UK Nanny State

[gazza57]

I recently went into a local supermarket to buy some cold cure sachets and some sore throat tablets as my wife was feeling unwell with a cold, and I think I was also copping it as I had a sore throat as well.
I bought some LEMSIP sachets and two boxes of 16 Strepsil throat tablets.
Imagine then my disbelief when they told me that they could not sell me both due to restrictions on medicines containing paracetamol.
After checking I told them that the Strepsils did not contain Paracetamol so this was not an issue.
They then told me that the LEMSIP contained paracetamol, ( I knew that) but the strepsils whilst not containing the said paracetamol were "age restricted"
I replied that whilst flattered that they could ever consider me under 25, I replied that I was 53 years old and unless completely devoid of any useful eyesight it was blatantly obvious that I was more than 28 years past the 25 year sell by date.
They then said Computer says no we can't sell you any medicine which is age restricted with another medicine containing paracetamol.
I thought these guys are making it up as they went along...no this policy is rigidly enforced yet I can buy 10 bottles of scotch and drink myself to oblivion and subsequent death and nobody gives a toss.
Only here in the UK can somebody take a law intended to protect people and misinterpret it and misuse it's application quite so effectively as UK officialdom.
I can go to a cash & carry and buy 2500 paracetamol, or buy 32 in one shop and 32 somewhere else, so it is completely and utterly ineffective.
all that this did was to add further inconvenience to my shopping trip.
Trouble is most of the law makers apart from passing stupid toothless laws like this one are too busy working out ways to protect the rights of criminals and the indolent, whilst leaving the rest of us to fend for ourselves.
We aren't stupid so don't treat us as such.
Gazza57:(

[elvismiggell]

Had a similar one a while back, I had a killer ear infection and had run out of Anadin. Knowing that I couldn't get to the doctors for a few days (don't get me started on that one!) I thought I'd stock up a bit.

Imagine my surprise when I was told I was only allowed to buy 2 packs of 16 at a time!

I'm in my twenties, I think I ought to be allowed to decide for myself how often I want to have to go to the supermarket to stock up!

Now sod off and let me live my life!

[Dudey Head]

There's been a restriction on the amount of paracetamol you can buy for decades. Did anyone stop to think that you can buy some in one shop & then just go to another?!!
:confused:

[pon]

Also had the same problem 2 Months ago. Big supermarket would'nt sell us 2 packets of Paracetamol & 1 packet of Alka Seltza when doing the weekly shop with swmbo.
Yet this week she throws the same in the trolley and we are served without any problems.:confused:

[Sam]

There's been a restriction on the amount of paracetamol you can buy for decades. Did anyone stop to think that you can buy some in one shop & then just go to another?!!
:confused:



I've literally (20 minutes ago) returned from the Pharmacist with two packs of 32 paracetamol (64 tabs in total (500mg paracetamol/65mg caffeine)).

I wasn't allowed to buy them in one transaction so I bought one pack, left the shop, walked back in the same shop and bought another pack.

Madness.

[gazza57]

Thats the proof, my cars a vw,
This stupid piece of legislation has been drawn up by some faceless bureaucrat somewhere, with no regard for the practicalities of life, and like so many laws both here and in Europe totally ineffective.
When you think of the millions of pounds these people have probably wasted having conferences and symposiums about this and that with healthcare professionals and suited bean counters usually at very swish 5 star hotels and locations where after deciding that rough bog roll is a hazard or that barbed wire is uncomfortable if you sit on it they can swan off to the slopes for some skiing to come up with a piece of legislation which gives no protection at all unless you are so mentally challenged that going to purchase tablets at two locations is beyond you.
It's most prolific effect is to add maximum inconvenience to the 99.99% of people who just want a reasonable stock of medicines at home.
Perhaps if we age restrict everything so that nobody anywhere can buy anything because they might harm themselves, it's nanny state politics gone nuts.
If I want somebody telling me what's good for me and how I should live my life perhaps I could sign up for a residency at a secure unit somewhere, but I don't and they should mind their own business!
Gazza57
:o

[turbine2]

Sadly this is all the kind of thing that comes from the "Something Must Be Done" brigade and the "Won't someone please think of the children" groups.
In order to be seen to be fitting in with public pressure (well, actually, press pressure, which is apparently one and the same as public pressure nowadays) leglisation is being introduced which is either ill thought through (e.g. RIPA) and usually won't solve the 'problem' its designed to (e.g. "Sarah's" law).

[martin1810]

It is worse if you need pain killers. 100 paracodal used to cost £5.85. Now you are only allowed to buy 32 for the cheapest price £2.99. So 100 cost £5.85 and 96 now cost £8.97.
This country is a joke when it comes to useless legislation. If I want to kill myself with paracetamol, 32 will do it so why restrict sales from 100 down to 32, it's nuts.

[gazza57]

Martin1810,

You do now wonder if these people will now fall foul of the recycling brigade who must surely be concerned that they are packaging Paracetamol in 16 blister packs along with a cardboard box instead of being able to purchase 50 or 100 paracetamol.
I can't help thinking also that part of this is a commercial opportunity and had the government insisted that the price of 32 paracetamol is exactly twice that of a 16 pack, that these people wouldn't be as keen to produce these items.
Sadly though they care little for the rights of consumers merely regarding them as legitimate commercial assets to be exploited to the full under the very dubious mask of concern for the public.
Don't be concerned for me, I neither want it or appreciate it apart from which I don't think it genuine in any case.

Gazza57:o

[Dudey Head]

It's a very inefficient, slow & painful way to bump yourself off anyway! It takes days as your liver packs up from them. Perhaps if they told you that on the box, similar as to like they do with smokes now, then the restriction could be lifted.

[gazza57]

With you on that Dudey,
My mate's wife works at a local hospital where they get loads of paracetamol overdoses, they have a race against time getting charcoal down them or I think giving them a strong emetic so they can throw them up but sadly some of them are too late and die a slow lingering death over a couple of weeks, severe pain, jaundice followed by slow hepatic failure involving bleeding through the tissues and in great agony.
Just shows you how effective that legislation has been, a much better common sense approach would indeed be printing a large red warning on the box stating that taking an overdose of this substance will render you a slow lingering death.
good suggestion Dudey
Gazza57:approve:

[elvismiggell]

Not sure 32 would do it actually.

But the point remains. They don't restrict the sale of kitchen cleaning products do they? I'm pretty sure drinking a bottle of bleach will do the job!

Are razor blades restricted?

As for other laws to cure problems that are ill thought-out, surely speed cameras have to be one of the best examples?!?

[JSH]

Personally I would reintroduce Arsenic to the market, Then if they want to do it let them, instead wasting resorces with feeble attempts at crys for help

Mmmm I think this could open a can of worms!

[paulthefox]

It is worse if you need pain killers. 100 paracodal used to cost £5.85. Now you are only allowed to buy 32 for the cheapest price £2.99. So 100 cost £5.85 and 96 now cost £8.97.
This country is a joke when it comes to useless legislation. If I want to kill myself with paracetamol, 32 will do it so why restrict sales from 100 down to 32, it's nuts.
remember the day that it all changed went into boots to buy paracetomal they used to sell bottles of 100 tablets for a £1 yes hard to believe i know had been buying it for years just to keep up the stock in house.

to save lifes my **** just pure profit for the drug company's

paul:beerchug:

[zollaf]

makes me laugh. theres no restrictions on buying chainsaws, but these are far more dangerous than paracetamol. in fact, i could go into my local garden centre and buy 10 chainsaws, or an angle grinder, and ive done far more damage to myself with one of those than eating too many pain killers.

[mwvw]

zollaf did you eat the angle grinder? :D

[zollaf]

no, didnt eat it, it ate me. i was using one of those very dangerous wire brushes to clean my chassis on an old landrover. lets just say i stopped the brush with my hand when it got trapped in a box section, luckily i was wearing welding gloves, so these took most of the damage but there was still a lot of blood and swearing. a big bandage and a bottle of painkillers later and i was ok though, but still remember the pain.

[elvismiggell]

no, didnt eat it, it ate me. i was using one of those very dangerous wire brushes to clean my chassis on an old landrover. lets just say i stopped the brush with my hand when it got trapped in a box section, luckily i was wearing welding gloves, so these took most of the damage but there was still a lot of blood and swearing. a big bandage and a bottle of painkillers later and i was ok though, but still remember the pain.


Tut tut! A bottle is an awful lot, did you check with the local hospital whether that might maybe be ok for you? Did you sign a waiver in triplicate?

:aargh4:

[martin1810]

I did the same thing when restoring an old Hillman but I had a grinding disc. It's amazing how your body can recover.:D

[mwvw]

I did the same thing when restoring an old Hillman but I had a grinding disc. It's amazing how your body can recover.:D

Definately outside the realms of a box of 16 paracetamol, perhaps Ibufren:D

[turbine2]

Old landrovers are dangerous things and need to be banned. I've had shards of metal in my eye from grinding old bolts and hacksawing through steering dampers twice now on two different ones.

I KNOW I could wear goggles when working on them but that's me taking action and responsibility for my actions and not part of the 'something must be done' attitude :-)

[gazza57]

Turbine2
Magnificent description, you are quite correct something needs to be done even if doing something makes the problem worse, that doesn't matter, the fact that something has been done is all that is important.
This should go along with signs on car krookloks, remove before driving.
Signs on microwaves telling you that items in this oven are liable to be hot after use and warnings on packets of peanuts telling you 'contains nuts'.
The missing words in all these stupid warnings is responsibility, do something stupid then you get what you deserve.
You certainly won't do it again, you have learnt through cognitive learning, ie by experience better than any stupid warning sign.

I read yesterday that a Gloucestershire Cheese Rolling Competition where they roll a cheese down a hill has been banned by the local 'elf and safety fascists because someone might hurt themselves only here in the UK can something like this happen, I don't need you to ban me from running down a hill, I choose and should I get hurt then I shall bear the consequences of my actions.

Gazza57:D

[mwvw]

Trouble now a days is Elf & Safety regulations interpreted by ambulance chasing lawyers applied to insurance companies which just want to take your money without paying out - enough to give you a headache:confused:. Where's the paracetamol, all 16 of them.

[turbine2]

I caught one of those documentary programs the other week about claim companies. Of all the cases on there, I think one had some merrit, three were a complete waste of time and one could have gone either way. The waste of time one had the largest payout (guy scarred himself shaving, already had a much more noticible and prominant scar and wasn't what you consider model material).
I dare not risk watching it again in case I throw something at the telly. Say, I wonder if I could claim for a new telly if I did that?

[Dudey Head]

Trouble now a days is Elf & Safety regulations interpreted by ambulance chasing lawyers applied to insurance companies which just want to take your money without paying out - enough to give you a headache:confused:. Where's the paracetamol, all 16 of them.

It's a good point you have there where you say it's the way they're interpreted. You can't blame the actual health & safety regulations, they're there so that we're not at undue risk. There are plenty of ruthless ******* who wouldn't care less if the public or indeed their employees are put at risk if they could save a few quid by cutting corners.
As with pretty much everything else, there's always a vulture who figures out how make a profit from someone elses misfortune, often building their hopes up & stringing them along. Some of them are as ruthless as those who see health & safety as an inconvenience to be by-passed.

[gazza57]

With you there Dudey,

As with most of these legislative topics, what is required is a modicon of common sense in the way that these rules are interpreted and applied.
Health & safety is of course a very important and essential part of everyones life, and as you say there are those unscrupulous individuals who for profit are happy to just look the other way when safety is mentioned.
Thankfully it is pretty nigh impossible now to employ people legally and not have responsibility to provide safety equipment and the correct items to ensure their welfare, that is good and has been a step forward.
Where I think the system has fallen down is in the degree to which agencies get involved in deciding things which in truth are not their concern.
Paracetamol I 've already mentioned, I can go to three shops buy 16 three times 48 should be enough to commit suicide if I so wished.
Whilst the spirit and intention of this legislation was no doubt sincere it is absolutely 100% ineffective, as is banning cheese rolling competitions on the grounds of health and safety, life does have risks, get used to it and accept that.
I had a situation occur about six years ago which was absolutely farcical, I was part of a lifesaving club who trained lifeguards for duty at public swimming pools, we had a swimathon for charity with the intention of raising as much money as we could for them.
Now the pool in which we trained the lifeguards used those very same lifeguards to provide cover when we hired the pool to train them, but when we wanted to hire the pool for the swimathon they told us we needed lifeguards, we mentioned that we could provide our own as we trained theirs.... not permitted,must use theirs four people minimum £59/hour each.
Needless to say we cancelled it there.... thats the sort of narrow blinkered inside the box mentality that needs eradicating from our local facilities...you have common sense in god's name use it!
Gazza57:D