Monday 30 July 2012

''Will large breasted women only be permitted to dispense milk in 16 oz increments?'' Commenter from the NY Times


Through education from the pro breast milk movement and encouragement and assistance from caring health professionals, young mothers have been increasingly choosing to breastfeed  their infants.  But like many movements  that eventually  become overly ambitious and zealous,  the breastfeeding proponents  are on the verge of undoing all the progress they have done in educating mothers towards this more natural choice.  Indeed, women are now complaining about how insistent the hospital staff has become in their attempts to convince them to breastfeed even when they choose not to or can't for various reasons.  Some brief research on the internet  yielded the following results on mothers exasperated over the pressure they feel to breastfeed their infants : 

- They can be quite bullying. You don't have to do anything you don't want to but it's hard to say no.'' 

- Everytime a midwife came to talk to me they always made me feel like if I gave up I would be a failure.

- I couldn’t feed Nicholas, but I’d been told I had to stay in hospital until I succeeded...
In the end, after four days, I discharged myself. I fled. I felt as if I was escaping from prison.

- I have had two other children, didn't breastfeed them, for many reasons, and I don't even want to bother with it this time...so LEAVE ME ALONE!  When I explained this several times, each time she responded "Well, that's fine...but...."  But what....??  What don't you understand?  I kind of hate that lady now! 

- I seriously believe that is why so many Moms have a hard time Nursing nowadays... because their (sic) is so much damn pressure and stress behind it now. You are looked down upon if you do not.

Not surprising that Nanny Bloomberg, the New York mayor who thinks that no measure is too pushy or too tyrannical to get people to conform to his ideal of a ''better person'', couldn't resist to set yet another rule for his constituents.   '' New mothers who want formula won’t be denied it, but hospitals will keep infant formula in out-of-the-way secure storerooms or in locked boxes like those used to dispense and track medications.  With each bottle a mother requests and receives, she’ll also get a talking-to. Staffers will explain why she should offer the breast instead.'' an article in the NY Post reports.  As well,  as of  September 3, the city will keep tabs on the number of bottles that participating hospitals stock and use.   One hospital spokesperson explains:  “The key to getting more moms to breast-feed is making the formula less accessible. This way, the RN has to sign out the formula like any other medication. The nurse’s aide can’t just go grab another bottle.”

If this is not the nanny state running amok, nothing is.  Much like the various movements that go overboard when they become too confident of their successes, this  bully mayor has truly overstayed his welcome.  God help  New Yorkers between now and his final stepping down from office.  

 To quote one hilarious comment from the NY Times  article linked below:  ''Will large breasted women  only be permitted to dispense milk in 16oz increments? '' referring of course to Bloomberg's plan to ban the sale of larger than 16 oz drinks. 




Tuesday 24 July 2012

Scenes from the Nanny State: Marlhaven Lights

It would be hilarious if it wasn't so frightfully close to the truth.

If the video doesn't play ''Scenes from the Nanny State: Marlhaven Lights'', a 2 min 18 sec. short film, please view it right at youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQAvLim7PgI 

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Wednesday 18 July 2012

DEPUIS 2005 LE TAUX DE TABAGISME STAGNE AU QUÉBEC


Matière à réflexion sur des opinions tout à fait différentes par rapport au succès des lois répressives contre le tabagisme.   D'une part celles qui sont irréfléchies et incohérentes  des lobbyistes anti-fumeurs québécois et d'autre part, l'opinion réfléchie du tabacologue français le Pr. Robert Molimard qui, selon ce qu'on observe, s'avère vraie même au Québec :

Une lettre ouverte à La Presse envoyée par MM Couillard et Rochon, exprime le désir de ces deux anciens ministres de la santé de renforcir  la loi anti-tabac québécoise. 

'' La Loi de 2005 a étendu l'interdiction de fumer aux restaurants, aux bars et aux cours d'école en plus de faire disparaître les étalages multicolores et proéminents de produits du tabac dans les points de vente. Grâce à un ensemble équilibré de mesures incitatives et coercitives, la norme sociale en regard de la consommation du tabac a changé»  nous informent-ils. 

Pourtant cet ''ensemble équilibré de mesures'' a plutôt déséquilibré la cadence de la baisse  du tabagisme qui se poursuivait depuis  deux ou trois décennies.   

En effet, Mme Flory Doucas  de la Coalition québécoise pour le contrôle du tabac rapporte que  '' Depuis 2005, le tabagisme ne recule pas avec le même élan. Le taux de tabagisme stagne, ayant diminué de seulement 1,1 % en cinq ans. » 

N'est-ce pas alors que le Pr. Molimard avait tout à fait raison lorsqu'il nous mettait en garde contre les effets pervers des lois trop répressives dénuées de toute compréhension de la psychologie de l'être humain? 

"Mais le plus grave, pour qui se préoccupe de la santé des fumeurs, est que ces mesures drastiques se montrent contreproductives vis-à-vis du tabagisme. Les ventes officielles de tabac augmentent, sans que baisse la contrebande. La prévalence du tabagisme des jeunes s'accroît. Les consultations de tabacologie sont désertées. Les DIU de tabacologie n'attirent plus les étudiants. Par défense identitaire, les fumeurs se replient dans un "tabagisme retranché". Ils deviennent inaccessibles aux messages de santé publique."

Mais que veulent nos anti-fumeurs québécois?  Exactement ce qu'il ne faut pas faire -  renforcir davantage la loi anti-tabac et ainsi rendre les fumeurs complètement fermés et même révoltés contre les instances de la santé publique.  La bêtise humaine n'a décidemment pas de frontière!