BLOGHOUNDS

You may have noticed a new item in the sidebar today.

I have been accepted into Bloghounds, and the badge and blog roll will be proudly displayed for all (well for the few visitors) to see.

Blogging has to me become a pleasurable "in the main" experience and unfortunately for you readers I will continue to write my inane babble for the foreseeable future.

The news is a bit crap today, or perhaps it's just me, but this item from the BBC caught my attention-http:///news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7748423.stm

It's about a "new" stop smoking drug-Champix, or varenicline was called a "wonder drug" but, and there is always a "but" stories have been emerging that people taking this drug are becoming severely depressed, and in some cases suicidal, and even succeeding in killing themselves.

These are people with no 'Psychiatric problems' just ordinary folk who wanted to kick the weed.

Dr Hans-Georg Eichler, senior medical officer with the European Medicines Agency (EMEA), told me: "This drug is designed and has been shown to be effective in helping patients quit smoking.

"Now we all know that there are several hundred thousand premature deaths across the European Union every year.

"This is a major public health issue. We know that a large proportion of smokers want to quit but they find it difficult.

So instead of temporarily withdrawing the drug the European Medicines Agency has implemented a high alert monitoring programme.

Heaven forbid that the Pharmas should lose money because their drugs are killing people.

Angus