going to cause problems for nonsmokers. Tough.

and is a marker for cigarette smoking and other forms of tobacco use including pipe smoking, tobacco chewing and cigar smoking.

A marker? Can't you tell by the smell? Oh, that's right, it was another of those things. You know. What are they called? Ah, I remember. Lies.

Nicotine test kits measure cotinine, one of many metabolites or breakdown products of nicotine and is a good identifier of recent tobacco use.

It's also a good identifier of recent tomato or potato use. Hey, healthy non-smokers. You'll test positive too. You aren't worried, are you? They'll believe you. Sure they will.

This is where it turns from amusing little scam into the just plain vicious.

Nicotine test kits are sometimes used as part of pre-employment screening by some organizations and agencies that prefer non-smoking employees.

Change that around a bit.

Photos are demanded on CVs so that employers and agencies who prefer a particular skin colour can pre-screen candidates.

Questions on ethnicity, sexual preference, gender and religion are used as part of pre-employment screening by some organisations and agencies that prefer particular, Aryan, attributes.

How do those versions feel? How are you, non-smokers who might be black or Muslim or gay or female, feeling now?

What would you like to do about an organisation promoting such discrimination? Well, if that really happened you could call the police. There are laws to protect you.

Smokers feel the same way about the original wording. There are no laws to protect us. Just the opposite. We have no option to call the police. The police are happy to see us attacked in the street. No doubt they would then arrest us for bleeding on the pavement under littering laws.

We are to be tested for smoking because it's legal to deny a job to a smoker. Can't they tell by the smell? No, because that's all lies too. There is no test for crack cocaine because it's not legal to deny a job to an addict. It's not legal to deny a job based on religion or race or gender or sexual preference. It is legal to expel smokers. The smokophobes will rejoice.

Then they'll have a potato salad just before their job interview. And be rejected because they have cotinine in them.

Don't come crying to us, smokophobes. You are not one of us. You are, forever, the enemy.

You did this. Reap the rewards.

19 comments:

timbone said...

Auntie Ruth was walking down Reading High Street recently. She went into the shopping mall, and there was a stand with NHS written on it. A lsdy asked her if she would care to blow into a tube. As it said NHS, and she was not in a rush, she did. Upon doing so, she was offered help to give up smoking. As a never smoker she was confused, and upon further enquiry was informed that her carbon monoxide level was that of a smoker.
"Where have you been" she was asked.
"I have just been on the High Street" was her reply.

Anonymous said...

There is no safe level of potatoes either, if you can get this to load.

764. Solanine and chaconine (WHO Food Additives Series 30)
EVALUATION
"The Committee considered that, despite the long history of human consumption of plants containing glycoalkaloids, the available epidemiological and experimental data from human and laboratory animal studies did not permit the determination of a safe level of intake.

The Committee recognized that the development of empirical data to support such a level would require considerable effort."
http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v30je19.htm
It sounds so much better when they put it like that.

More interesting properties of Vitamin B3
"Scientists are not exactly sure how vitamin B3 boosts the skin's defences against cancer.
Tests so far have shown it is safe and effective as a topical treatment."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/health/sophie_scott/newsitems/s1366452.htm

"Furthermore, the identification of the nicotinic acid receptor in human skin keratinocytes provides a further link to niacin's role as a potential skin cancer prevention agent and suggests the nicotinic acid receptor as a potential target for skin cancer prevention agents."
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19149600

Mapping the role of NAD metabolism in prevention and treatment of carcinogenesis
"The association of lower NAD with malignancy in skin supports the hypothesis that niacin maybe an important preventive factor in cancer."
http://www.mentorwwllc.com/pdfs-global/nia/study/MappingroleofNADmetabolism.pdf

"Studies of the consequences of DNA damage in cultured mouse and human cells as a function of niacin status have supported the hypothesis that niacin may be a protective factor that limits carcinogenic events"
http://www.jacn.org/cgi/content/abstract/12/4/412

Niacin and Niacinamide In Flue Cured Cigarette Smoke Condensate August 10 1960
"The susceptibility of mice to lung adenomas, induced by urethran feeding, depends upon the dietary supply of niacin.
Furthermore, Strain A mice, on a niacin deficient diet, showed a greatly increased incidence of spontaneous lung adenomas; whereas, a supplement of niacin seemed to be protective."
http://legacy.library.ucsf.edu/action/document/page?tid=pnx69d00&page=1

"The hands of tar workers develop skin cancer, the marked drenchings of the fingers, the skin of the fingers which holds the cigarette, which are sometimes deeply brown stained have never so far as I know, developed cancer of the skin.

One of the gentlemen, the proponents of the cigarette theory, has tried to explain that phenomenon by saying that the first three fingers of the right hand of man have a natural immunity against cancer."
http://tobaccodocuments.org/rjr/503243231-3367.html?zoom=750&ocr_position=above_foramatted&start_page=81

Rose

Anonymous said...

"It is poisonous to insects because it paralyses insect flight muscle. I don't know about you , but I don't have any of those."

Just goes to prove the point then. Imagine how far you might have been able to fly had you not poisoned the muscles off by smoking too much ! :-)

saucepan said...

"It is a natural insecticide. It is poisonous to insects because it paralyses insect flight muscle."

Go tell that to the caterpillars munching on my tobacco plants in the greenhouse +:(

Anonymous said...

I'm not surprised saucepan

Normal tobacco is too weak to kill anything more than a midge and then only if the leaf is wet, I think its Rustica that they use.

Butterflies sunbathe on the leaves and you can sometimes find bees on the undersides of the leaf clutching onto the mid rib, at least in my garden.
Clever little things, but that may also be their undoing.

Neonicotinoid pesticides.
Pesticides: Germany bans chemicals linked to honeybee devastation
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/23/wildlife.endangeredspecies

Use of tobacco smoke against parasitic mite syndrome
http://www.beesfordevelopment.org/info/info/disease/use-of-tobacco-smoke-agai.shtml

Rose

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner said...

As I've commented on OH's blog about the cleaning products I use at work...they are produced by a multi-million pound pharmaceutical company, probably the same company which manufactures the nicotine patches/tests etc. There is a lot of money in this 'ere demonisation of smoking. Though there is an awful lot of money in producing cigarettes too. It would be funny if the two types of firms were related. It's interesting when you follow the money...

Anonymous said...

Turns out that baccy produced by BAT et al are more toxic than ciggies produced from home-grown tobacco - due to all the chemicals the corporations add to the mix.

As such, I'll be growing my own baccy hydroponically. It's legal, but you're required to pay customs the 'requisite' tax - assuming they'd know you're growing it.

A few links:

http://www.growtobacco.net/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fM3lMyU8k8g

Incidentally, Over the past few months, I've been growing plants (germinated on the same date) in soil, in nutrient-added perlite and hydroponically.

My soil plants have largely been eaten and are about half the size of my perlite plants.

My perlite plants are healthy but about one twelfth of the size of my hydroponic plants. Yes - 1/12!

My hydroponic plants (using the DWS - deep water system) have no bug infestations and are taking over my kitchen!

I might post on this sometime.

saucepan said...

Fausty, I understand tax only becomes due when it is in 'smokeable' form.

I've grown my plants in 10" pots. Initially they suffered from birds/pests and too much rain. They were rescued just in time and now fill the greenhouse. Have just harvested my first batch of leaves which are hanging from lines stretched across the roof of the greenhouse to air cure. All (11) plants are big and healthy and have occasionally been fed with tomato food.

I think you could get away with growing outdoors maybe in the South East of the UK but not here in the South West, far too much rain and wind.

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner said...

It must be a lot healthier for you to grow your own, no chemicals for a start. What do you do, dry it, then use it in a roll-up? To escape tax, couldn't you say you chewed it instead or is that still liable?

Leg-iron said...

Timbone - when they started the carbon monoxide scam, they were careful only to approach people who were actually smoking.

Because otherwise, they'd find that the CO from high street traffic overwhelms any that might come from a little bit of burning leaf. So everyone in the street, smoker or not has the same level.

If they banned smoking in the street, that level would not drop at all.

Yet, as you note, they don't know this. If you 'test positive for smoking' and you don't smoke, they assume you are lying.

Leg-iron said...

Fausty - there is something in readymades that keeps them burning even if they're not being smoked. It's not in rolling tobacco - if you set one in an ashtray it goes out.

As Saucepan says, the duty is only payable when it's smokeable. Until then it's just an ornamental plant.If you're only growing a greenhouse-worth, it wouldn't be cost effective to bother chasing the duty. They're not likely to be interested unless you grow enough to sell.

However, smokophobes would love to turn you in.

If you line the inside of the greenhouse with bubble wrap, it does three things. One, it insulates the greenhouse. Two, it stops direct sunlight scorching your plants.

And three, it makes it very difficult to see what's growing in there.

Leg-iron said...

Saucepan - caterpillars don't have flight muscles yet ;)

Interestingly, the bees that set up home in my compost bin seem to have disappeared. Many bumble-bee nests fail naturally each year so that's not a surprise.

Still, I wonder if all those cigarette ends and coffee grounds might have been involved?

I have very few problems with insect pests (although the wet weather is delighting the slugs) and although I've done no experiments, it does seem likely that all those fag-ends in the compost might well have something to do with it.

Non-smoking neighbours are always moaning about greenfly and blackfly. I wonder how much I should charge for that compost?

Leg-iron said...

sixtypoundsaweekcleaner - Apparently it has to be cured or it's really rough to smoke. I've only just set up a greenhouse this year, too late to start from seeds. I have until next year to work out how best to set it up.

I think chewing tobacco is taxed too, but I haven't tried it so I don't know.

As I said though, if you only grow a small amount, the duty wouldn't be worth chasing. It's when you buy lots of little packets, and a van, that HMRC will get interested...

Paul said...

That's us fucked, then. All we seem to eat in this house are potatoes of varying varieties. My brother likes the odd bit of weed every now and again so we're completely doomed. Honestly, how fucking stupid do people have to be?

Leg-iron: I went to Morrison's today and look what I found...

http://img839.imageshack.us/img839/525/p1070864.jpg

Thanks again. I'd been looking high and low for it. It's a pretty decent drop too, though not as feisty as Laphroaig if I remember rightly.

saucepan said...

"Saucepan - caterpillars don't have flight muscles yet ;)" Yep, but something propelled the little beggars in there didn't they? :-D

"And three, it makes it very difficult to see what's growing in there."

Funny you should mention that L-I,

we have an amicable relationship with our next door neighbours, popping into each other's gardens via a hole in the fence, swapping tomatos, courgettes etc, but when the bloke spotted our greenhouse was full of tobacco plants he said to my husband that perhaps it was time I was 'persuaded' to give up smoking.

The other half told him he wouldn't dream of trying to persuade me to give up anything I enjoy. Flaming cheek, you can't escape the criticism even in your own back yard!

Leg-iron said...

Paul - we have Laphroiag here too but then I have an unfair advantage, being in the north of Scotland ;) It's easier to find than lemonade.

Highland Park is also worth a try. I find Old Pulteney a bit salty, but it's smooth enough.

Leg-iron said...

Saucepan - ah, but the flying insect that leaves the caterpillars doesn't always eat leaves itself. Internal insecticides work best against things like whitefly, that bite into the plant then try to fly to the next one.

The neighbour's words - 'persuaded' - sound sinister. It's not their fault, it's all the indoctrination.

You could try to break the brainwashing, but they will definitely resist. On the other hand, if they become a nuisance in the future, you can use their brainwashing to scare the shit out of them.

That's become my preferred option these days.

Anonymous said...

Let the flowers bloom.

That makes all the difference and quite enchanted the neighbours.
A beautiful, stately plant that belongs at the back of the border.

Rose

Anonymous said...

You could even give them a bit of the plant science.

SOLANESOL

Powerful Health Agent
"Solanesol, extracted from tobacco leaves, is used in synthesis of high-value bio-chemicals such as vitamin-K analogues and Co-enzyme Q10 Co Q10 . Solanesol, the starting material used in the synthesis of Co Q 10"
and Vitamin K analogues, is also a potentiating agent in these medicines. Studies indicate that by introducing solanesol radical into the structure of some medicines, the effects increase noticeably. With solanesol as its primary material, Co-enzyme Q 10 is useful in the treatment of heart diseases, cancers and ulcers.
http://www.novoagri.com/prod_solanesol.html

Solanesol: A Tracer for Environmental Tobacco Smoke - 1988
CONCLUSION Solanesol, a compound expected to be unique to environmental tobacco smoke is easily detected in air even at low concentrations..."
http://tobaccodocuments.org/ness/20844.html?zoom=750&ocr_position=above_foramatted&start_page=1

The "deadly tar" used in anti-aging face creams.

Anti-Wrinkle Protection: Coenzyme Q10
"Coenzyme Q10 was discovered in 1957. This vitamin-like substance, present in every cell of the body, is vitally important for cell functioning: it plays a major role in energy production and is a powerful antioxidant."
http://www.pioneerthinking.com/nk_q10.html

Rose

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