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No Smoking via Shutterstock

Hospital smoking bans are being ignored

The Psychiatric Nurses association at Kerry General Hospital say the HSE just wanted to make a ‘grand gesture’ but aren’t willing to back it up.

“THE KERRY GENERAL hospital campus is far from smoke free”, according to the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) at the hospital.

The campus of Kerry General Hospital in Tralee was supposed to ban smoking on 6 January 2014, along with three other hospitals.

However branch organiser of the PNA, Cormac Williams says that “the HSE is blatantly in breach of its own stated policy in relation to smoking on KGH campus”.

He told TheJournal.ie that:

If the HSE weren’t prepared to implement it, they shouldn’t have introduced it. They’re happy to make an announcement and leave it at that but won’t invest to make sure it’s implemented.

Psychiatric Unit

Williams explained that people are suppose to be “individually assessed” and that “exemptions” can be made for people when patches would not be suitable in cases where it may agitate someone too much.

However, he said that while signs have gone up at the main entrance at the hospital, there have been no changes at all to the psychiatric unit:

For some reason, this declaration was not applied to the mental health unit in KGH, which therefore calls into question the validity of the smoke free status of KGH and its campus.
He added that “while smoking is supposed to be restricted to an outside smoking area of the Psychiatric Unit, this rule is regularly ignored by inpatients especially at night time when the outside smoking area isn’t accessible”.
The HSE responded by saying:
Although Kerry General Hospital has become a no smoking campus, provisions have been made to ensure that individual service users within the Kerry Mental Health Services on the basis of an individual exemption form being completed, may be permitted to smoke in the designated area.

Rule Breakers

Kerry General Hospital is not alone in this regard. Cork University Hospital officially became smoke free in May 2010, but some people continue to smoke outside the main entrance.

An investigation by TheJournal.ie found the same to be true for Beaumont Hospital. A recorded message is played through loudspeakers at the entrance where people are smoking reminding them that smoking is banned on the campus.

Smoke free future?

Under the HSE’s Tobacco Free Campus Policy smoking will be prohibited within all HSE campuses by the end of this year.

The HSE states that “moving towards a tobacco free society will reduce the number of premature deaths from tobacco and result in healthier, longer and better quality lives for many Irish people”.

Williams argues that the HSE is ignoring their own protocalls saying that “the HSE cannot continue to expect staff to work in an area where they are exposed to second hand smoke and expect staff to put up with this situation”. He added that:
Long term exposure to second hand smoke endangers the health of staff who have to work in such an poor environment”
The HSE say they want all 51 hospitals to be smoke free by the end of this year.

Read: HSE says hospitals will be smoke-free by 2015>

More: Hospital’s no-smoking policy flouted by both patients and visitors>

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61 Comments
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    Mute Sean Murnin
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:56 AM

    Can we have one just like her. In fact, I would settle for one half as good.

    202
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    Mute Splat
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:10 AM

    @Sean Murnin: Leo Varadkar

    57
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    Mute Sean Murnin
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:37 AM

    @Splat: Hahaha, I nearly choked on my coffee. That muppet isn’t nearly in the same league. Bit early in the morning for comedy.

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    Mute Declan Kelly
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:59 AM

    @Sean Murnin: He’s not playing the same game.

    15
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    Mute Al Fresco
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:09 AM

    @Declan Kelly: yeah but he’s good at standing in front of a camera and looking like he’s got everything under control.

    22
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:20 AM

    @Al Fresco: No he’s not. He’s got the standing thing down, and spacing out his sentences to a borderline awkward extent, but I’ve never once felt confident he knew what he was doing. His public speaking is worse than Mícheál’s, imo

    30
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    Mute Peter Cavey
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:11 AM

    @Sean Murnin: Spitting Image can’t even make her look bad :)

    https://youtu.be/WJfPhOKZJA8

    5
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    Mute Tom Leddy
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:29 AM

    @Sean Murnin: Mary Lou is on the way….

    3
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:43 AM

    Fair play to her. Can’t wait to read all the empty “she’s not so great” and “she’s as bad as the rest of them” comments

    106
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    Mute Darren Lambe
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:47 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: She’s not so great, as bad as the rest of them she is.

    162
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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:58 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: She did the right thing from the very beginning. Tremendous work with the great payoff. Delighted for her and her country

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    Mute DJ François
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:01 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: she seems to trigger a certain type alright

    28
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:03 AM

    @Darren Lambe: Why I oughta…

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:53 AM

    @Vanessa:

    Delighted for her, her Country as well, here!

    But, in fairness, her terrain was easier to work with, applying those effective measures which ultimately resulted in just 25 deaths from Covid-19, compared to the teaming masses and way winds blow up this direction, in Northern Hemisphere.

    I mean, NZ and its remoteness in every Direction, well at least South, East and West of it, was set up by God with social distancing in mind.

    24
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    Mute Togs
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:28 AM

    @JusticeForJoe: yeah she seems great but does she know any movie quotes?

    16
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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:48 AM

    @Rory J Leonard: That’s all fair but we haven’t reacted for weeks at all. I was still in an office with around 500 people for 2 further weeks after Paddy Day was cancelled and my son taken out of school. At that time we had also tourists come in.

    We are 7 months in and guards wouldn’t even have gotten the power to enforce any travel restrictions.

    14
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:13 AM

    @Togs: It’s hope so, Togs. I just hope so.

    3
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:58 AM

    Moving the infected, close contacts , their families ( including children) and also travellers to forced quarantines. This is New Zealand. I wonder would people still be praising it if it was your family being taken by the army:

    “ if anyone moves into a common area or is getting some fresh air, which is all monitored, no one can do it on their own. They can only leave… or, um, be in a space to get a little bit of fresh air if they are supervised, because of course it’s a quarantine facility.”

    “500 defence force personnel deployed for security at the 32 quarantine facilities in the country. (…)making sure that no one has the ability to enter or exit the facility without permission. The facilities have bolstered CCTV systems to keep track of the “guests” staying on the grounds.”

    63
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    Mute Billy O'Brien
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:08 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: Sounds fine to me! Delivers the results and its not like its forever.

    179
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    Mute Cupid Stunt
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:09 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: lol… Where did you get this drivel. You make it sound like a nazi concentration camp. I have friends who returned to NZ. They quarantined in a plush hotel for 2 weeks with all meals provided. We’re given time to wander the grounds daily and it was all paid for. When the two weeks were up they could go free, no masks, no restrictions, no covid.
    If you somehow catch covid in a country where there’s none yes your quarantined and treated untill you are well and non contagious. Eh that’s how they have no covid on their country. If our clowns had have been onto it… Being a way Smaller island and all… We could have done the same

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:12 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: 25 deaths, 1886 cases. That is NZ. We had 1296 cases yesterday.This is Ireland

    48
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:14 AM

    @Billy O’Brien: yes I know some people are fine with gross abuses of power and undignified medieval non therapeutical interventions. Self preservation & fear do turn even the most democratic into authoritarians. Luckily most people wouldn’t permit that.

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    Mute Splat
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:14 AM

    @Billy O’Brien: But it is forever.

    9
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    Mute Sean
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:19 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: needs must. Country befire anything. Great job she done

    29
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    Mute Splat
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:19 AM

    @Cupid Stunt: where did you think of that dribble. A lot more holes in our immigration entry points.

    8
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    Mute Billy O'Brien
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:22 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: Medieval?! Ah here… Come on. Do you wake up every morning feeling hard done by? It must be an awful way to live.

    43
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    Mute Isabel Oliveira
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:25 AM

    @Billy O’Brien: yes. Medieval incompatible with democracy and ethics. No. I wake up just fine Billy.

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    Mute Pauline Fedigan
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:31 AM

    @Cupid Stunt: THERE TO BUSY LOOKING AFTER THE BOY CLUB’S

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:49 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: Try another one , we are on to you .

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:54 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: NZ doesn’t run a feudal society as far as I know. As for unproven therapeutic interventions, their actions are preventative, hence no need for therapy. Eden Park was full last night- the peasants must have been rejoicing…

    18
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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:03 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: It happens in Vietnam as well, you get to choose the location of a hospital or a hotel and then stay there for 2 weeks, with food delivered to your door. Then after 2 weeks you get tested and if you have the all clear you can be in the country. Its not bad, its inconvenient for sure but if you want to be there for work purposes I would have no problem going to a country with such a system. Get the head out of the sand and actually imagine how much better we would be if we had implemented something similar with an all island approach instead of the wishy washy form we gave passengers, many that flouted the guidelines anyway.

    30
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    Mute Vanessa
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:21 AM

    @Isabel Oliveira: She has taken fast drastic actions to prevent a virus coming into the country which let to martial law in some and a huge crisis for most countries.

    There were already pictures from arenas full of people attending live events all over the net.

    I would be all in for drastic measures from the beginning. This half arsed what we are doing here is just a band aid and if you do nothing you will have no working society either.

    You can’t have it all atm.

    6
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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Oct 18th 2020, 12:55 PM

    @Billy O’Brien: But what good is it really? cases go back up as soon as society resumes. This was their second lockdown. No doubt a third will be in the near future.

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    Mute Lynne Colson
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    Oct 18th 2020, 1:18 PM

    @Billy O’Brien: Agree 100%!

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    Mute Simon Donnelly
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:10 AM

    Fantastic result for a true world leader .

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    Mute marianne ryan
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:29 AM

    Wonder if trump congratulated her yet. She stood up to him several times. She has been a good leader and deserves re-election

    33
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    Mute Seamus McKenzie
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:32 AM

    People need to wake up to this woman . She passed some pretty dirty remarks against the Irish months ago ..

    37
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    Mute Bountyop
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:55 AM

    @Seamus McKenzie: Such as?

    16
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    Mute Paul Cunningham
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:58 AM

    @Seamus McKenzie: You mean the one where she thought we have done a terrible job at controlling the virus? Yeah, I wonder how she had the gall to make those claims!

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    Mute Michael Clinton
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:42 AM

    @Seamus McKenzie:
    She spoke the truth about the “Oirish” handling of the virus and the gombeen governmental guidance.

    9
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    Mute Paul O Neill
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:45 AM

    @Seamus McKenzie: correct, she’s a narcissist, when you have to push people down to elevate yourself it says it all, but she is good at it

    7
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    Mute Seamus McKenzie
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:40 PM

    @Paul Cunningham: first of all , comparing Ireland’s handling of covid was bang out of order . Her nearest neighbour is over two and half thousand KMs away . Much easier to manage and she is not part of any union like Ireland is. It was a cheap shot and did not sit well with the Irish community over here. I live in Australia.

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    Mute Pauline Gallagher
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    Oct 18th 2020, 1:03 PM

    Why are people talking like we did a terrible job compared to NZ? our first Lockdown was a huge success when it came to reducing the cases down to practically nothing, but it came at a huge economical cost and was hugely detrimental to other health services, which were badly enough run in the first place. When we finally came to the phased reopening of the country, people were rejoicing. The cases inevitably went back up, not just because society reopened, but because too many selfish entitled people were careless and irresponsible. So now we are back to restrictions. So what exactly is the problem here? New Zealand has finished their second Lockdown, and there will probably be a third and so on. Too much blaming the government and not enough taking personal responsibility.

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    Mute Virgil
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:01 AM

    She seems like a a great leader but God, what a terrible accent

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    Mute Aine O Connor
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:16 AM

    @Virgil: So What. ?.

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    Mute Tom kenny
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:22 AM

    @Virgil: fush and chups

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    Mute Mick Staines
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    Oct 18th 2020, 10:14 AM

    @Virgil: ehhh Micky Martin!

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    Mute Bountyop
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:25 AM

    @Virgil: Sexiest accent in the world apparently…

    3
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    Mute Virgil
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    Oct 18th 2020, 7:15 PM

    @Aine O Connor: this stuff is important (at least to someone like me who takes to heart Wilde’s maxim ‘always judge by an accent’ or was it appearance ?

    1
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    Mute Anne Kelly
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:06 AM

    Its the only way to get things done. It worked, didn’t it?

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    Mute Tommy the postman
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    Oct 18th 2020, 8:53 AM

    at least they could understand her look at our monkeys ffs

    16
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    Mute Giddy
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    Oct 18th 2020, 9:25 AM

    “JACINDA!! IT’S TIME FOR DINNER”
    As someone who lives in Auckland, her campaign slogan really hit home

    8
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    Mute Tony Kennedy
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    Oct 18th 2020, 11:35 AM

    That’s good news for Ireland , it means Leo The Ego should be out on his ear! We need a Ms Ardern

    6
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