E Cigarettes on prescription ????

[oldbluefox]

If you want to give up smoking why not just buy ecigs instead of ordinary cigarettes? If ecigs were inordinately more expensive I could understand the logic but from what DK was saying they actually seem to work out a little bit cheaper.

[Ray Scully]

It would seem reasonable that if e-cigs get a clean bill of heath and are available as a prescription item. There can no longer be a case for the current injudicious decisions to restrict their use in public areas.
IMHO they are far less offensive than many body odors or the overuse of cheap 'scent'

Ray

[Stephen]

OK, if they want freebie e-cigs then fine, but any money they use to spend daily on the real killers should be given to a charity of their choice via a monthly direct debit basis. Set the minimum amount at say £5 a day. And if they stop the direct debit then they come off the e-cig program permanently. Can't say fairer than that.

Let's see how keen they are to stop smoking then.

Just a thought.

[Ray Scully]

Just a thought.

OK that's enough thinking for one day Stephen



Ray

[Onelife]

If it were the case that e-ciggs became available on prescription there would need to be strict conditions imposed to sort out those who are genuinely entitled to them as l can see them becoming a fashion statement amongst the young which could lead to a black market situation where none smokers queue up alongside smokers to get their cut price ciggies.

Promoting e-ciggs as a safer option could turn out to be a double edged sword when impressionable young kids get addicted to them

[Stephen]

Just a thought.

OK that's enough thinking for one day Stephen



Ray

I must admit Ray, it has taken it out of me. Time for a lie down

[Raybosailor]

I suppose some of you think I was selfish for comparing the news that us coeliacs may be denied our prescriptions followed the day after with reports that E cigs may be prescribed by the NHS.

Well please on behalf of all coeliacs in the UK let me explain why I and other coeliacs are outraged by the reports.

Yes we can buy gluten free bread and all manner of food in the big supermarkets but they are unreliable and are not always readily available. The bread and cereals I get on prescription are made in a totally gluten free environment without fear of cross contamination and are enriched with extra vitamins and more importantly calcium. The calcium is important to help against the onset of osteoporosis something coeliacs are susceptible to due to their restricted diet and another danger is the chance of getting bowel cancer if we don't avoid gluten.

My monthly gluten free prescription is for 8 very small loaves and two small packets of cereals which going by supermarket prices I estimate cost the NHS around £30 per month, a fraction of what I was paying per month in NHI contributions while I was working.

For me and I suppose many other coeliacs it is not about the money but more about having a reliable source of two staple dietry products that we can trust to enable us to live a something near normal lifestyle.

Recently I received a message from Coeliac UK that contained a link to the Food Standards Agency bulletin warning that hundreds of free from products have had to be recalled and taken off the shelves because of high levels of gluten contamination. More alarmingly the own brand products of the big supermarkets were among the majority recalled, Tesco, Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's and Waitrose.

Please take a moment to study the link below and then you might understand why us coeliacs are up in arms about the two statements given out by the NHS.

https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free- ... -111770653

[oldbluefox]

As you may have already gathered I don't disagree with you at all Raybo, even if you do support the Trees!!!

[Raybosailor]

As you may have already gathered I don't disagree with you at all Raybo, even if you do support the Trees!!!

Hey foxy I was glad that the owd Filberts managed the great escape and what a start to the new season, the tricky trees aren't tricky enough at the moment but we are above the sheep.

Hope MOB doesn't read this post or he will tick me off for being in the wrong thread again

[oldbluefox]

Mob's off duty but don't tell the others.
I must say I wouldn't fancy being a coeliac. I don't envy you at all, especially having to check everything for your wheat intolerance. I once had a meringue onboard ship. Although I was warned it was gluten free I still went ahead as I do enjoy a good meringue. It was like chewing cotton wool!!! So you see, I am firmly on your side and all others who are dependent on medication for their ailments.

[Manoverboard]

Going Off Topic for a mo ...

We recently spent a week on a barge holiday where one of the passengers was a coeliac. Interestingly, or not, his food often looked better than ours and he happily raved about it most of the time. This could imply that it is possible for some chefs to deliver food that conforms but also satisfies a coeliac's needs.

.... and back on Topic ...

I also have sympathy for the OP's condition as we have a family member who was even allergic to his own mother's milk as a baby but I am not at all keen on making comparisons regarding NHS funding for this or indeed any other disease.

[oldbluefox]

At a time when the NHS budgets are stretched as they are can we afford an initiative such as this? If not where should our priorities lie?
......................... just asking!!
Going off topic, good luck tis afternoon, Mob.

[Manoverboard]

At a time when the NHS budgets are stretched as they are can we afford an initiative such as this? If not where should our priorities lie?
......................... just asking!!
Going off topic, good luck tis afternoon, Mob.

Still Off Topic ... Thanks but we don't play until tomorrow

[Gill W]

Going Off Topic for a mo ...

We recently spent a week on a barge holiday where one of the passengers was a coeliac. Interestingly, or not, his food often looked better than ours and he happily raved about it most of the time. This could imply that it is possible for some chefs to deliver food that conforms but also satisfies a coeliac's needs.

.... and back on Topic ...

I also have sympathy for the OP's condition as we have a family member who was even allergic to his own mother's milk as a baby but I am not at all keen on making comparisons regarding NHS funding for this or indeed any other disease.

Off topic

I think coeliac's dietary needs are well catered for in many restaurants these days, as are numerous other allergies.

When you look at restaurant's web sites they are proud to trumpet their special diet friendliness, but as a person who has to live a low sodium lifestyle, I feel like the dietary poor relation, as low sodium is rarely mentioned in the special diet section. In practice, I'm usually able to have a steak or salmon fillet with a jacket potato or fries, and I make sure they don't add any salt. It there's a separate gluten free menu, I'll ask to look at that as well, as the selections on there are fairly plain, and, as long as the salt is withheld, offer an alternative option. But I'd be thrilled if there were low sodium options as well, with sauces and coatings made especially for low sodium people

On topic

I must admit I was surprised to hear that coeliacs get some of their foods on prescription. It begs the question, why some illnesses and not others. It'd be nice to get my low sodium products on prescription, which help to control my Meniere's Disease!

For what it's worth, I don't think I SHOULD get my products on prescription, and if I was coeliac I would be disappointed if it stopped. But at least they had a period of time when they did get help, when other illnesses haven't had that benefit

[Raybosailor]

Gill coeliacs are not looked after in restaurants as much as you think and even restaurants that do advertise the gluten free options aren't always reliable because of the high staff turnover, one week you can go to a restaurant where the chef will come out and talk you through your options the next week he has gone and you are faced with someone who knows or doesn't want to know about G/F.

As for supermarkets (did you look at the link I posted ?) are a nightmare as they keep changing suppliers and we just can't keep up with them.

As I said In my post it's not about the money, even though I am a pensioner and get free scripts I would be quite happy to pay towards my prescription if it meant I could keep a reliable source of bread and cereals the two things I can trust to be safe.

Going abroad is also difficult and I often find myself having the same food over and over again hoping that the staff really understand what I am asking for. P&O do a great job looking after people with allergies and that is why cruising is the way forward for me apart from my regular trips to Spain And France where I cater for myself. How do you find P&O for looking after your low sodium diet ?, I had a long conversation with the restaurant manager on Arcadia and he showed me how they distinguish people with food allergies and special diets and I was impressed.

If anyone with a food allergy is thinking of staying at the Mercure Dolphin Hotel in Southampton be very wary of the restaurant, we were there in May pre cruise and I had a table for dinner so before sitting down I asked the head waiter what gluten free options they had. He gave me two choices and one was a veggie the other sirloin steak and chips with pepper sauce and salad so being a carnivore I went for the steak. While we were waiting I asked the waiter if the pepper sauce was home made or manufactured he looked puzzled and scurried away coming back later saying the ingredients on the pepper sauce contain gluten. So it was plain steak and chips then ?, no because when the chips arrived and by all accounts were delicious according to Cheryl were surprisingly crunchy, I asked the waiter what coating the chips had on them and he went to ask the so called chef who looked on the packaging to find that the coating contained gluten. There was no offer of an alternative to chips so I sent the lot back and went to Wetherspoons round the corner where I had a curry followed by G/F crumble and custard.

[Gill W]

I've only been on 2 P&O cruises since I've been low sodium - Arcadia was brilliant catering for my diet, as I had the full dish that I selected, but without the salt. Britannia was less than stellar as they thought low sodium meant plain.

It's only in recent months that I've started eating in restaurants again. Last year, before I had been diagnosed, I had my worst vertigo attacks after eating out, as I had much more salt than I would normally, and I had no idea it was salt that was causing my problems.

The trouble with restaurants is that they are fond of adding coatings, seasonings and sauces that are loaded with salt, and like to have a lot of smoked or otherwise processed foods on the menu.

I went out for a meal with a group of people on Friday. The restaurant wouldn't have been my choice, as I had looked at their website, and there was no comments about catering for any special diets. There was only 2 things I could choose from the menu, out of about 40 main courses. I explained my requirements, yet I could tell there was a bit of salt on my salmon. As I was in a big group, I didn't make an issue of it. I'm now in a period of remission, so i felt I could get away with a small amount of salt, and, I haven't had any ill effects. Last year, it could have been a problem.

However, I won't go back to that restaurant.

There's so many special diets these days, and we are a minority.

But, it would be nice if there was more choice for us.

I haven't even ventured into an eating establishment overseas yet. So far, I've always gone back to the ship for lunch. If I was out for the day, if it was allowed, I might have to consider taking food ashore from the ship. I know the passenger food police will frown on this, but looking at the choices - potential vertigo and long term damage to my balance system and hearing or giving people a chance to tut tut about me...... I know what choice I'd make. So, if you see me with taking a few P&O biscuits ashore...i'm not being a skinflint, I'm looking after my health!

[Quizzical Bob]

There are some very interesting debates on here and as someone who has never smoked because I could see from the start it was a mug's game I find the whole addiction argument incomprehensible, presumably because I have never been addicted.

As for the NHS paying for these things, surely if they are so much cheaper than cigarettes there should be no need for encouragement. As a general point, when it comes to improving the health of the nation education about healthier lifestyles is more effective in the long term than trying to mend broken bodies and lives.