EU criminalises claiming that drinking water stops dehydration

[Walsingham]

Story

 

That's it. This just tipped me over the ****ing boundary. I'm saying scrap the EU. Democratic deficit, corruption, mismanagement... it's all exemplified in this one bonkers law.

[Gorgon]

What's the real story. That the companies claimed the effect was lasting or something, and that drinking their water would improve your health. There has got to be more to it.

[HoonDing]

But does the EU criminalize Flat Earthers.

[Gorgon]

They applied for the right to state that

[Nepenthe]

Story

 

That's it. This just tipped me over the ****ing boundary. I'm saying scrap the EU. Democratic deficit, corruption, mismanagement... it's all exemplified in this one bonkers law.

The core is in the final statement by prof. Ratcliffe - that when you print something obvious in large letters on something you are selling, it gives the impression that it is exceptionally good at that. ie. better than tap water. Which it isn't. IMO a lot less stupid than the banana and cucumber things they bounce around in the article.

 

But yes, there is a lot wrong in EU. The pay for the bureaucrats is absolutely amazing, at least if one has a family (a lot of benefits are tried to spouses and children). As a single guy I probably make more in what I'm gonna be doing next, but my ex-eurocrat cousin moved to the private sector and is already regretting it... When they tested me for the EU career, I had the happy pleasure of being in a room with some of the brightest people I've ever met. Still, the equal national representation at all levels can result to your boss being a "quota guy/girl"... and well, individual talent plays little role in the work and results of a bureaucracy.

Edited November 19, 2011 by Nepenthe

[HoonDing]

Only good thing about EU is the Eastern European hotties coming to Brussels to work for EU.

[Nepenthe]

Only good thing about EU is the Eastern European hotties coming to Brussels to work for EU.

Can't comment on that, I was in a EU25 competition which meant that nearly all of the 50 people tested form the 7331 applicants were from the western side of the old curtain.

[Rosbjerg]

I think that's perfectly reasonable - as the last quote says

 

This claim is trying to imply that there is something special about bottled water which is not a reasonable claim.

 

I think bottled water is much more insane and it's been proven time and time again that it's worse than tap water, which they all to often claim it's not..

[Gfted1]

Bottled water should be criminalized simply for the huge amount of waste it leaves behind for eternity.

[Morgoth]

Bottled water should be criminalized simply for the huge amount of waste it leaves behind for eternity.

That's why those bottles can be recycled again. Maybe one day it will come to the US too.

[Gfted1]

Bottled water should be criminalized simply for the huge amount of waste it leaves behind for eternity.

That's why those bottles can be recycled again. Maybe one day it will come to the US too.

 

Nah.

[Hurlshort]

Bottled water should be criminalized simply for the huge amount of waste it leaves behind for eternity.

That's why those bottles can be recycled again. Maybe one day it will come to the US too.

 

Seriously, not only do I reuse bottles all the time around my house, they are pretty easy to put in the recycling bin when they've been around too long. Given that I'm out in the boondocks and our water supply has been contaminated multiple times, bottled water makes me feel a heck of a lot more comfortable. Oh and we don't have flouride in the water, so I buy special bottles for the kids to help their teeth.

[Walsingham]

Er... look, this is something which costs a lot of money to put into place and a lot more to enforce. To my mind there are two components:

 

1. Criminalise claims that water is needed for hydration. Strictly speaking, yes it is. Your body can acquire water in other ways, but water is very good at providing water.

 

2. Saying that your product is good at doing something when there are alternative options which may be better is NOT CRIMINAL.

 

FFS, this is exactly the kind of mad socialist overbearing nightmare I used to scoff at people for saying the EU was. If people drink water instead of tea or juice when they are exercising then who the **** cares? They might, because they could maybe do the same thing cheaper. But that's not something which should be a criminal offence.

 

Why not criminalise car manufacturers who claim that cars get you places quickly? Because I know for a fact that I can walk some places quicker than a car can drive, particularly in London.

[Rosbjerg]

Why not criminalise car manufacturers who claim that cars get you places quickly? Because I know for a fact that I can walk some places quicker than a car can drive, particularly in London.

 

I can do that too..

 

So if they claim that their car is the best, is totally fab and can get you where you want in a safe and clean way - while in fact it's a polluting petrol guggling monster that is actually much slower than taking a bus.. Is that ok?

 

False advertising is a dangerous thing to turn a blind eye to. And besides, why do they even want to add that "slogan", if it's so selfevident then isn't it really an insult to their customers intelligence to write it?

 

It seems to me that you are more interested in finding faults with the EU, which is fine - I don't like them either, but don't misrepresent what they are doing.

[Walsingham]

Obviously I am interested in finding fault with the EU. According to Angela Merkel we are on an inexorable slope towards full integration.

 

However, that doesn't make this any less insane. The advertising doesn't say that drinking juice won't hydrate you. It says that drinking water will. That's simply true. End of.

[Morgoth]

The EU is about creating legislation for all member states where it makes sense to have common legislation, and the rest (for historical and other reasons) will still be decided in the respective national parliaments.

 

You can all stop creaming your pants now, 'cause the European Superstate is not coming.

[Rosbjerg]

However, that doesn't make this any less insane. The advertising doesn't say that drinking juice won't hydrate you. It says that drinking water will. That's simply true. End of.

 

I think it's all very well spelled out at the bottom of the article you supplied;

 

Prof Brian Ratcliffe, spokesman for the Nutrition Society, said dehydration was usually caused by a clinical condition and that one could remain adequately hydrated without drinking water.

 

He said:

[Orogun01]

I didn't know Europeans could stay hydrated just by breathing. They should research that

[Rosbjerg]

I guess it's more that people from over the rainbow never learned to read.

[Gorgon]

Er... look, this is something which costs a lot of money to put into place and a lot more to enforce. To my mind there are two components:

 

1. Criminalise claims that water is needed for hydration. Strictly speaking, yes it is. Your body can acquire water in other ways, but water is very good at providing water.

 

2. Saying that your product is good at doing something when there are alternative options which may be better is NOT CRIMINAL.

 

FFS, this is exactly the kind of mad socialist overbearing nightmare I used to scoff at people for saying the EU was. If people drink water instead of tea or juice when they are exercising then who the **** cares? They might, because they could maybe do the same thing cheaper. But that's not something which should be a criminal offence.

 

Why not criminalise car manufacturers who claim that cars get you places quickly? Because I know for a fact that I can walk some places quicker than a car can drive, particularly in London.

This is the process within the EU common market. The first phase is democratic, hearings, the next is beaurocratic, comitte work, the last is legal, a judgement based on what was put forth. It's not perfect, but you can't just 'cut the red tape' and be done with it either, it's what we all agreed on.

[Nepenthe]

Bottled water should be criminalized simply for the huge amount of waste it leaves behind for eternity.

That's why those bottles can be recycled again. Maybe one day it will come to the US too.

Except the methods for recycling the plastic aren't exactly perfect, afaik you can't use recycled plastic to, say, make new water bottles. We used to have a system of plastic bottle reuse, which was squashed as anticompetitive (high price of entry to market). Even that system suffered from the pollution created by moving the water bottles around vs. draining it from the tap.

[Volourn]

Whata dumb law and people here are actually defending it? LMAO

 

And, 2 years in jail for it? *puke*

Edited November 19, 2011 by Volourn

[Malcador]

That's why those bottles can be recycled again. Maybe one day it will come to the US too.

 

Not using it would be better. Reduce comes before Recycle, well at least as much as I remember. I still use bottled water though, habits are hard to shake from back home, where the water's almost safe to shower with, heh.

[Morgoth]

The water out of an Austrian toilet is probably cleaner than drinking water in an average US household.

 

That's the impression you give me, guys.

[Nepenthe]

Remove/edit: "Oh, this is where I left my handbag!"

Edited November 19, 2011 by Nepenthe