One tax that won't happen

[MicrosoftBob]

I'll give it about as much chance as MPs introducing an MPs second home tax

[GlenW]

If they brought back public information films you are less likely to get:
1. Cyclists riding without lights and wearing dark clothes at night
2. Pedestrians walking out randomly into the road in London
3. Teenagers playing on railway lines
4. People using headphones/selfie-sticks when they hear a storm when they are the highest point

Then again....

And ...

Sir Isaac Newton told us why
An apple falls down from the sky
And from this fact, it's very plain,
All other objects do the same
A brick, a bolt, a bar, a cup,
Invariably fall down, not up
And every common working tool
Is governed by the self-same rule
So when you handle tools up there,
Let your watchword be, "Take Care!"
If at work, you drop a spanner,
It travels in a downward manner
At work, a fifth of accidents or more,
Illustrate old Newton's law
But one thing he forgot to add,
The damage won't be half as bad
If you are wearing proper clothes,
Especially on your head and toes
These hats and shoes are there to save
The wearer from an early grave
So best feet forward and take care
About the kind of shoes you wear
It's better to be sure, than dead,
So get a hat and keep your head

Don't think to go without is brave;
The effects of gravity can be grave.

[SlipTheJab]

I would imagine that soft drink lobbyists will kick this one into touch.

Tax sugary drinks by 20%, say doctors - BBC News

It's ok the first £5000 worth of drinks would be tax free, see your government is doing you a big favour there

[SpontaneousOrder]

Yes it is shocking that you have to be forced to do this.

What percentage of your net income do you donate to charity? There's a lot of need in the world.

[unixman]

Like this, you mean:...

No, I meant public information films, and specifically NOT the change4life program. Change4life is sponsored by the junk food industry which therefore has a strong influence over its output.

Private Eye Change4Life Story Photo by Sup3rt3d | Photobucket

Interestingly, the fact that Change4life is sponsored by junk food behemoths isn't mentioned on the Change4life web site, or its Wikipedia entry. But the info is here: business4Life

Since that Eye article was written (about a year ago IIRC), it is encouraging to see that Change4life is at least now telling people not to each some junk foods. At home. In a sort of gentle, non specific way.

[minestrone]

The body needs a set amount of carbs, sugars, protein, salts and fats on a daily basis. It is perfectly acceptable for someone who has basic knowledge of this and the ability to count to supplement these in variety of manners, including sugar in drinks.

Taxing these does not address the real problem in that we have a whole layer of society that after 11 years in what is supposedly a great education system cannot count or understand basic nutritional information.

The term junk food is misleading, there is no such thing, only junk diets.

I also note that this weeks BMJ ( the public orifice of the BMA ) has an article on whether or not doctors should recommend homeopathy. I mean seriously?

[Sysman]

Sometimes I think they should bring back public information films. If you are old enough to remember, these were short commercials on TV that gave basic advice and education on common sense subjects. Eg learning to swim, what to do if your clothes catch fire, how to avoid being pick pocketed, following the country code, what to do if you see a boat or swimmer in difficulty at sea. You might laugh but they offered basic information of just the type we need now.

Yes they were excellent. Coincidentally one of my Swiss colleagues was talking about a scythe sharpening accident just yesterday and I told them about the public information film I'd watched as a kid covering exactly that topic.

I can't remember what the film's advice was, but my Swiss colleagues suggested that the passengers on the passing train should pull the emergency cord and give him assistance.

I can't find the Reginald Molehusband parking one on Youtube. It used to be there.

You would think people would automatically know that white bread and sugery pop are bad, but it seems not.

I'm not too sure about that. We knew that stuff all along but do the younguns today know it?

Show them a few public information films on their 48 inch TVs, sorted.

[Paddy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stz5qhQf-GE

...

[SueEllen]

Indeed.

A few showings of "Clunk Click Every Trip" and "Let the train take the strain" should sort 'em out in short order.

Wrong thread...

[Zero Liability]

The body needs a set amount of carbs, sugars, protein, salts and fats on a daily basis. It is perfectly acceptable for someone who has basic knowledge of this and the ability to count to supplement these in variety of manners, including sugar in drinks.

Taxing these does not address the real problem in that we have a whole layer of society that after 11 years in what is supposedly a great education system cannot count or understand basic nutritional information.

You read my mind.