Mailbag

Fake drugs

Sir,

The editorial ''Kill the killers'' that appeared in the Daily Excelsior dated 4th March 2004 regarding the purchases of fake drugs from black listed firms speaks the gravity of the state of mind of those greedy people who are in the rat race to earn the money by hook or crook is visible in all spheres of life even at the cost of human beings throughout the country. This kind of new rich society is increasing very fast day in and day out.

You have rightly said that the killing by fake drugs is worst than the human rights violation of any other means. They 'killers' belong to high state of life enjoying all kind of respect and patronage of the concerned authorities whether they are supplying fake, spurious and substandard medicine or adulterated food, vegetables, fruit, pesticides, insecticides, mineral water, cold drinks and other eatable spices etc. This itself speaks the lowest level of character assassination of the society at large. It needs to be built at grass root level by imparting moral and value based education at primary level under national character building measure and check the blind race of becoming rich over night by unscrupulous means which is creating unrest in coming generation.

You have further rightly said that Ch Lal Singh, the Health Minister, has streamlined the Deptt while providing medical facilities to the people living in far flung areas of the State.

One can observe improvement and cleanliness in the small and big institutions of the Health Deptt. in the larger public interest. For this, he deserves all kind of praise. For greedy people, Guru Nanak said ''Padya Likhya Murakh Aakhiya Jit Labh , Lobh, Ahenkar'' ( a well educated person who is greedy, proud and earns the livelihood by unscrupulous means is a fool).

Yours etc....
Dr Gurmeet Singh
Working President, SAWERA

Stop smoking

Sir,

Smoking is one of the foremost public health problems of the day. According to WHO estimates, atleast 2.5 million people die every year from tobacco related diseases. Smoking is a serious health hazard and almost 95 percent of all cases of lung cancer are caused by smoking alone. It has been estimated that an average of five and half minutes of life is lost for each cigarette smoked. Breathing the smoke from other people's cigarettes also carries risks although of a lower order. It does not take years for smoking to affect one's health. Even a few puffs now and then can hurt. Just one cigarette speeds up your heart, increases blood pressure and respiratory rates and upsets the flow of blood and air in your lungs. Health problems linked to smoking include the following :-

* The destruction of 25 miligram of vitamin C per cigarette which depletes the body of vitamin C.

* Mouth, lung, prostate and other cancers.

* Poor wound healing and premature skin ageing.

* Higher rates of death from coronary heart, disease than non smokers. The risk for coronary ailment increases with the number of cigarettes smoked for day.

* Affects the teeth causing gum diseases.

* Increased risk for developing osteoporosis.

* Adversely affects not only male fertility but also impairs libido.

* More prone to coughs, colds, major and minor raspiratory infections and to overall breathlessness. It aggravates asthuma too.

Yours etc...
N M Sumbria
Jammu.

Discount syndrome

Sir,

There was an article in the Sunday Magazine of DE dated 14th March, 2004 on the discount syndrome wherein a light has been thrown on this current marketing strategy of sales describing the views of those concerned with the business as well as the customers, consumers. Rightly said, a few years earlier this marketing strategy was not as much in vogue as today as the business sales offering huge discounts on almost all sort of goods and articles have become a perennial issue. Earlier it was only on-season and off-season sales but now it seems to have spin over the seasonal activities. This discount syndrome is stated to have been driven by the two important factors viz. Market competition and exhausting the accumulated stocks. This marketing strategy is proving to be beneficial both to the business people as well as to the customers. The businessmen despite offering huge discounts are able to earn profits which is their real motive. The customers on the other hand also feel that he too has got some benefit out of these sales. The whole market appears to be in a festive mood with the people too feeling like going to the outing for picnic or on a shopping spree. The views expressed in general seem to be favourable with a few consumers articulating their concern regarding the quality of product sold and it appears to be so because in all the business houses the new brand items are not sold on discount and only outdated and ineffective articles are put on sale. The customers have to sift the best out of the available. The lure of these sales as a marketing strategy is such that it sometimes taxes upon the paying capacity of the middle class families whose budgets get disturbed after the shopping.

Yours etc.....
Ravi Sharma
Shakti Nagar, Jammu.