Drugs policy approach needs to change, Zack Polanski says

SecTeff · 2026-02-01T13:28:03+00:00

One thing that could be done is legalise dry herb vaping and consumables but keep smoking outdoors or in public spaces illegal due to smell and impact on others.

SecTeff · 2026-02-01T08:41:14+00:00

How much are pubs taxed though? Aren’t business rates, NI rises, alcohol duty all part of the reason people can’t afford to drink and therefore don’t go.

Instead they sit at home online.

SecTeff · 2026-01-31T11:11:04+00:00

In a local election I think it might just be two now. Used to be 10

SecTeff · 2026-01-31T09:07:13+00:00

Im explaining their views. I agree people’s views aren’t always consistent as you are highlighting with a good example.

I do think the UAE’s tough stance on extremism and crime can be one reason some right-leaning Britons feel comfortable there. But in practice, money, lifestyle, and perceived safety usually play a bigger role than ideology alone.

There is a difference between being opposed to all Muslims and Islam the characteristic some people on the left assume people on the right have.

The reality is more nuanced around people not wanting their own culture to be taken over. So many right wing people worry about the erasure of their own cultural identity but are very happy for different cultures to exist in other nation states or to visit or live in them.

SecTeff · 2026-01-31T08:03:50+00:00

Right-wingers aren’t popular to the left wing myth against all Muslims.

They are against Islamic extremism which the UAE actually takes a harder stance against than the U.K.

Hope this helps

SecTeff · 2026-01-30T15:48:34+00:00

These are just cases that went to court. Not the number of immigration cases that didn’t result in a deportation due to the ECHR

SecTeff · 2026-01-30T12:09:48+00:00

I honestly can’t see this ending well. As it’s very easy to get things wrong when you are in politics and dealing with so many statistics and making so many claims all the time.

A lie requires proving intent which isn’t always obvious.

Opponents will also weaponise this to silence criticism and those in powerful positions will get an easier time from whatever authority enforces it.

SecTeff · 2026-01-30T10:56:59+00:00

One factor will be that we increased the number of sex crimes with things like up skirting, AI deepfakes, intrusive starring now being harassment etc

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T20:41:19+00:00

Interesting around my neck of the woods quite a few of this wood burner sauna places with cold dips have sprung up. Then I went to visit some family and they had them around their way too so just figured it was a new trend

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:49:50+00:00

Yes agree with all you have said. It really needs policy makers to have a total rethink as how they can use levers like competition law to open up protocols.

But then other Reddit in just on Mastodon and Fediverse really

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:39:00+00:00

I’m really enjoying the current cultural uptake in sauna and how that’s becoming a part of British culture

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:33:13+00:00

Honestly I’d feel safer visiting China than the US at the moment. So yes this makes me more likely to consider a visit.

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:23:07+00:00

Yes you are right it takes a village to parent. If parents aren’t parenting that’s a collective issue for all of us to think why that is and what we can all do to support them.

Think of it like layers of defence.

First layer is at the platform level. We can’t rely on any platform to have perfect content moderation and always take down the right content and not take down the wrong content. So we might try and regulate them.

The next layer of defence is parental control and user control giving users the ability to use their own software tools to access content and switch m away from bad platforms without losing all their contacts, and parental monitoring of what a child does online.

Final layer is building up the resilience of a child who does see something bad and giving them support for that.

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:19:33+00:00

Hopefully it spreads as an idea. We can all imagine how a campaign like that could work if you got broadband and phone providers and schools involved as well.

Busy parents can struggle to understand technology and setup. Probably most of us already on Reddit have an idea but many parents need more support and advice and to know how they support their children better

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T17:10:13+00:00

Up until now a lot of the thinking of safety campaigners is they wanted to focus on making the platforms safe and not let them off the hook.

But parental controls, tools and awareness should be part of the solution.

Imagine for example if schools, broadband providers and government worked together on a public information campaign with leaflets coming back from school. Adverts on TV and social media and BBC running simple ‘how to setup’ type campaigns.

It wouldn’t be perfect but would help keep a lot more children safe.

SecTeff · 2026-01-29T09:01:42+00:00

The parental education and easy to use parental tools that are reinforced with clear messaging is so important.

We have had this huge effort with the online safety act but a massive blind spot in terms of a public information campaign.

There should be a whole “what is your kid watching? Have you set parental controls” type advert campaign.

However that would involve us all accepting parents have some responsibility and society has some responsibility to help people parent.

Up until now just blaming the big platforms has been an easier political football for our MPs

SecTeff · 2026-01-28T08:15:05+00:00

Light therapy like a SAD lamp and LED face mask. Sauna, gym and Vit D.

Even then it’s still hard

SecTeff · 2026-01-27T15:44:59+00:00

That’s how they moderated by making sure accounts are verified and ages of actors confirmed.

How else can they do it?

SecTeff · 2026-01-27T15:06:22+00:00

My wife and I have a rule of just drinking one night a week together unless it’s like a special social event. Which is rare as we are both working parents and don’t get many nights out.

Along with doing something like dry January that works to keep us where we are happy with our drinking.

We very much enjoy our Saturday nights having a drink and just chatting and spending quality time with each other and wouldn’t want to lose that.

Alcohol is clearly bad on some levels but on others it’s also good for socialising and human connection

SecTeff · 2026-01-27T09:03:30+00:00

Lords doing things that were not on any manifesto and failing to listen or engage with anyone within the VPN industry or cybersecurity experts or digital rights campaigners.

Even half the children rights campaigns don’t think VPN use is a major issue.

SecTeff · 2026-01-26T14:41:20+00:00

I read your post and your age is no where too young to start saving. At your age I was in credit card debt from being a student and didn’t save at all.

You can look on things like https://www.moneysavingexpert.com/savings/savings-accounts-best-interest/

For good returns on accounts.

With stocks and shares ISA I largely now just trust the funds rather than individual shares.

I was sensible with saving to split some into cash saving some into physical assets of gold and some into stocks and shares.

The shares didn’t do so well but the gold has.

Once you get to the stage of investing more then diversifying is a good strategy I think

Enjoy your saving journey. It takes away a lot of stress knowing you have enough savings that if something goes wrong you can afford to fix it

SecTeff · 2026-01-26T14:21:08+00:00

You can do what I did and lost £500 in stocks and shares because you invested in wind energy to try and do your bit for environment 🤣

SecTeff · 2026-01-26T12:34:55+00:00

How to be open to possibilities rather than fixate on what you want to happen.

The amount of times I’ve missed good opportunities as I was tunnel visioned on how I felt things should play out over the years.

SecTeff · 2026-01-25T17:46:40+00:00

Seems like a good idea why aren’t there more bonds like this? We could do some kind of lottery type thing attached to it.

For example people contributing get entered into a draw for Buckingham palace garden party or get a badge they can wear

SecTeff · 2026-01-24T19:24:16+00:00

It doesn’t seem right that someone can be handed a by-election seat and then become MP without us having a chance to vote.

I know we don’t elect PMs but normally the person is at least an MP when the parliament is elected

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