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Electronic Cigarettes are Not Regulated in Canada

A walk in the park is healthier than smoking cigarettes. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
A walk in the park is healthier than smoking cigarettes. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

Those who smoke cigarettes know quite well how addictive nicotine is. Over the years many methods have been used to help smokers quit smoking. But the success rate is not that great. The struggle continues.

The latest effort in this struggle is the development of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigarettes. An article in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ November 5, 2013) says, “Electronic (e-) cigarettes are cigarette-shaped canisters used to simulate the action of cigarette smoking.”

The e-cigarettes are fluid-filled cartridges that contain varying concentrations of flavouring agents, propylene glycol, glycerine, water and other chemicals. The batteries within the canisters heat up contents of the e-cigarette.

Some e-cigarettes contain nicotine. The cartridge content varies widely according to the manufacturer and distributor, says the article. The act of smoking an e-cigarette is called “vaping,” because the user inhales vapour, not smoke.

E-cigarettes are not approved for sale in Canada. But that does not mean you cannot get them. They are readily available online. Smokers who use e-cigarettes may think that they are safe but they should remember e-cigarettes have not been evaluated for their safety. We don’t even know that they are superior to other methods used to help people stop smoking.

The CMAJ article concludes by saying that several pharmacologic and behavioural interventions have been found to improve smoking cessation rates. These strategies help patients manage nicotine withdrawal symptoms, learn behavioural self-regulation skills and provide instrumental social support.

Smokers wishing to stop smoking should discuss their options with their family doctor. As has been said before, if there is a will, there is a way.

What does a fish smoke? Sea weed. Talk to you again soon.

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The Controversy Around Homeopathic Vaccine for Preventing Flu

The Art of Relaxation (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
The Art of Relaxation (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

“Homeopathic vaccines hurt people and hurt our society. Warning labels will help but nosodes should be banned,” says Canadian Medical Association (CMA) president-elect Dr. Chris Simpson. He was expressing his thoughts on Twitter on the subject of homeopathic remedies.

According to Wikipedia, homeopathy is a system of alternative medicine created in 1796 by Samuel Hahnemann, based on his doctrine of “like cures like”, according to which a substance that causes the symptoms of a disease in healthy people will cure similar symptoms in sick people. Homeopathic remedies are found to be no more than a placebo, and homeopathy is widely considered a pseudoscience.

Those who believe in homeopathic therapy will not agree with what CMA or Wikipedia has to say. But I would like to summarize what their opinion is and let the readers decide what is good for them. Unfortunately, doctors cannot cure everything and people tend to go for alternative therapies. It comes down to personal choice.

According to CMA article, nosodes is advertised and sold in Canada to prevent flu and other illnesses but carry the potential for harm. Nosodes are ultra diluted forms of diseased tissue, pus, blood, or excretions of a sick person or animal that some homeopaths and naturopaths sell.

Health Canada has new guidelines for nosodes licensing. The guidelines require the packages to be labeled with a warning: “This product is not intended to be an alternative to vaccination.”

Members of the BC Medical Association and CMA have written letters to the federal government asking for stricter standards to be applied to natural health products to ensure what goes on the shelf is safe and effective, says a media report.

Health Canada says nosodes are not vaccines. It goes on to say, “Health Canada has not licensed any homeopathic medicines for the purpose of providing immunity to a communicable disease. Vaccinating yourself and your children continues to be the most effective way to prevent and control vaccine-preventable diseases.”

Get ready for the flu season. Do not forget to protect yourselves with vaccinations, healthy diet and regular exercise. Remember what Thomas La Mance said, “Life is what happens to us while we are making other plans.” I know about that quite well. Cheers. Talk to you again soon. Stay healthy.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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We Should Not be Afraid to Laugh

My friend Sam - one face with multiple laughs. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
My friend Sam - one face with multiple laughs. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

“God is a comedian playing to an audience too afraid to laugh,” says Voltaire (1694-1778), a French writer, historian and philosopher. He was famous for his wit.

Why are we so afraid to laugh at ourselves? When a friend made a joke about his illness, people looked at him in amazement. “Has he gone crazy?” people would ask. Who knows, there may be some truth in that. But as long as the jokes are about him, and he is not hurting anybody, what is wrong with that?

Everyday we are faced with new challenges in life. Some challenges are mild and some are horrific. And there are lots in between. One way or the other, we have to deal with them.

Staying positive and taking a good laugh about it is not going to hurt you. It is not going to hurt anybody. It will definitely keep your morale and help you and your family deal with the problem.

Besides laughter you can do more things in life if you can find time. And time you have to find to stay healthy. Time to listen to music, dance if you can and watch comedy shows. Exercise within your physical limits. Most people are busy at work and raising a family. It is not always easy to do everything. Keep doing something.

There are no hard and fast rules about being healthy. Most of it is common sense. Do everything in moderation, without any sense of guilty. Have a long-term strategy. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And it is still a beautiful city. Worth visiting.

OK, enough for today. Stay positive, healthy and happy. Don’t be afraid to laugh. Talk to you soon.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!

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Saying Hello and Goodbye to Friends

One candle - multiple lights. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)
One candle - multiple lights. (Dr. Noorali Bharwani)

“I once heard two ladies going on and on about the pains of childbirth and how men don’t seem to know what real pain is. I asked if either of them ever got themselves caught in a zipper,” says Emo Phillips, an American entertainer and comedian.

This is just a joke so don’t get upset about it. But it also makes a point. Almost everything in life is relative. We can moan and groan about our problems but if you talk to your friend or relative they probably have a worse story which they don’t even want to talk about.

After my recent illness, my first real outing was to attend a friend’s funeral. I had known him and his wife ever since I came to Medicine Hat – about 29 years ago. They were the nicest couple I had the privilege to know. I have known his wife from her work and I knew him as a genuine dedicated golfer. Now he is gone but he has left behind wonderful memories of charm, dedication, honesty and so much love and affection for everybody.

My second story is about another friend. Last week, I was in Lethbridge for a checkup. My wife and I were rushing to find the clinic. We passed by a couple and I didn’t even look at their faces. Then I heard a voice, “Noorali, is that you?” said the man. I recognized the voice right away. It was my good friend James (not his real name). I have known him for as many years as I have been in Medicine Hat. He worked as a family doctor in a small place until he moved to Lethbridge.

We stayed in touch with our yearly golf trips to the mountains. Last year he could not make it because he was too busy. This year he could not make it because he is not well. And I could not go this year for the same reason. And how ironic that our paths should cross in a Lethbridge hospital corridor?

As a surgeon, I have seen lots of sick people. But life is different when it affects you. I ask the same questions to my doctors as my patients used to ask me. Lots of those question have no good answers. My doctors look at me and smile. There is so much in life we know and there is so much we don’t.

I gave you three examples (including mine) of people with different backgrounds, facing the same kinds of problems in life. Is there a message in there somewhere?

Talk to you again soon. Stay healthy, happy and smiling.

Start reading the preview of my book A Doctor's Journey for free on Amazon. Available on Kindle for $2.99!