Electronic cigarettes .

[mazza111]

If you're going to attempt to quit with the ecig, the only thing I can say is get the full kit. The batteries on the ones that look like cigs are pants and only last a few weeks.

But yes, you do get the same hit from them as you would a normal cig. Some interesting flavours in the liquids too. I only got as brave as trying the liquorice one, but it was quite nice. So, don't be put off by flavoured cigs the way I was. You may be surprised.

[Himaggen]

So might drinking coffee harm your colleagues health ?
And do you have the same attitude to drinking water as drinking coffee ?

This has got nothing to do with harm to health, its about a basic principal we all need to remember.

• We are paid to do a job for a specified amount of time. When employed we agreed to do that work for a wage with concessions. Those concessions are generally fought for and won by our Unions. The specific concessions are that we are entitled to paid for 'break(s)' of greater length than the legal minimum and that we should have access to drinking water, (not coffee).
  
  You don't deserve more than that and you aren't entitled to more than that just because you have a drug problem and you're trying to quit. Royal Mail are not obliged or responsible for you quitting just as they weren't responsible for you starting the habit in the first instance.

I'll end with a question; Do you believe that seeing people in the workplace smoking what appears to be a cigarette helps other smokers to quit or potentially peer pressures others to start smoking?

[Talell]

You don't deserve more than that and you aren't entitled to more than that just because you have a drug problem and you're trying to quit. Royal Mail are not obliged or responsible for you quitting just as they weren't responsible for you starting the habit in the first instance.[/list]

I'll end with a question; Do you believe that seeing people in the workplace smoking what appears to be a cigarette helps other smokers to quit or potentially peer pressures others to start smoking?

Oh boy, here we go.

You are right, I am not entitled to take a cup of coffee onto the floor with me. Do I deserve to take a cup of coffee onto the floor with me? Depends on various criteria that are open to abuse and therefore should be abhorred. Is it reasonable for me to take a cup of coffee with me onto the floor, assuming the impact it has on my work is minimal? Yes. So why can't I take a cup of coffee onto the floor with me, when it is a reasonable concession to make by the employer at negligible cost?

Smoke breaks are more complicated, because there is a real lost time argument. But again all you have to do is determine what is reasonable. Is it reasonable for someone to run for a smoke during 5mins downtime, when they have 2 or so hours until their break (assuming this is 1-2 hours into their duty? I would argue it is because of the same criteria as the cup of coffee. Is it reasonable for someone to go for a smoke, on the hour every hour, regardless of the work profile? I personally would say no, it isn't.

Also with the smoking aid, it is a boon for any company if someone decides to use a smoking aid that can be used indoors. Think about it: the employee is highly unlikely to take unsolicited smoke breaks leading to full use of production time; the employee is probably using it to quit smoking, leading to better health and attendance in the future; and it could encourage other employee's who smoke to quit, since there is visual feedback on what it is like etc.

We aren't children, there would be no peer pressure to start smoking, in fact there isn't now. I haven't met a smoker who hasn't regretted starting.

[Lounge Lizard]

So might drinking coffee harm your colleagues health ?
And do you have the same attitude to drinking water as drinking coffee ?

This has got nothing to do with harm to health, its about a basic principal we all need to remember.

• We are paid to do a job for a specified amount of time. When employed we agreed to do that work for a wage with concessions. Those concessions are generally fought for and won by our Unions. The specific concessions are that we are entitled to paid for 'break(s)' of greater length than the legal minimum and that we should have access to drinking water, (not coffee).
  
  You don't deserve more than that and you aren't entitled to more than that just because you have a drug problem and you're trying to quit. Royal Mail are not obliged or responsible for you quitting just as they weren't responsible for you starting the habit in the first instance.

I'll end with a question; Do you believe that seeing people in the workplace smoking what appears to be a cigarette helps other smokers to quit or potentially peer pressures others to start smoking?

That we should have access to drinking water is a basic right and for you to suggest that coffee, which is about 98% drinking water, is fundamentally different to water is pathetic. I wouldn't go so far as to suggest I drink a wholesome pint of beer, which is about 96% drinking water, while sorting because others might suggest there's something of a health and safety issue with doing that. For many years in a previous job I suffered years of sharing an office with a chain smoker and you just had to put up with that sort of thing back then. Things have gone from one extreme to another, common sense being conspicuosly absent. .

[fishtank]

Employers will have to be very careful with this.
An e-cig is just a fancy nicotine inhaler and those are prescribed by doctors.
If you plan to ban the use of any smoking cessation aid in the workplace you had better take a great deal of legal advice beforehand.

[Himaggen]

There is no evidence provided by an approved body to show this as an effective smoking cessation device.

It is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.

[fishtank]

There is no evidence provided by an approved body to show this as an effective smoking cessation device.

It is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.

A little over-dramatic Himaggen.
Codeine is a drug...so is paracetamol,energy drinks are full of "drugs"...most things you stuff down your neck are.
Does that mean a can of Red Bull is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.
Nicotine is not illegal and used with an e-cig it is not harmful to anyone else...stop trying to make it sound like crack cocaine.

[mazza111]

The difference is, ecigs are not an approved smoking cessassion aid. Nic inhalators are. Therefore they could be classed as medicinal.

[fishtank]

The difference is, ecigs are not an approved smoking cessassion aid. Nic inhalators are. Therefore they could be classed as medicinal.

It's a fine line and if they continue to rise in popularity,one that's likely to change.

[Lounge Lizard]

There is no evidence provided by an approved body to show this as an effective smoking cessation device.

It is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.

A little over-dramatic Himaggen.
Codeine is a drug...so is paracetamol,energy drinks are full of "drugs"...most things you stuff down your neck are.
Does that mean a can of Red Bull is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.
Nicotine is not illegal and used with an e-cig it is not harmful to anyone else...stop trying to make it sound like crack cocaine.

Caffeine is a drug so perhaps I should have a weaker cup of coffee while I'm sorting except I won't because of the following health benefits of coffee :
[1] All-cause mortality. In women, coffee consumption significantly decreases all-cause mortality, apparently decreasing somewhat linearly to a relative risk of approximately 0.85 for those drinking 3 cups per day compared to those who consume no coffee, but the relative risk then remains almost the same for up to 6 cups per day, according to a large prospective cohort study. In men, these beneficial effects were not as great, in fact with an increased risk for those drinking approximately one cup every other day compared to those drinking none, but yet having a significant trend towards less mortality for those who drink more than 2 cups per day compared to those who drink none. Results were similar for decaffeinated coffee.
[2] Reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease and Dementia Several studies comparing moderate coffee drinkers (defined as 3–5 cups per day) with light coffee drinkers (defined as 0–2 cups per day) found that those who drank more coffee were significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease later in life. A longitudinal study in 2009 found that moderate coffee drinkers had reduced risk of developing dementia in addition to Alzheimer's disease.
[3] Reduced risk of gallstone disease Drinking caffeinated coffee has been correlated with a lower incidence of gallstones and gallbladder disease in both men and women in two studies performed by the Harvard School of Public Health. A lessened risk was not seen in those who drank decaffeinated coffee. A recent study showed that roast coffee protected primary neuronal cells against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death.
[4] Reduced risk of Parkinson's disease A study comparing heavy coffee drinkers (3.5 cups a day) with non-drinkers found that the coffee drinkers were significantly less likely to develop Parkinson's disease later in life. Likewise, a second study found an inverse relationship between the amount of coffee regularly drunk and the likelihood of developing Parkinson's disease.
[5] Cognitive performance Many people drink coffee for its ability to increase short term recall.
Likewise, in tests of simple reaction time, choice reaction time, incidental verbal memory, and visuospatial reasoning, participants who regularly drank coffee were found to perform better on all tests, with a positive relationship between test scores and the amount of coffee regularly drunk. Elderly participants were found to have the largest effect associated with regular coffee drinking. Another study found that women over the age of 80 performed significantly better on cognitive tests if they had regularly drunk coffee over their lifetimes.
[6] Analgesic property Coffee contains caffeine, which increases the effectiveness of pain killers, especially migraine and headache medications. For this reason, many over-the-counter headache drugs include caffeine in their formula.
[7] Antidiabetic Coffee intake may reduce one's risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 by up to half. While this was originally noticed in patients who consumed high amounts (7 cups a day), the relationship was later shown to be linear.
[8] Liver protection Coffee can also reduce the incidence of cirrhosis of the liver and has been linked to a reduced risk of hepatocellular carcinoma, a primary liver cancer that usually arises in patients with preexisting cirrhosis. The exact mechanism and the amount of coffee needed to achieve a beneficial effect have long been unclear. The cytokine transforming growth factor (TGF) beta has long been recognized for promoting fibrosis ability acting through the Smad family of transcription factors. In a report published in the Journal of Hepatology, Gressner and colleagues provide the first mechanistic context for the epidemiological studies on coffee drinkers by showing that caffeine may have potent anti-fibrotic capabilities through its ability to antagonize the Smad pathway.
[9] Cancer Coffee consumption is also correlated in Africa to a reduced risk of oral, esophageal, and pharyngeal cancer. In ovarian cancer, no benefit was found. In the Nurses' Health Study, a modest reduction in breast cancer was observed in postmenopausal women only, which was not confirmed in decaffeinated coffee, and a reduction in endometrial cancer was observed in people who drank either caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee. According to one study, coffee protects the liver from cancer. Another preliminary study found a correlation between coffee consumption and a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer.
[10] Cardioprotective Coffee moderately reduces the incidence of dying from cardiovascular disease, according to a large prospective cohort study published in 2008. A 2009 prospective study in Japan following nearly 77,000 individuals aged 40 to 79 found that coffee consumption, along with caffeine intake, was associated with a reduced risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
[11] Laxative/diuretic Coffee is also a powerful stimulant for peristalsis and is sometimes considered to prevent constipation. However, coffee can also cause excessively loose bowel movements. The stimulative effect of coffee consumption on the colon is found in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
Contrary to popular belief, caffeine does not act as a diuretic when consumed in moderation (less than five cups a day or 500 to 600 milligrams), and does not lead to dehydration or to a water-electrolyte imbalance; current evidence suggests that caffeinated beverages contribute to the body's daily fluid requirements no differently from pure water.
[12] Antioxidant Coffee contains the anticancer compound methylpyridinium. This compound is not present in significant amounts in other foods. Methylpyridinium is not present in raw coffee beans but is formed during the roasting process from trigonelline, which is common in raw coffee beans. It is present in both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee, and even in instant coffee. Research funded by Kraft shows that roast coffee contains more lipophilic antioxidants and chlorogenic acid lactones and is more protective against hydrogen peroxide-induced cell death in primary neuronal cells than green coffee. The espresso method of extraction yields higher antioxidant activity than other brewing methods.
[13] Prevention of dental caries The tannins in coffee may reduce the cariogenic potential of foods. In vitro experiments have shown that these polyphenolic compounds may interfere with glucosyltransferase activity of mutans streptococci, which may reduce plaque formation.
[14] Gout Coffee consumption decreased risk of gout in men over age 40. In a large study of over 45,000 men over a 12-year period, the risk for developing gout in men over 40 was inversely proportional with the amount of coffee consumed.
[15] Blood pressure A 2011 study showed that moderate (≥4 cups per day) coffee consumption was inversely associated with high blood pressure and high triglyceride level in Japanese men. However, the study showed no significant association between coffee consumption and prevalence of metabolic syndrome for Japanese women.

And I doubt if even FOREST can come up with fifteen health benefits of smoking tobacco.

[mazza111]

My gallstones are telling me that I've had my quota of coffee already for the day

[Talell]

It is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.

Citation required.

[monkeymutha]

I recommend the Nicorette Quickmist to get you off fags. Though it is very addictive in itself and I have been using it for over a year now.

[somerset]

There is no evidence provided by an approved body to show this as an effective smoking cessation device.

It is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.

A little over-dramatic Himaggen.
Codeine is a drug...so is paracetamol,energy drinks are full of "drugs"...most things you stuff down your neck are.
Does that mean a can of Red Bull is simply a device used for rapid drug intake.
Nicotine is not illegal and used with an e-cig it is not harmful to anyone else...stop trying to make it sound like crack cocaine.

[AlbertoGranado]

Back in my day we didn't have all these electronic gadgets, what's wrong with a hoop and a stick

Back in my day we did not have electronic gadgets like this to discuss topics .We had things called a telephone or sent a letter !

And here we have the reason for the decline in mail volume