You may have noticed that there’s a film at your local cinema about motoring racing in the 1970s, called Rush.
They were great if rather dangerous days, but the film has ruffled some feathers. It wasn’t just the marginal safety record of the circuits and the cars that is of concern to some pressure groups, apparently if you followed Formula One back then, or even watch Rush at the cinema, you are putting your own health at risk.
I have yet to see Rush, but according to an anti-smoking pressure group there are graphic scenes of cigarette advertising and even scenes of people having a fag or two. According to ASH, “To counter the inevitable tobacco imagery shown in the film, health campaigners in the UK are calling for warning ads about the health impact of smoking to be shown in advance of the film.”
And they go on, “The film shows how far we have come since the days when cigarette manufacturers shamelessly promoted their brands through sport. The sub-text of the companies' near monopoly of F1 sponsorship was that their brands were as alluring and exciting as the sport itself. And it worked. Evidence shows that children were more likely to start smoking after being exposed to tobacco imagery through advertising and sponsorship.”
Trouble is, that’s not actually true. I was not alone in the late ‘60s and ‘70s when I loved racing and identified cars by their brand. Gold Leaf Team Lotus. The JPS Lotus. Marlboro McLaren. Embassy Hill. I loved the logos, colours and everything about the sport back then.
Where I am unique is that one of my dad’s clients back in those days was Rothmans. He built exhibition stands and installed those displays in airport duty-free areas. Our house was full of all sorts promotional material with the name of a fag written on it. The punchline is that neither I, or my sister, smoke. My mother never did and my dad had given up puffing by then. Obviously smoking was compulsory back in the ‘40s and ‘50s and incredibly both mum and dad worked in a cigarette factory in those decades.
The problem is that pressure groups think they know best. They don’t believe that people have a choice to do or not do something. Telling people what to do is silly, unless it is to wear a seatbelt in a car or a helmet on a motorcycle. And that, I suppose, shows the difficulty of the issue. But then smoking is a lifestyle choice, whereas choosing not to belt up is genuinely stupid.
Am I wrong, or did the magnificent Lotus 72 in JPS livery turn you into a 40-a-dayer?
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Pregnancy: natural treatments against headache
It's not always easy to deal with headaches during pregnancy. It is quickly tempted to jump on the box of drugs, but we know that apart from paracetamol punctually, very few drugs are allowed during these nine months. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are even banned. In general, unless medical advice or prescription, it is better to try to do without drugs during pregnancy.
While coping with a headache when you are pregnant? Fortunately, there are some tips to try to overcome it.
Headache and pregnancy: a temples massageIt seems almost too simple, and yet. A simple massage of the temples with the fingertips, with for example a vegetable oil can sometimes be enough to make pass headaches. Because the temples are acupressure points recognized, at least in Chinese medicine, to play on migraine-like headaches and headaches.
On the other hand, pregnant women are strongly advised not to stimulate the GLI-4 acupressure point between thumb and forefinger, as this could lead to uterine contractions. Better to be limited to a simple message of the temples.
Caution also on the side of essential oils, many of which are discouraged during pregnancy.
An infusion of ginger against headaches during pregnancyGinger has anti-inflammatory properties. Also, its roots (or rhizome) are traditionally used in infusion or decoction to relieve headaches. Ginger acts on the production of prostaglandins, molecules that contribute to inflammation.
https://www.kingdomofbaby.com
This plant is quite permissible during pregnancy, especially as it also relieves nausea, making it a flagship remedy for pregnant women.
Thanks to the menthol it contains and which relaxes the nerves, the mint would also be an ideal natural remedy to pass a passing headache. During pregnancy, an infusion or the application of peppermint sachets on the forehead and temples is recommended, as peppermint essential oil is not recommended for pregnant women.
JPS Lotus 72
Ah I remember Emerson Fittipaldi and the JPS 72. My favourite F1 car of all time, except perhaps for the Lotus 49. I remember building the Tamiya kit and learning a lot about how the cars were built. So relatively primitive -- as is shown very graphically in Rush -- but so wonderful at the time.
Somehow the advertising must have worked. Don't today's perfume adverts try to achieve the same thing? Glamour by association? Perhaps your experience with Rothmans exhibition kit was enough to show how unglamorous the whole business really was. No, I was never tempted to smoke but a large percentage of the population must have initially been persuaded to take it up by seeing something good in it.
Regarding helmets and seatbelts, why should it be ok to force people to wear them? Should the government have the right to force you to be safe? If so, then why not ban skiing, skateboarding, climbing, hang-gliding, etc, etc? If I'm willing to pay the price, physically and financially, shouldn't I be allowed to continue?
well said...
James, I completely agree with you and feel that we should ignore these txxxers at all costs.
My Grand Parents smoked all their lives (and lived well into their 90's btw), my Father smoked, and like you I grew up with the racing teams identified by their cigarette sponsor...but I made up my own mind and decided not to be a sheep and follow the herd (flock!). I have never touched a cigarette in my life so I suppose, like you, I disprove the theory.