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Column Facing the fear – over half our population drinks in a high-risk way

It’s impossible to seriously address mental health in Ireland without resolving our harmful relationship with alcohol, says Suzanne Costello.

LAST MONTH World Suicide Prevention Day was marked, and last week World Mental Health Day took place – it was good to see the important issues raised on these days being debated and heard.

The importance of good mental health is beginning to gain the recognition it deserves in Ireland. But it is impossible to be serious about addressing mental health in Ireland without also being serious about resolving our harmful relationship with alcohol.

Over the past ten years, progress, albeit slow, has been made towards reducing the stigma that exists around talking about mental health. It has been encouraging to see the bravery of individuals who have come forward to talk about their own experiences – it has a normalising effect on the issue and reduces the isolation of people who may feel alone in their struggles and it can encourage them to seek help.

We are also beginning to recognise and take seriously how particularly hard it can be for men to open up emotionally; the frankness of many high-profile individuals, particularly men, is changing our perspective; hearing successful and famous figures talk about their own mental health issues certainly explodes the myth that it is some kind of ‘weakness’.

Our harmful relationship with alcohol

So now we have started talking about our mental health we need to talk about how to look after it and addressing our harmful relationship with alcohol is a key part of that.

Every one of us will face challenges, sadness and loss at some time in our lives. To cope with these times when they come along it is essential we develop resilience and coping skills. Talking, a good support network, a purpose and direction in life and a healthy lifestyle help build resilience. Understanding the importance of these things in day-to-day life will not provide immunity to mental health problems but they will certainly reduce risk.

Critical to building that vital resilience is to have a low-risk relationship with alcohol. Alcohol can affect our ability to cope, manage and overcome everyday stresses and significant life events such as unemployment or bereavement.

Unfortunately in Ireland over half the population drink in a high-risk way.

So many people in Ireland drink this way that it seems like pretty standard behaviour. We speak casually about experiencing ‘the fear’ on Sundays and Mondays after a heavy weekend session of drinking. It seems scarcely believable that we are inducing a state for anxiety, fear and depression in ourselves as a result of over-drinking – and we are all OK with that. And although most people overcome these feelings after a day or two for some, regular binge-drinking does serious damage to their mental and physical health.

Irish people binge-drink more than anyone in Europe – and amongst the public and politicians there is a general acceptance of this risky and harmful behaviour – it’s said to be part of our ‘culture’. The medical community have spoken extensively and alarmingly about the damage being done to people’s health. And yet there has been no real change. When presented with the evidence-based measures that would address this issue of harmful drinking and the myriad problems created for individuals, families and communities as a result, we seem overwhelmed by apathy.

Young people and drinking

Of particular concern is the impact of harmful drinking on young people. There is a good reason why drinking under eighteen years of age is illegal – because children and adolescents are neither physically nor emotionally equipped to deal with the effects of alcohol. The exposure that Irish children have to alcohol is enormous – it’s widely available, it’s cheap and, through well-resourced marketing campaigns, made to look very appealing.

At least adults are better equipped to try decode the shiny advertising messages, to understand the potential damage of misusing alcohol and, to an extent, cope with the anxiety and depression heavy drinking sessions can induce.

The great work of mental-health campaigners will shortly hit the brick-wall of apathy that surrounds the impact of harmful drinking in Ireland. Increased awareness of the importance of mental health is helping everyone – but awareness must be accompanied by understanding of how to maintain good mental health, develop resilience and reduce risk and the action required to support that understanding.

Alcohol is factor in over 50 per cent of suicides in Ireland – this stark figure alone should motivate everyone to deal with this problem for once and for all. The World Health Organisation has estimated that the risk of suicide when a person is currently abusing alcohol is eight times greater than if they were not.

If we have a chance to reduce the risk of suicide and self-harm in Ireland we must take it. If we have an opportunity to build resilience into Irish people and communities we must take it.

This is not an insurmountable task – the evidence-based policy measures that will finally bring about a positive change in our harmful relationship with alcohol are set out in the Steering Group Report on the National Substance Misuse Strategy. The three key areas we need to tackle are the pricing, availability and marketing of alcohol.

Minimum unit pricing?

The introduction of minimum unit pricing would have a dramatic and immediate effect on the numbers of people drinking – this has been the case in other countries where this measure has been introduced. As minimum unit pricing effectively targets the very cheapest, strongest alcohol sold in the off-trade, it addresses consumption among the most harmful drinkers among us and our young people, who tend to favour these drinks.

Introducing effective regulations for alcohol marketing, including bringing an end to alcohol sponsorship of sporting and cultural events, will also help protect children and young people from the current high levels of alcohol marketing exposure that is driving early and harmful drinking patterns,

Reducing the availability of alcohol through structural separation in retail outlets will also help reduce our alcohol consumption to the target of 9.2 litres set out in the Healthy Ireland plan earlier this year. This is the level we would reach if everyone aged 15 and over in Ireland drank to their maximum low-risk limit every week – is that really such a big ask?

If we are aiming to develop a healthy, resilient society, harmful drinking has no part to play. And if we are serious about improving mental health in Ireland we need to be serious about reducing drinking.

Alcohol Action Ireland’s conference Facing ‘The Fear’: Alcohol and Mental Health in Ireland takes place on Wednesday, November 20, at the Royal College of Physicians, Kildare Street, Dublin 2, from 9.30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Expert speakers will discuss how alcohol is impacting on mental health in Ireland and the conference will also hear from people who will share their own personal experiences of alcohol and the impact it has had on them and their loved ones.

For further information or to register for the conference follow this link.

Column: Budgeting our depression? Funding cuts are disastrous to mental health

Read: Recognising the warning signs can prevent suicides

Read: One in five young people is experiencing a mental disorder – RCSI

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39 Comments
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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:36 AM

    Wow, that was an easy one.
    This lad was proposing that the money spent on the vaccine could be better spent on encouraging teenagers to lead “clean and chaste lives”. Yeah that should work…

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    Mute Andre le Flohic
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:58 AM

    @Pseud O’Nym: that’s the parents’ duties .. to explain their teenagers that clean ans chaste lives are ok .. not the problem of the state !

    72
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    Mute mickmc
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:45 AM

    @Pseud O’Nym: Well you obviously don’t agree with him, neither do I but we live in a country which allows free expression. He entitled to give the believes of the catholic church for anyone who wants to believe them.

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    Mute MiMaher
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:51 AM

    @mickmc: His comments are harmful and could lead to fatalities. He is in a position of trust. Its not a free speech issue its a public safety issue

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    Mute Brian Carroll
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:51 AM

    @mickmc: Nonetheless, it’s important to come back strongly against his comments when they are demonstrably wrong, the Catholic church’s (or anyone else’s) opinion is not equivalent to scientific fact

    98
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    Mute Mairtín
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:01 AM

    @mickmc: When Catholic Church pokes its nose into Science , it never got it right. It took Catholic Church 500 years to apologise to Gamilio or is it Gamilia, he the one who recognised that the Earth went around the Sun. Catholic Church condemned him to house Arrest for rest of his life. Because Catholic Church said they knew; ‘ The Sun went around the Earth’.

    45
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    Mute Mairtín
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:08 AM

    @Mairtín: He’s name is Galileo, just checked.!!!!!

    29
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    Mute Stephen Coveney
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:11 AM

    @Mairtín: pretty sure it was copernicus who first said the earth went around the sun. If you meant galileo he discovered the moons of jupiter and brought the scientific method of proof to the community

    27
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    Mute Brendan O'Connell
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:14 AM

    @mickmc: He’s welcome to express the doctrines of the Church, but what he said is not based on Church doctrine, it’s just twisting information to misreprent the vaccine as dangerous.

    67
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    Mute Robert Harris
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:17 AM

    @Mairtín: Galileo”you cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself”

    16
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:25 AM

    @mickmc:
    He’s not entitled to push ‘fake news’ though. Anyone making public statements (particularly ones that can affect peoples’ health) have a responsibility to be factually accurate.

    66
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    Mute mickmc
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:35 AM

    @Avina Laaf: A bit of a storm in a tea cup really. Fake news or whatever anyone else says about it people are not fools. Does anyone here really believe he has influences anyone who was going to get the vaccine in the first place? This is not Ireland of the 1950′s or 60′s. The catholic church will be all but dead in this country a few years and in the meantime best off ignoring them.

    18
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    Mute Paul O Mahony
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:37 AM

    @mickmc: thats fair enough if he was an expert. But spitting out percentages like he actually knows what he is in about isnt right.

    34
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:17 AM

    @Liam Doyle:
    It’s about taking moral responsibility. Something the church are always good at talking about but not always so good at acting on.

    23
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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:03 AM

    @MiMaher: “He is in a position of trust”

    I don’t know anyone except a few looney tunes on here that trusts anything that evil cult has to say.

    10
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    Mute John B
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:51 PM

    @mickmc: most people would support his right to say being basted and practising safe sex is better or whatever. The problem people have is his lie that the vaccine is 70% safe.

    5
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    Mute Sean
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:59 PM

    @mickmc: Has anybody physically tried to stop him from speaking? Or have they just exercised the same rights to rubbish his ridiculous claim? This free speech thing you babies keep crying about works both ways.

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 30th 2017, 3:52 AM

    @Sean:
    If someone started publicly slandering you would that be ok because you could use free speech to try and deny it??

    1
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    Mute Brown Boots
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:30 AM

    I was just in confession with my doctor and he prescribed me two litres of red wine. Now I’ve got surgery later with Sr. Imelda and Fr. Joe, they better sharpen those hail marys.

    244
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    Mute Brinster
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:00 AM

    @Brown Boots: Now that the church have declared themselves to be anti-vaxxers, lookin forward to the vaccination rates soaring again.

    54
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    Mute Brinster
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:08 AM

    @Brinster: Have to disagree with the conclusion, where the author says the comparison was irrelevant. It was incorrect and dangerous. That’s very relevant.

    It demonstrates a quite unbelievable stupidity on the part of the Bishop. To conflate reducing cancer by 70% with only being 70% safe is a total non sequitur. It calls into question his ability to reason. Seat belts reduce injury by 80%. That doesn’t make them 80% safe. There aren’t 20% of seat belts malfunctioning and causing accidents.

    101
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    Mute Andre le Flohic
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:55 AM

    not the first time that religion does not mix well with medicine

    140
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    Mute Brown Boots
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:28 AM

    @Andre le Flohic: it does work, I once had a terrible hangover took two ibuprofen and said oh please God work and I was fine within the hour. I’ve been asked to speak about the whole ordeal and numerous medical and religious events since.

    70
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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:56 AM

    The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore should stick to,pronouncements on matters Ecumenical.

    122
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    Mute TravellingTheWorld
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:53 AM

    @Brian O Reilly: He has a right to an opinion just like you do. FASCIST

    48
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    Mute Chris Kirk
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:02 AM

    @TravellingTheWorld: He does of course have an opinion as we all do.

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    Mute Bleedin' Deadly
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:24 AM

    @TravellingTheWorld: While he has a right to an opinion, he should not be giving false assertions on medical matters to which he clearly has no understanding. As Brian states, he should stick to pronouncements on matters Ecumenical.

    33
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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:44 AM

    @TravellingTheWorld: He didn’t say it was just his opinion though did he?

    15
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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:05 AM

    @Larry Doyle: Yes but some of the people that listen to him believe they were created by a magic man in the sky who will bring them to a magic place when they die. You don’t think they will swallow this BS too??

    15
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    Mute Sean
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    Sep 29th 2017, 1:01 PM

    @TravellingTheWorld: Who stopped him from having an opinion? He gave his opinion, now intelligent people are giving their opinions. That he’s a moron.

    19
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    Mute Terry Cunningham
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:15 AM

    It’s hard to take this man seriously considering he made a career out of telling fairy tales.

    117
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    Mute Kath Noonan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:33 AM

    Why take the risk with your child’s health? The vaccine doesn’t cover all strains of the virus, it actually only lasts a few years, and hpv can only be caught through sexual activity. Smear test will catch it and has NO health risks. No thanks, No way.

    118
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    Mute robscanlon
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:40 AM

    @Kath Noonan: smear test has no health risks but procedures to eliminate the abnormal cells do ( worst case is parts of cervix being removed). Much better off avoiding this scenario by vaccination ( including vaccinating the male vector !)

    250
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    Mute Andre le Flohic
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:57 AM

    @Kath Noonan: are you sure that your daughter will not have sex at all ?.. because I cannot believe one second that you will ask her future boyfriend(s) to be tested for the virus !!!!

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    Mute Joe Harbison
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:58 AM

    @Kath Noonan: OK, smear test have a substantial number of risks. The most problematic is the number of false positive and false negative results. False positives require unnecessary biopsy and potential surgery. This can result in cervical incompetence and infertility (in addition to being uncomfortable/painful). I take it that you don’t have your child wear a seatbelt in the car because it only prevents death in a proportion of accidents and can cause injury (look at ‘seatbelt injury’ on google). The biggest risk you can take with your child health is not vaccinating. Sexual health clinics are already dealing with cases of genital warts which would have been prevented by vaccination if parents had made the right decision. Next it will be cases of cervical, threat and other cancers which were completely preventable.

    111
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    Mute Jane
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:10 AM

    @Kath Noonan: you make it sound easy peasy. Have you ever had an abnormal smear? Have you ever had a colposcopy? Have you ever had the top of your cervix lobbed off to get rid of abnormal cells? Have you ever waited on biopsy results because of abnormal cells? Have you ever needed to have a stitch in your cervix to prevent miscarriage because you’ve had to have some of it removed? You’re right you shouldn’t risk your teenagers health, I certainly won’t so I’ll be sure they are vaccinated.

    154
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    Mute Majella Byrnes
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:42 AM

    So cancer has never entered your door and wiped out a whole generation of a family Arent you the lucky one never knowing that pain of seeing your father his brothers and sister all dead before they got to see there own children get to adults .We as the next generation will do everything we can to prevent that happening to our children any vaccation that gives then a chance is very welcome by us . Ignorance is bliss when you set in your glass house.

    81
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    Mute EvieXVI
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:06 AM

    @Kath Noonan: why yake the risk of your child having cancer??? Smear tests MIGHT catch it, but even if they do, they don’t treat it. They jjst detect it. Did you know that cervical cancer can be fatal??

    78
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:22 AM

    @Kath Noonan:
    “Why take the risk with your child’s health?”
    Precisely. Get them vaccinated.

    71
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    Mute Alex Newman
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:35 AM

    @Kath Noonan: “Why take the risk with your child’s health?” My thoughts exactly, Kath. Vaccination is the solution.

    49
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    Mute John B
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:54 PM

    @Kath Noonan: so basically, you will make a choice to forgo an effective vaccine for your child based on someone you heard on the internet who stated some conspiracies that fitted with your preconceived misunderstanding of the HPV vaccine?

    26
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    Mute Sebastin Formaldehye
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:08 AM

    He also claimed that the WHO is a billion dollar industry and should therefore not be trusted. Anyone to been to the Vatican recently?

    82
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    Mute TravellingTheWorld
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    Sep 29th 2017, 5:57 PM

    @Sebastin Formaldehye: He is right about WHO. They don’t care about your health. I hope yoù realise that sooner rather than later.

    8
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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:15 AM

    On last night Prime time some parents who suffer from epilepsy and must take the drug Sodium Valproate were not told that the drug if taken during pregnancy can cause serious developmental disorders in children. Even though the Drug Company Sanofi have known this for 40 years. One woman said her three children are affected and will need care for the rest of their lives. Sanofi says that they recommended that the drug should only be taken as a last resort.?
    How does anyone know after that what side effects drugs may have if it takes 40 years for people to be listened to.

    42
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    Mute EvieXVI
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:29 AM

    @Aine O Connor: yes, this is awful. But it has nothing to do with Gardasil.

    51
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:37 AM

    @Aine O Connor:
    The dangers of taking this drug while pregnant have indeed been well known for 40 years.
    The fact that some GPs never informed their patients of the risks is terrible, but a completely different issue.

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:46 AM

    @EvieXVI:
    I agree but there is nothing wrong with asking questions. Drug companies make gigantic profits .

    9
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    Mute EvieXVI
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:45 AM

    @Aine O Connor: questions have been asked. And answered. Research has been done. The efficacy and safety of the vaccine has been proven. This Bishop Catholic has no business discussing medical issues.

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    Mute Steve Mac
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:28 PM

    @Aine O Connor: they make more money from cancer drugs than from vaccines so by your ‘logic’ they should never have invented it if it was all about money.

    11
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    Mute Jane
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:00 AM

    A cancer vaccine could encourage sexual activity among teenagers? Did you ever hear such nonsense? Has he ever heard of hormones?

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:48 AM

    @Jane: tbf he’s probably never had sex either. So he’s knows nothing about both!

    55
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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:33 AM

    @Jane:
    Many of the leading groups opposing this vaccine in the US have links to the church. There’s a clear agenda here and scientific evidence doesn’t come into it.

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    Mute Jed I. Knight
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:54 AM

    @Deborah Behan: His background is that he was a school teacher and he has a doctorate in moral theology, kinof says enough. If I want an opinion regarding my car I’ll go to a mechanic or at worst an engineer if I want an opinion regarding a vaccine I’ll discuss it with a doctor or some other suitably qualified medical person.
    The last person I’d ever consult would be a priest. It says very little for his skills as a teacher if he looks at the available data, twists and interprets it this way to suit his arguement and ignores the reality of the situation. The last thing he wants to face is the truth that this vaccine is effictive, by no means a guarantee, nothing is, but nevertheless an effective, preventative measure. That being the case, he, and his organisation should be endorsing it, giving it his blessing, pardon the pun, but his excuse not to do that is that it would ‘encourage sexual activity amoung young people.’ What a bloody idiot?
    That one of the very reasons it’s being given, if we were certain that young people were suddenly going to stop doing what everyone else did it wouldn’t be needed. It should also be pointed out to the bishop that his own organisation didn’t exactly avoid ‘young people’ in this manner either. This vaccine is therefore needed your Lordship, apologise and endorse it.

    28
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    Mute Tensing Norgay
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:14 AM

    You’re a disgrace bishop Phonsie , keep your unqualified nose out of public health !

    282
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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:46 AM

    @Tensing Norgay: he says it lulls women into having casual sex! I hate it when that happens!

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    Mute Mairtín
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:51 AM

    @Tensing Norgay: Maybe he’s got a couple of Daughters.!!!

    52
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    Mute Missyb211
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:24 AM

    factcheck, did he not just question the effectiveness of the vaccine? Yes he did. The fact that ye based you’re factcheck on the word “safe” is just silly. Not having heard/ read the origional piece I can still tell that he obviously used “safe” to mean adaquate protection from getting developing the cancer and in his opinion Gardasil’s 70% is not enough protection to be considered keeping you “safe”. You could have argued that 70% is better than 0% but no. Ye hinge the whole thing on the word safe in the hope of showing him to somebody we can brush off. I’m not as mass goer or a “church supporter” and I don’t even know the man so don’t even go there…

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    Mute Ian McNally
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:42 AM

    @Missyb211: you may not be a mass goes or “church supporter” but i bet your subscribed to all kind of antivax and “natural health remedy” facebook pages…..

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    Mute Termaz Fx
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:51 AM

    @Missyb211: In a case of a car crash seat belts don’t guarantee a 100% chance of saving your life. Same goes for the air bags.
    So are you driving without wearing your seat belts and with your airbags disabled? Is that what you teach your kids? Because if it aint 100% safe it aint worth using?

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    Mute Dave Kennedy
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:07 AM

    Yes but if your depending on the seatbelt being 100% safe and you find out it could malfunction and seriously damage you, even though you may not have been in am accident, then you find out it wears out after 5 yrs but you have been driving around for the last 6 yrs like a lunatic I could go on but you get the idea, I think the journal has ran with this story because there is an agenda going at the moment that anyone who questions this vaccine is torn to shreds and I suspect a lot of comments on here are driven by this agenda

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    Mute Tom McHugh
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:51 PM

    @Dave Kennedy: The bishop also made a valid point that the vaccine will not obviate the need for smear testing.

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    Mute Ivan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 1:59 PM

    @Ian McNally: I think you might be a bit homeopathaphobic

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Sep 29th 2017, 2:30 PM

    @Ian McNally: You’d be betting wrong.I’m a pure pharma manufactured drug and vaccine guzzler only!

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    Mute Missyb211
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    Sep 29th 2017, 2:38 PM

    @Termaz Fx: How likely is what you think true when i said “it could be argued that 70% is better”?

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    Mute Graham Quinn
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    Sep 29th 2017, 4:20 PM

    @Dave Kennedy: evidence , links etc please.

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    Mute Mark Leslie
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:34 AM

    Hmm…didn’t realize that they changed the word “doctor” to “bishop”. Also didn’t realize that “theology” was the new word for “medicine”.

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    Mute Brian O Reilly
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:08 AM

    What’s the difference between an enzyme and a hormone ?,you can’t hear an enzyme.

    38
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    Mute Termaz Fx
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:47 AM

    It seems that today every schmuck has an opinion about vaccines.
    The biggest irony being that none of these self proclaimed experts has ever studies medicine and have absolutely no clue how vaccines or any other medication work.

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    Mute Patrick James Walsh
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:33 PM

    @Termaz Fx: Like no one is ever allowed to discuss the side effects of vaccination and other drugs, how governments at the behest of drug companies vaccinate unecessairly and cover up the real side effects of these drugs.

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    Mute Graham Quinn
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    Sep 29th 2017, 4:20 PM

    @Patrick James Walsh: evidence, links etc please.

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    Mute Patrick Lynch
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:14 AM

    Here we go again,from them who looked the other way when children were been abused by some of there own.

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    Mute Mike Power
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:48 AM

    I know a girl who got the vaccine, no sooner had she had the injection when 2 bumps appeared on her forehead. Within the week she had grown 2 horns from the bumps and a long red tail and her feet had turned into cloven hooves, she now says she identifies by the name Lucifer. I’m telling ye, I think there is evil in the vaccine.

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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:55 PM

    @Mike Power: Mike, would you still have her number by any chance? Sounds like my kinda woman…

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    Mute Mike Power
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    Sep 29th 2017, 1:48 PM

    @Pseud O’Nym: I will ask Mary down the road, the girl is her daughters friends, aunts daughters friend but I’m sure Mary won’t let me down.

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    Mute Pseud O'Nym
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    Sep 29th 2017, 2:18 PM

    @Mike Power: OK great that sounds reliable

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    Mute Mike Power
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    Sep 29th 2017, 3:29 PM

    @Pseud O’Nym: of course it is Mary said it on Facebook no need 4 a fact check here.

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    Mute Maurice
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    Sep 29th 2017, 6:53 AM

    Hard to believe the church still have the nuts to stock their noses into anything involving sexual behaviour in this society

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    Mute Joe Travers
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:54 AM

    @Maurice: this ignoramus should be arrested for endangering people’s lives. Why can the church just feck right off.

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    Mute Frank Dowling
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:31 AM

    Feck off Phonsie.. we dont want to hear your spurious claims..

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    Mute Eric
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:30 AM

    By no mean i will have my son vaccinated until i see independant studies showing it is 100% safe

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    Mute Rob Cahill
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:15 AM

    @Eric: Please don’t procreate.

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    Mute Eric
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    Sep 29th 2017, 1:52 PM

    @Rob Cahill: males may carry hpv. It is therefore also planned to have our boy vaccined. It is about to be done in france..

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    Mute Graham Quinn
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    Sep 29th 2017, 4:25 PM

    @Eric: then keep your son away from airplanes, cars, peanuts and well, all food in general as anything ingested carries a small risk. Hey why don’t you just wrap him in cotton wool and store him in a locked box.

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    Mute Eric
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    Sep 29th 2017, 4:51 PM

    @Graham Quinn: we don t have have enough background to suggest that vaccin “carries a small risk” .. we also don t have clear picture on its efficientcy and side effects not clearly established..
    ..Don t take me wrong. Vaccination saved lives. .. but i think vaccin a 9 years old girl vs hpv is an aberration

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    Mute Avina Laaf
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    Sep 30th 2017, 4:06 AM

    @Eric:
    Google Scholar is a good starting point to find those studies.

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:55 AM

    The irony of a bishop pontificating about young people being encouraged to have sex when it was bishops like himself that moved their child abusing underlings around the country and world to avoid prosecution for their crimes.

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    Mute LE CHIFFRE
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:38 AM
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    Mute DaisyChainsaw
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:10 AM

    @LE CHIFFRE: https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/japan-and-hpv-vaccine-debunking-myths/

    Although I’m not surprised vaxtards would believe a source that has “different ways to use chopsticks” and “a dessert that looks like a jiggling botty when you shake it” on their front page.

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    Mute Philip Gleeson
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:19 AM

    The Bishop of Waterford and Lismore
    On the subject of vaccines is sore
    His 70%
    Is heaven sent
    This silly old man is a bore..

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    Mute Clancy
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:16 AM

    The bishop is right, abstinence is the only way of preventing sex.

    Thank God Almighty my parents practiced abstinence.

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    Mute Larry Doyle
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:48 AM

    @Clancy: and his too……

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    Mute vectorsector
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:27 AM

    Does it really matter what this guy says or thinks? Has he even an audience that either listens or respects what he has to say? These guys are like village idiots at this stage – to be felt sorry for and humored every now and then by asking how is their imaginary friend.

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    Mute bopter
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:25 PM

    Some folk still attach weight to the words of a bishop but the demographic who do are by and large too old to have children at the right age for this vaccination, so shouldn’t be an issue.

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    Mute Andrew Mockler
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:22 AM

    that will be an Ecumenical matter! Driiiiiink

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    Mute Kenny Wolf
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:41 AM

    There we have it. Journal.ie has said it’s safe. Thanks goodness for that.
    Meanwhile a bishop of the Roman Catholic Church heavily embedded in Irish society doesn’t like it but the rest of the government disagrees.
    I hate it when mammy and daddy fight…
    Somebody tell me what to do because I can’t decide for myself!

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    Mute Niall Sheridan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:51 AM

    Mans a fool. He was the last bishop appointed on the recommendation of the last demoted nuncio. Phonsie is an Opus Dei member and comes from the school of “I am the bishop and anything I pontificate on is true “. I did hear on the grapevine that old Pat Buckley went to a priest’s funeral in Phonsie’s diocese and Phonsie had a fit and tried to have him thrown out! Pat threatened to call the Guards if anyone touched him!

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    Mute John Mulligan
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:22 AM

    It’s false, but everything else he says is gospel.

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    Mute dick dastardly
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:18 AM

    His proper name is Alphonsus cullinan not phonsie haha.his in happy dsys

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    Mute Mark Owen
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    Sep 29th 2017, 12:27 PM

    It’s always about sex with these religious types

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    Mute Alec Silke
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    Sep 29th 2017, 11:11 AM
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    Mute Dave barrett
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    Sep 29th 2017, 9:06 AM

    If its that ok let him take it. Jesus!!!

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    Mute TravellingTheWorld
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    Sep 29th 2017, 7:17 PM

    Factcheck: Tony O’Brien calls the victims of Gardasil emotional terrorists. Correct.

    Conclusion: HSE is biased.
    The Journal Factcheck is not reporting facts.

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    Mute Patrick Joseph Treacy
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    Sep 29th 2017, 10:32 PM

    Like the MMR vaccine conspiracy in the late nineties these people are never around to take any responsibility for the unnecessary deaths that they contribute to. A bit of basic scientific education would benefit them all. 300 Irish women get cervical cancer every year and 90 will die this year alone from the devastating illness of the young. HPV has now practically been eradicated in Australia, the nation which began the original vaccination programme. 220,000 Irish women have received the vaccine and 200,000,000 worldwide without any serious side effects attributable to the vaccine. I remember similar stupid utterances by Catholic Bishops in South Africa about condoms leaking the HIV virus back in 1993. At fault is their ignorance, lack of scientific education and their ideologically fear that science could increase sexual activity by taking away the fear of infection. It’s like Copernicus and Galileo Galileo all over again. it’s little wonder people are leaving the Church

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    Mute Carol Richardson
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    Oct 1st 2017, 9:58 PM

    If you have a sense of fear, are tired of it, do not want to be afraid anymore and do not have enough strength to overcome this state on your own, then it’s worthwhile to help your nervous system cope with this situation. I drank Xanax (Generic) to help me these pills. Bought in a drugstore http://www.norxpharm.com/buy_generic_xanax_online.html I use and now if there are attacks.

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    Mute Gerry Ashe
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    Sep 29th 2017, 1:09 PM

    Let the girls decide themselves at 16yrs with full knowledge of risks. Epilim and thalidomide remember them.

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    Mute Sandra Clifford
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    Sep 29th 2017, 8:03 PM

    He should give himself a shot

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