Sideswipe: September 5: Warnings on each cigarette

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New research from the University of Stirling suggest health warnings printed on individual cigarettes could play an important role in reducing smoking. The researchers from the Stirling's Institute of Social Marketing studied smokers' perception of the warning "smoking kills" on individual cigarette sticks as opposed on the warning only appearing on cigarette packs. The team, led by Dr Crawford Moodie, found smokers felt the approach has the potential to discourage smoking among young people, those starting to smoke, and non-smokers. Participants felt a warning on each cigarette would prolong the health message, as it would be visible when taken from a pack, lit, left in an ashtray, and with each draw, thus making avoidance behaviour more difficult.

Mealtime snobbery

A reader writes: "In semirural Patumahoe, my father used to arrive home on what we called the workers' bus at 5.30pm and we were eating our dinner (always called 'tea' in those days) by 5.40pm.

Then he would work in the garden if it was still light. About 8.30pm, we'd have 'supper', being a cup of tea (Ovaltine/Horlicks or Milo for the children) and a piece of cake and one biscuit, all home baked. It was considered normal in our village to be in bed by 9pm or soon after. We did not think it a good idea for anybody to eat late as it meant going to bed on a full stomach and ending up paunchy. Incidentally, it was impolite to phone a farmer after 8.30pm."

Time for an exhumation?

Sue from West Harbour writes: "In response to your reader from Royal Oak. Our street in West Harbour originally had a beautiful cobblestoned road and pavement. The lateral rooted trees planted more than 20 years ago (many alongside drains) are regularly bursting through and breaking up the footpath.

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After many so-called repair attempts, about nine months ago subcontractors possibly laid someone to rest without a headstone (top). The most recent attempt to reinstate 'the appearance of the footpath' is below. The unidentified recently departed has been exhumed and been replaced with this abomination"

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Nicknames

1. I once worked at a factory where one lad took being dim to an art form. He was known as Bungalow, because he'd got nothing up top.
2. Mark Waugh, twin brother of Steve, was called Afghan (after Afghanistan, "the forgotten war"). In his early career he was overlooked by the selectors.