Q Should the bust-boosting PAAG gel be banned? The gel, which cannot be eliminated from the body, should and must be banned as a carcinogen at once. The danger of using it is shown clearly by the disapproval of the US Food and Drug Administration, and I do not see any reason why it is still legal in Hong Kong to use it in surgical operations; it jeopardises public health. The gel not only cannot achieve its aim to enlarge women's busts, it destroys the body shape and causes all kinds of life-threatening complications. In another words, the clinics are cheating and hurting their patients. Earnest Ho, Sheung Wan Q Will you refuse to accept bags on No Plastic Bags Day today? I do not think supermarkets give me too many plastic bags. If I buy milk, cereal and headache pills, and they are put in the same bag, the milk will sweat all over the cardboard cereal box and headache pills. One bag is enough for lightweight ladies supplies, but I need at least one set of double bags for the three cartons of milk. I have no less than three cloth bags, but none are lined with plastic so if anything liquid breaks or leaks, it is all over me and everything else I come into contact with. Chicken and choi sum in one bag end up a wet mess, since the chicken almost always leaks. As a full-time housewife, I was able to organise my shopping routine so that I never forgot to take my bags. But now, as a busy executive and the primary shopper in my home, I shop where and when I can, often on a whim. Every bag I take is then used as a rubbish bag at home. I'm all for taxing plastic bags, but I usually need all the ones they give out. Annelise Connell, Tai Tam I read with interest of the No Plastic Bags Day organised by the Student Council for today. As a consumer concerned about the environment, I always take my ParknShop reusable bags when doing my weekly shopping, only to find them filled with items unnecessarily wrapped and packed in styrofoam and PVC trays, plastic containers, and plastic wrap and tape. ParknShop prints on its bags: 'We care ... together. Let's create a better environment.' This sounds more like a joke. I have observed the practices of other shops, such as Circle K and 7-Eleven regarding the use of plastic bags, and I am always amazed at their robotic and repetitive question: 'Do you need a plastic bag?' This seems to be more of an invitation to get one, rather than the contrary. Are they really worried about flooding our planet with non-degradable materials? I don't think so. Most of them automatically put even the smallest item into a plastic bag. According to a survey carried out by Friends of the Earth, 60 per cent of the small-store owners interviewed were worried about looking cheap if they didn't offer a plastic bag to their customers, and there lies the heart of the matter. In a city where profit is put ahead of everything, including the right to have clean air, we can hardly expect businesses to take the lead in the fight for a better environment. Certainly, the government and businesses should be doing a lot more, but ultimate responsibility for the elimination of environmentally disastrous plastic bags lies with the individual consumer. Right now most of us are as robotic as the shop assistants wanting to put even the smallest item into a plastic bag. Carina Pico, Discovery Bay Q Should it take two years to implement a fixed-penalty system for smoking? It amazes me how fast the government can act when public health and external 'face' is at risk - such as with the elimination of backyard poultry for bird flu and when Sars was prevalent - how swift and sure was the legislation and action by the government. However, non-smoking in public places has been discussed for many years and yet they cannot act more swiftly than two years. It shows how spineless the government is when it comes to real issues. Pollution is another area where progress is not fast enough. They have shown they have the capacity to make real decisions in a swift manner. Let's see more of it! Dianne McKenzie, Sai Kung On other matters... Thank you Mr Galvin (Talkback, Friday) for expressing my sentiments exactly! I too have switched from TVB Pearl to ATV World to avoid that daily infomercial for the shaking machine. It is amazing that TVB Pearl could be so stupid as to air the obnoxious ad every day at the same time, but it is even odder that anyone would believe that a machine that shakes you would build muscle and make you lose weight. After being a loyal viewer for 16 years I have switched to the news lead-in on ATV World. Charles Swindle, Sheung Wan Recently, the Circle K convenience-store chain started promoting a mahjong game by urging its customers to collect the paper tile inside its packets of tissues. The shop also distributes instructions on how to play mahjong. I strongly disapprove of the gimmick because the packets of tissues are supposed to be given to all customers who buy magazines or newspapers. Many customers may be under the age of 18. Playing mahjong is a kind of gambling. The authority concerned should not turn a blind eye to this sort of marketing gimmick from the chain stores. Please take prompt action to protect our youth. I hope the authority will exercise its jurisdiction to rectify such an undesirable situation. Iris Wong, Central I have just read the news about Hong Kong dropping way down on the list of the best cities to live in. I am sure pollution is the number one problem. I have friends who have visited, only to have to go back to their hotels due to the terrible air quality, and even more friends who have bypassed Hong Kong and gone to Singapore instead on their way to Australia for the same reason. Hong Kong is now famous as the city that has the money to try to deal with the problem but doesn't, and it makes it seem like a third-world city. I'm sick of hearing that it's all China's fault when no one is even bothering to deal with the many traffic pollutants here. To the people who can change this and who are reading this, you'd better start to do something drastic quickly because it's obviously getting much worse very quickly. And while you're at it, how about being honest about the API? Suzanne Sparkes, Jordan I refer to Carl Mesham's letter headlined 'Hands off our pitch' (Sunday Morning Post, March 26) and would like to provide the following information concerning improvement works to the Stanley Waterfront Playground soccer pitch. The soccer pitch has been a popular facility of the local community and there is no intention to demolish it. In fact, planned improvement works include enhancement of the spectator stand, replacement of the perimeter fence and resurfacing of the pitch. The works will commence in July and are scheduled for completion early next year. The Southern District Council and its various committees have been consulted on the improvement works and they welcome the initiative. For further inquiries, please contact me on 2555 6167. Sylvia Tang, for Director of Leisure and Cultural Services
