Today, October 1st 2007, the age limit in the UK for buying cigarettes, or any other tobacco products, has risen from 16 to 18. But what will this controversial law change achieve?
I'll be honest, the first time I smoked a cigarette was long before my 16th birthday. I also drank my first pint of lager even longer before I was 18. The same is true of virtually everyone I know who smokes or drinks.
The point is, if underage kids want to get hold of cigarettes, they will. Every teenager knows the one corner shop or off-licence in their area where they can go and buy whatever they want without any ID, and if they can go there for booze they'll be able to go there for fags.
Key figures in the tobacco industry know this. Which is why they'll be much less concerned with the law change as they will with the ongoing effects of the nationwide smoking ban that came into force in July. Reports suggest a 7% decrease in sales the month the ban came into force, and rumour has it things aren't looking much better.
Monday, 1 October 2007
Friday, 28 September 2007
Who Ate All The Pies?
'Who Ate All The Pies?' is, as you may or may not be able to tell from the title, a website dedicated to football.
In terms of content, there seems to be much more in the way of football gossip than there are "newsworthy" stories. For example, on Monday one of the main stories was Holland legend (and current national team coach) Marco van Basten's mysterious presence at Chelsea's defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday. Obviously, with no concrete evidence for the Dutchman's surprise appearance, the story is made up of rumours over the possibility of van Basten taking over as Chelsea manager.
As well as the stories, there also appears to be a certain "fun" element to the website, with one story inviting visitors to the site to suggest who they think is "the gayest-acting-but-straight Premier League footballer". There has also been the announcement of the beginning of the site's coverage of the Gay World Cup which has this week begun in Argentina - hardly the sort of event you would expect to be featured so prominently in the sports section of any major newspapers.
As mentioned previously, there is a "fun" element to the website, which suggests the target audience is probably the "bored at work" crowd, who, as the name suggests, use the site to pass time during particularly boring office hours. To its credit, it caters well to said audience, even offering a Fun and Games section for when the boss is out of the office.
As casual as it may be, it is hard to argue that Pies (as it is known to regulars) isn't journalism. In addition to all the gossip and lookalikes there are the stories you would expect to find on the BBC Sports News website, covered in the sort of detail you would expect from a more "well respected" source.
In terms of content, there seems to be much more in the way of football gossip than there are "newsworthy" stories. For example, on Monday one of the main stories was Holland legend (and current national team coach) Marco van Basten's mysterious presence at Chelsea's defeat at Old Trafford on Sunday. Obviously, with no concrete evidence for the Dutchman's surprise appearance, the story is made up of rumours over the possibility of van Basten taking over as Chelsea manager.
As well as the stories, there also appears to be a certain "fun" element to the website, with one story inviting visitors to the site to suggest who they think is "the gayest-acting-but-straight Premier League footballer". There has also been the announcement of the beginning of the site's coverage of the Gay World Cup which has this week begun in Argentina - hardly the sort of event you would expect to be featured so prominently in the sports section of any major newspapers.
As mentioned previously, there is a "fun" element to the website, which suggests the target audience is probably the "bored at work" crowd, who, as the name suggests, use the site to pass time during particularly boring office hours. To its credit, it caters well to said audience, even offering a Fun and Games section for when the boss is out of the office.
As casual as it may be, it is hard to argue that Pies (as it is known to regulars) isn't journalism. In addition to all the gossip and lookalikes there are the stories you would expect to find on the BBC Sports News website, covered in the sort of detail you would expect from a more "well respected" source.
Monday, 24 September 2007
Saturday's football - rubbish. Yesterday's football - even worse. Arsenal win 5-0 and we draw away at Bolton, who were even below Derby before we gave them a point yesterday. If we don't Middlesbrough this week we're buggered.
Still, at least Chelsea seem to be falling apart.
Still, at least Chelsea seem to be falling apart.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
