La Santé

 

Pharmacie

Considering the amount of smoking that goes on here, one would be inclined to assume that the French are not particularly serious about their health.  However if you go into a pharmacy to buy some paracetemol (not available in supermarkets here, as in Australia) you will be questioned by the pharmacist and no doubt end up leaving with a blood pressure machine, a nose spray, throat lozenges, ear drops, eye drops and a collection of other medicines capable of sinking a battleship. Pharmacists are extremely well educated and it is not at all uncommon to see that your local dispenser of pills actually holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. However, they do love to sell you their wares.

One of the things which has surprised us here is that when we watch French television and foods are being advertised, the bottom of the screen contains a message which may say, for example:

Pour votre santé, évitez de manger trop gras, trop sucré, trop salé
Pour votre santé, évitez de grignoter entre les repas
Pour votre santé, mangez au moins cinq fruits et légumes par jour
Pour votre santé, pratiques une activité physique reguliere

Advice such as this appears on all advertisements in magazines and placards in the Metro. It is hard to know how effective this campaign is, but even so, it may be an idea that should be taken up elsewhere - for example in Australia.

Today is Good Friday here.  It is not a public holiday.  Church and state are very clearly separate.  While religious primary and secondary schools were closed, this did not seem to be the case with public schools.  As well, most businesses remained open.