JOHN Dunlop (Letters, April 10) should perhaps go back, as I have done, and re-read my letter of April 9. Nowhere in my letter did I argue for the right to fill my lungs with smoke and carcinogens on the basis that tobacco is taxed, therefore the NHS can afford to treat me – that is entirely made up in his head based on unfounded assumptions. I never mentioned at any point in my letter whether or not I was, or am, a smoker. Similarly, I made no reference to Covid-19, nor did I contend that smoking does not damage lungs. The point I had hoped I would get across is that we live in a country where the biggest burden on the health service is obesity, and has been for many years and is the biggest ongoing, and increasing, health crisis we face.
Over the years, governments have introduced many measures targeted at smoking, and why not? Minimum age for purchase of tobacco products, bans on tobacco advertising, statutory, stark, health warnings on unbranded packets including gory pictures of the dead and dying, ban on smoking in pubs, clubs, workplace and so on. In time, these measures appear to work and there is a year on year reduction in the amount of people who smoke, particularly the younger generation, which is to be welcomed. What, however, they have not done, is tackle the biggest ongoing health crisis in our country as we scrabble to catch up with the US, namely obesity.
Having a medical condition which has entirely, or in part, been caused by smoking could be classed in the current virus outbreak as an "underlying condition", being a smoker does not. However, if Mr Dunlop cares to do some research, he will discover that being seriously overweight with a body mass index of 40+ is on definitive lists of health authorities around the world as an underlying health condition likely to be compromised by the current C-19 virus.
David Campbell, Paisley.
Edward was no threat
IAN W Thomson – no relation, to my best knowledge – ponders "where we might be now if Edward VIII, with his visit to Germany in 1937, and meeting Adolf Hitler in 1937, had not abdicated in 1936?" (Letters April 10).
The answer is surely that we would be where we are today – because Edward visited Hitler after the abdication, when he (Edward) was no longer monarch, and at liberty to do as he wished. I am sure that had the abdication not taken place and Edward had attempted to direct the country towards closer links with the Nazis the government would have passed the necessary act to remove him – thereby displaying clearly that in the United Kingdom, with a constitutional monarchy, it is Parliament that is sovereign.
Rev John MA Thomson, Hamilton.
Bunker mentality
AFTER the long northern winter, Scotland's golfers should be enjoying this lovely spring weather on our famous courses. My Scandinavian relatives have been playing with obvious safety restrictions (not touching flagsticks, rakes, and so on) which we were doing here before the Joyless Stasi closed us down.
I cannot see why students can go jogging (which includes panting and sweating all over a park full of other people doing the same thing) but I, approaching my four-score years, cannot play golf with a geriatric friend. He's not coming within six feet of me – my swing has flattened out a lot recently.
Dr John Crawford, St Andrews.
This means ewe
FURTHER to the management of Alan Fitzpatrick’s grass cuttings (Letters, April 4) and subsequent readers’ advice(Letters, April 6 & 9), I suggest tacking the problem at source by the use of a fleece machine, the quadrupedal ruminant, genus: Ovis, species: Aries, namely, a sheep.
There are plenty of them in his lovely part of the country.
Result: No cuttings. No problem.
R Russell Smith, Kilbirnie.
Turn off, switch on
A SUGGESTION for David Miller (Letters, April 10) regarding what do with his car during lockdown: Sorn your vehicle for the period of Covid-19, disconnect your battery, and walk or cycle.
John Carmichael, Stewarton.
IN response to David Miller, could I suggest that he invest in a battery boost pack?
They come in various sizes and are reasonably priced and one suitable to his needs can be sourced with an online search. The one I own is the size of large mobile phone.
Iain Macdonald, Oban.
Puzzling pleasure
A MYOPS puzzle every day – deep joy. (Even if they go largely unsolved.)
Eric Arbuckle, Largs.
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