Old man’s beard must go — it has no place in the Town Belt

I READ about this socalled invasion of old man’s beard and how we must all gather together to get rid of it (ODT, 31.1.20).

We have lived up here in the Town Belt for 40 years, and every day walk the Town Belt for its peace and tranquillity and bird song.

I think two years, or maybe three years, ago, we had a polite young gentleman knock on our door and ask if he could inspect our property for this invasive weed. Yes, of course, and we passed inspection very quickly. (I think he was working on behalf of the Otago Regional Council.)

Now, when we walk the same route each day, we have to duck and weave under all this weed ,as do many other people who walk to work in the mornings.

We have an overenthusiastic, green Dunedin City Council that can’t be bothered about our heritage green belt that has been left to us by our ancestors.

Why should we have to pay to get rid of this weed ourselves while the city council sits back and points fingers?

I have many times written to the council about this, but I suspect it’s in the toohard basket or can’t be absorbed.

Graeme and Phil Fairbairn

Dunedin

Vaping

YOUR parenting columnist, Ian Munro, did his best to spook readers about vaping (Weekend Mix, 25.1.20).

Let’s stick to the substantiated facts. Public Health England stands by its claim that vaping is 95% safer than tobacco, while our own Government, Ministry of Health, and the Health Promotion Agency promote vaping as a very effective cessation tool for smokers.

Last month, ASH released its annual year10 survey of more than 27,000 pupils aged 14 and 15. Analysing the data, University of Auckland researchers concluded there is no youth vaping epidemic with youth vaping rates remaining very low and largely confined to those who have smoked.

Also last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention backed down from its previous warning about ecigarette use. Its latest investigation points to black market THC vaping products for last year’s outbreak of health issues in the United States with hospitalisations continuing to fall.

There have been no such vapingrelated issues, let alone deaths, reported in New Zealand over the past decade. Whereas 5000 Kiwis die from smokingrelated issues each and every year.

Mr Munro can try to paint vaping as the enemy, but antismoking advocates will tell him vaping represents a smoker’s best chance of quitting deadly tobacco.

Ben Pryor Vaping Trade Association of New Zealand spokesman

Auckland .....................................

BIBLE READING: There is no God apart from me. — Isaiah 45:21.