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Letter: Drugs are to blame for rise in mental illnesses
Thursday 12th May 2011, 6:00AM BST.
Letter: There are 2.6 million people of working age who are claiming incapacity benefit and mental illness has overtaken back problems as the main reason for making a claim.
I believe that the widespread use of illegal, recreational drugs, particularly ecstasy and cannabis, is indeed responsible for a significant upsurge in mental illness since the 1990s.
I don’t understand why the Government doesn’t see tackling this situation as priority issue.
Nor for that matter, why there isn’t any similar concern about rising levels of alcoholism.
The BBC at least should be obliged to air prime time public information features alerting the populace to the dangers of drug and alcohol use.
It’s all very well the Government moaning about benefit claimants, but to do nothing to tackle the underlying problems isn’t good enough.
Bob Jenkins
Telford
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Perhaps you would like to present some evidence?
Many studies have been carried out specifically with respect towards ecstacy which has been, and continues to be, in widespread use across the developed world and the facts are that there is not a huge epidemic in ecstacy related mental health issues that the scaremongers keep predicting…
I refer you to the ACMD and their recommendations BEFORE the government sacked its head for not playing politics with science followed by the mass resignation of some of the countries best and brightest.
While this country has a problem with drugs much of the issues are of the governemnt’s own creation – and while sheep such as the letter writer continue to regurgitate government misinformation the situation will not improve.
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Keep at it Andy, but I fear with logic and insight such as ours, and lack of it such as theirs we will be dismissed with equal distance as professor David Nutt.
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This must be true folks. Andy says so. Ba-a-ah.
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Bit petulant there bob?
You dont have to throw in the towel in such a sulky childlike way :)
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Try losing a child to drug abuse and then having to listen to people tell you that there’s no real problem with drugs, they’re not responsible for this and that and you don’t know what you’re talking about. It can make you feel like throwing in a grenade, not a towel. But, fair play. I hope your life is never similarly blighted and you’re as entitled to your opinion as I am to mine. ;)
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Regardless of your personal tragedy, Bob, I doubt your child was lost to cannabis, so why dont you do some research and deliver your warnings on the dangers of drugs based on evidence and correctly focussed on the proper issues at hand. Who knows? Maybe you might make a difference armed with facts and presenting them in a heartfelt and deeply personal way instead of repeating government spin like a mindless parrot.
This type of drivel does nothing for your cause and makes you look of limited intellect, so much so that even those on the weed are winning the argument against you: despite their appalling levels of education as evidenced by the spelling and grammar on display here.
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Come on, Andy. You’re a keyboard warrior, picking fights with a monitor. I do thank you for helping to keep this subject in the spotlight though. ;)
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Sorry, Bob,
I am struggling to follow you now…
I have offered sincere advice and your response is, well, I am at a loss for words as to your response.
Are you sure you aren’t on the cannabis yourself?
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Ah, Dr. Bob Jenkins I assume? When are you going to be added to the ACMD? Sounds like you’ll fit in with this biased tabloid-influenced rambling.
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Hi Hypocrite Bob.
Enjoying your pint of death with your cancer stick are we!
Stop embarrassing yourself and read a book on the subject matter at hand for gods sake.
Alcohol KILLS 40,000 people every single year in the UK
Tobacco KILLS 100,000 people every single year in the UK
Not only death, alcohol use also causes 3 types of psychosis that can not be achieved with out its use.
The underlying problem you seem to be severely confused/psychotic over is PROHIBITION
Prohibiting the use of scientifically proven safer drugs than alcohol and tobacco is insane beyond belief, and the government are to blame. not only for the miss information the public relentlessly yawn to, but also for putting your children into dangerous situations forcing them to use deadly, toxic alcohol. When they could be using safer non toxic drugs like cannabis.
Only the insane would want to criminalise somebody for using a safer drug than ones that are on sale in nearly every shop on the high street.
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So how do you explain the fact that drug usage has gone down whilst there has been a rise in mental illnesses?
BTW alcohol, tobacco and energy drinks are associated with a bigger risk to mental health than cannabis.
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I agree with the second paragraph. This isn’t the happy clappy 60′s or indeed 70′s when a few joints gave you a fit of the giggles before you went to raid the fridge. Strains of cannabis being grown now contain enormous amounts of strong hallucigenic T-H-C {tetrahydrocannabinol}. Basically these people are inducing their own psychosis and mental health degradation is bound to be the result over a prolonged time. Alternatively the doomsday scenario of prolonged ecstasy use is now thought by some researchers to be less of an imminent threat than first thought. But of course politically the Government are not allowed to admit that.
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Bob,
Maybe you should research cannabis a bit more. For cannabis to be lethal you would need to smoke about 1000 joints in the space of 2 hours.
Cannabis has not killed even 1 person in the past 5000 years. It is one of the safest plants on this planet. I has countless medicinal properties. It is a painkiller, an anti-inflammatory, it attacks and destroys cancer cells, it stop MS muscle spasms….so which drug is the safest now? Cannabis or your beloved alcohol and cigarettes which are lethal and legal?
Do your research first before you add some unsubstantiated claims….
Search Google for “Run from the Cure”, it may open your eyes a bit more!
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Around 4% of people who use cannabis on a regular basis will develop a psychotic disorder of long-standing duration. That is a statistically significant number. The prevalence of psychosis in the normal population has remained steady at around 1%.
Schizophrenia and other psychoses place a huge burden on finite NHS resources and on society as a whole.
Around 10% of those with psychosis will kill themselves. Many of these deaths should be attributed officially to cannabis. A small number of psychotic patients, currently around 100 a year, will kill someone else.
For those who say that cannabis doesn’t kill – the scientific evidence is against you.
Strains of cannabis such as “Skunk” have have been developed in the laboratory for greater THC potency. These man-made strains do not contain a chemical called cannabidiol which is normally present in the cannabis plant.
Cannabidiol serves as an anti-psychotic agent, dampening the hallucinogenic effects of the drug.
This man-made imbalance of nature can partly be blamed for the explosion in new diagnoses of psychosis in the 1980s and 1990s, when potent strains of cannabis first started to be sold on the streets.
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What’s your source for these ‘facts’? I’m very curious, I’d wager a bet that this “scientific evidence” that’s “against us” comes from newspapers?
Also, if this psychosis is such an issue, why hasn’t alcohol been criminalised?
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Your “scientific evidence” really isn’t, and your assertations are incorrect. Whilst a slightly higher percentage of people with mental health problems use cannabis, compared to the average, this does not prove a causal link, and many studies have suggested that people with mental health problems are drawn to cannabis because of it’s theraputic properties, which helps them manage their conditions in ways that prescription medicine does not, and with much fewer side-effects.
Your claim that “skunk” was developed in a lab are franky ridiculous. The stronger strains, of which skunk is but one of many, are simply the result of selective breeding, as has been done with most beneficial plants for thousands of years, and the demand for strong strains and lack of availability of more balanced strains is a direct result of prohibition.
Schizophrenia levels have remained fairly constant since records began, yet cannabis use has grown exponentially. There is simply no correlation between the two, no matter how hard the prohibitionists might try to massage the numbers.
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Bob,
Do you realize that for cannabis to be lethal you’d have to smoke the equivalent of 1000 joints in the space of 2 hours…impossible to be killed by cannabis and there is not one reported death in the past 5000 years…compare that to alcohol and tobacco. See the real danger drugs?
Cannabis is a plant with some awesome medicinal properties. It is an anti-inflammatory, a pain killer, and it can attack cancer cells destroying them.
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“This isn’t the happy clappy 60′s or indeed 70′s when a few joints gave you a fit of the giggles before you went to raid the fridge. Strains of cannabis being grown now contain enormous amounts of strong hallucigenic T-H-C {tetrahydrocannabinol}. Basically these people are inducing their own psychosis and mental health degradation is bound to be the result over a prolonged time.”
What on earth are you on about? Sounds like the old argument in my day it was ok to have a vice but not any more. Double standards.
Hallucinogenic THC?!? What utter nonsense, you’re just putting together scary words. Weed cannot make you hallucinate, you’re just branding together different drugs.
Where’s your evidence for the psychosis? I’m guessing you didn’t see the Keele Uni report stating “between 1996 and 2005 there had been significant reductions in the incidence and prevalence of schizophrenia. From 2000 onwards there were also significant reductions in the prevalence of psychoses.”
I don’t know your experience of cannabis but from what you’ve written I can tell you’re incredibly out of touch.
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Why is weed always implicated as being a harmful substance? If people are willing to swallow the propoganda that the government circulates, so be it. If you want facts and patients testimonials on their experiences of cannabis use. Theres always google. I abused ecstacy, amphet and coke for a number of years, which left my brain rather fried. Cannabis is the only substance i know of which i can use safely and without side effects that controls my condition. Any substance can cause people to have a bad reaction. I see alcohol is still legal. And it is alcohol that is the real demon in modern society. Legalise cannabis, outlaw alcohol.
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Ali Bongo, perhaps you should have a look at Ben Goldacres bad science site which completely dismantles the high THC fantasy, the figures often quoted by the media and government are based on comparing the worst (lowest THC)cannabis from the 1970s to the best (highest THC) from the present, it is comparable to taking the alcohol content of a pint of shandy and comparing it to the alcohol content of a pint of vodka and saying alcohol has become stronger, the most telling thing about these articles and the people whom write them that they never provide any proof of their assertions so it is merely opinion and should not be presented as fact.
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Bob, you may “believe” it but I’m afraid the facts don’t suit your prejudice.
The “Reefer Madness” scare stories about cannabis haven’t changed since the 1930s yet despite dozens of studies desperately trying to prove cananbis causes psychosis, no evidence of causation can be shown.
Alcohol – yes, it’sa highly dangerous poison which is proven to cause psychosis (Korsakoff’s syndrome)in up to 2% of users.
Ecstasy is now known to be responsible for healing brain injuries and cannabinoids are fundamental to neurogenesis – the creation of brain cells.
One of the best things government could do for our society is introduce a tax and regulate regime for cannabis. Authoritative research shows that this would boost the UK economy by at least £6 billion per annum and massively reduce all health and social harms
Cananbis and ecstasy are both now being used for the treatment of PTSD
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The rise in mental illness is partially due to the drug industry (medical drugs) developing treatments for conditions that in the past were viewed as “just being a bit down”. The drugs corporations need to drum up stats about mental illness to sell their drugs!
Where do you think “illnesses” like ADHD have come from? A lot of kids in schools these days are given prescription drugs just because they are behaving like kids.
I also think that the increases in wealth division in society represent a major reason for people’s depression and mental illness. When over 5 people are going for every job available, and affording property is impossible for a rising section of society, is it any surprise that the stresses of shelter-security (and the other things we need to live) will make people feel terrible? I think not.
Anyone less than 40 or so has also been raised in a materialistic and consumption-based society, where competition is king. If people get trodden down or can’t get the shiny-shiny they have been taught by the commercial media they need to be a normal person, it is also very stressful. Prolific consumption is something utterly advocated by the loud commercial voices in society, and their men in government.
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Always amazes me how potheads suddenly want to opt in to society when drugs legislation is being discussed. The majority of Drug users are vermin linked to crime and anti social behaviour. I do however agree that the alcohol strain on the health service along with tobacco is of concern also.
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Well said Mr Flag. Cannabis and the plodders who smoke it are as boring as the drug itself…you can start liking really rubbish music too. Critical faculties out of the window…bad thing.
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‘Cannabis is worse, Noooo alcohol is worse’
In general, the two are imbibed mutually so maybe its the combination that causes the mental illness, not one element on its own
Where I come from you rarely see someone smoking a joint without a bottle in their hand too
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Well said Bob.
The term ‘Drug-induced Psychosis’, which appears very often on medical records, speaks for itself.
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Drug induced psychosis generally refers to such symptoms being caused by hallucinogens such as LSD and psilocybin, or solvents, or stimulants such as amphetamine, base, cocaine, crack cocaine and ecstasy. To a lesser degree (but nonetheless provable on balance of probability) cannaboids have been linked to early onset psychosis but possibly only in individuals who may already have been pre-disposed to such a condition. Psychotic experiences can also occur in alcohol dependence (hallucinosis and DTs), or from using GHB and Ketamine. It is also possible for heroin users to experience psychosis depending on what their drug has been cut with.
If one was to adopt a simplistic view one would then readily assume that all intoxicants lead to acute or long term mental illness. Unfortunately for Bob such simple evidence is not there. Such a simple trail of evidence could equally lead one to assume that tea, coffee, cigarettes, fast food, white bread or dairy products cause mental illness, as most of those who have experienced mental health problems will have had contact with many of these products. It is generally acknowledged that 25% of adults in this country will receive some form of treatment for mental health problems at some point in their lives. I do not have the figures but feel confident that a quarter of the adult population are not drug abusers.
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People who develop additions to drugs such as cannabis or alcohol and are unable to use them in the limited socially acceptable manner that most people do are likely to already have personality/mental health issues anyway.
The naiveness of some comments like those of Iron Flag and Helen are laughable.
Anon has made some valid points and the massive rise in other forms of self abuse are indicitive of this, like eating disorders and self harm.
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Just a letter from someone else who doesn’t understand statistics or look beyond sensationalist headlines, but has a prejudice to air.
The survey showed that mental illness has overtaken back pain as a reason for claiming incapacity benefit – because claims for back pain have gone DOWN while mental illness claims have not increased.
Not such a good story though, is it?
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Trying again – what’s wrong with introducing a bit of sanity into this rambling debate?
The report referred to found that there are now more claims for mental illness than for back pain – and this is because of a REDUCTION in claims for back pain, with NO CHANGE in the number of claims for mental illness.
Kindly publish my factual contribution before this gets really silly!
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Question from a 70 year old. Why do you have to take drugs to enjoy yourselves?
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Why do you have to justify what you want to in your personal time?
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Have you ever smoked or drunk alcohol John?
Then there’s your answer!
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My Dad is lucky enough to enjoy life at 89 John.
He says “this is what is keeping me alive” when he returns from the chemist with a pretty loaded carrier bag of drugs.
If he had certain conditions then cannabis would probably be ideal. He still consumes a small amount of alcohol.
It is all about individual circumstances and moderation and that has been a problem for centuries.
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i believle that all drug taking can cause mental illness, But I feel that if done in moderation then its not as harmfull as when abused.
The facts about alcohol and tobacco are well documented, but there isnt many facts about canibis, and partly the problem is how to measure THC, and what is a moderate amount of THC to be taking.
After being addicted to alcohol tobacco and canibis and abusing them for a decade, without doubt canibis does effect your mind the most, fortunately ive been clean for about 5 years now.
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I also feel it is very unfair to people with various kinds of mental illness to use an image of drug paraphernalia for this article.
People, there is no drug story here.
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Canabis is not without risk. Having worked with those suffering with mental health problems, smoking dope certainly multiplies their negative feelings and paranoia (in some cases).
Many people do consume drugs with few side effects but others have their lives ruined.
I feel it is vital to realise that all drugs, whether legal or not can have dangerous side effects. Tobbacco and alcohol just happen to be legal so the associated industries try to minimise bad publicity.
If you are going to play with fire be prepared to get burned.
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PNG, I did smoke a pipe for years, my grandson who was about 5 years old at the time said to me years ago Grandad why are you always smoking that pipe? Throw it away as I don’t want you to die, at that point I put my pipe and tobacco in the bin and have not smoked since. [my grandson is in his 3rd year at uni and has never smoked] As for alcohol, yes I’ve had many hangovers over the years, to many to mention in fact, and nowadays I always take a vodka and lime to bed with me. By drugs I should have said the hard drugs so I apologize to yourself and Eva. Like Eva’s dad I also have a large bag of drugs every month to keep me going, don’t all of you young people laugh as it comes to all of us in later life. When we wake up in the morning and are the right way up we thank god for another day.
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Advice to John Jones
There is no use talking to these people who defend drugs, they are obviously users, and ignorance is another form of denial, I have various friends who are quite obviously suffering the results of drug abuse, and their mental state? you guessed it, prescription drugs and not a very good social life because of paranoia etc, for those of you who say drugs do not harm you – take a walk through brookside….then take a good look around…..the next generation is already high at the age of ten, doing all sorts of things and given the green light from their dilusional parents who think its cool, just a vicious circle of a bad life, who is going to break the chain to give our little ones a good chance in life?……..get a grip guys, grow a brain cell, educate our kids properly and most of all, start doing what you have not done already and GROW UP!!!!
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Yet another bigot. And one that uses the word ignorance… even better.
For your information many of us in this debate standing against the current government stance are not users and are actually looking at facts and evidence in order to try and better understand the issues and come up with an alternative strategy to the utterly useless, (not to mention horrendously expensive), one that the powers that be are perservering with despite the overwhelming evidence that it simply is not working.
I suppose all of the advisors on the government panels, as well as world leading experts in a wide array of fields advocating a change of policy, are all drug addled hippies that only went to get their doctorates becuase they couldnt get hold of drugs due to the overwhelmingly successful prohibition policy in force.
Get a grip man.
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Out of curiousity Andy, have you ever visited Brookside? Or are your circumstances little more Gucci? I think I can guess………… :)
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One more thing Andy, before you say things like “despite their appalling levels of education as evidenced by the spelling and grammar on display here”, you need to be whiter than white, yourself. “Because” – that’s a-u-s, old chap.
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I think, Bob, there is a whole world of difference between two transposed letters suggesting a typo, (never did get taught touch typing – regardless of how useful it is as a skill), which is, in my humble opinion, an allowable error and completely different to some of the just plain bad English on here.
While we are on the subject of differences you do raise a valid point which may well be contributing to the “poles apart” positions taken by debators on this thread: The government and media label drugs as drugs: sure we have the three tier system, (class A, B and C), as used by the justice system but it is absolutely critical that the general public understand the gulf between some of these substances.
For example:
Heroin, Crack cocaine (Class A): devastatingly addictive, highly dangerous both in pure form and additionally through the “cutting” of the substances with other materials by dealers, (one risk that could be mitigated if not totally eradicated by some form of licensing – ie decriminalisation).
Ecstacy: Class A – although categorised as just as harmful as the two items above there is simply no evidence that this drug presents anyway near the same risk to users. Medical evidence absolutely proves both nicotine, (well smoking – but that is a completely different debate!) and alcohol to be more harmful, apart from two risks: the idiotic cutting by dealers, (which could be mitigated as above), and lack of education in how to use the substance, (ie dehydration or drinking too much water) – something which would only be improved by some form of regulation.
As can be seen from just that distinction it is obvious that the current drugs laws concerning these three substances are not adequate and do not reflect the comparative risks associated with the products.
Such glaring fundamental errors in classification do little to inform the public as to the consequences of their actions and this in itself constitutes a failure in the government and the judiciary to protect the public, especially young adults.
On the subject of my origins I can tell you I am from one of the most deprived areas of the country and have seen first hand, from my working class upbringing, the misery that drugs cause – something which has spurred me to better understand the issues at the heart of our currently inadequate system.
What is not needed is the scaremongering and hysteria associated with the word “drug” whipped up by the government and media: it does not help anyone – users, the families of users or the general public. Only through understanding the issues, legislating according to the facts and educating our youngsters can the misery you have been so unfortunate to endure be relegated to the past – something which I am sure everyone participating in this debate can agree on should be our collective goal.
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I like the less caustic Andy and agree with much of what you say – your final observation especially. Cheers.
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Well John my niece married a chap with a lovely Grandad still smoking his pipe at 100.He has subsequently died at 102!
Sometimes it’s the luck of the draw, though statistically smoking and alcohol will definately reduce your life expectancy.
Many cultures use recreational drugs, often quite dangerously like the Innuits who use Fly Agaric toadstools to fly with their reindeer!
Some people develop religious mania from using religion,a very powerful drug.
Unfortunately people make unwise decisions but a cartoon I saw recently made me chuckle. It showed two old chaps in a home sitting in their wheelchairs saying to each other, “Aren’t we really glad we gave up the fags and booze so that we could enjoy this!”
The easy access to drugs and alcohol specifically is a sad reflection of our care of the young these days but then before WW11 you were out at work at 14 and considered an adult.
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What a crazy letter!
As a society the main reason we get depression is lack of excercise. Our bodies do not produce enough Serotonin, Norandrenalin or Dopamine which leads to depression.
Also, You are what you eat
Why get the BBC to do it? Channel 4 did a great documentary on sandwich bars a while ago. Half the health shops selling sandwiches have their products filled with lard and salt.
The issue is what people eat and the food chains of animals eating processed food. Its not rocket science to see UK service stations filled with crips, chocolates and the like and other healthy nations like Switzerland and Japan filled with fresh healthy food with vitamins in.
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