Make e-cigarettes next on the list to ban


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No matter what you do, there will always be someone opposing it. Until recently, the American public blamed its obesity epidemic on companies selling fast food. Now that the sale of sweetened drinks of more than 16 ounces might get banned in New York City restaurants, cinemas, etc, people are turning against the mayor, Michael Bloomberg.

Fizzy drinks make you fat, can contribute to the onset of diabetes and increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Which, in turn, increases your risk of an early death. All right, so they taste nice. That's not saying much in defence of something that positively screams out to you in curly lettering, "Wash down your cholesterol-laden crisps with me if you would: a) like to pack on the pounds and b) help up the mortality rate of the country."

New Yorkers whinge on about how their mayor doesn't need to outline their drink portions for them and mollycoddle them like a motherly hen. I have a sweet tooth, but I don't see the harm in Bloomberg's idea. If you really feel like a Coke extravaganza, you can always buy two.

Teenagers are a furiously independent race, and therefore indignant about the proposed law. In New York, the fizzy drink ban could have the greatest effect on teenagers out to see a movie. It injures our pride to be told what to do, or worse, being seen by our peers to comply with what we are being told to do.

Perhaps that's why you see so many teenagers having a cigarette in mall parking lots or shisha bars. Of course teenagers know smoking can cause lung cancer and so on; schools have been showing us gory images of tar-damaged organs ever since we were little. Teenagers do it because we shouldn't be doing it, and doing what we shouldn't be doing is cool. We are also extremely resourceful: we'll find a way to get around whatever laws you impose on us.

A new fad, especially in the UK, is the electronic cigarette, which is not covered in the smoking ban. These are rechargeable devices resembling your run-of-the-mill cigarettes and they work by heating up propylene glycol solution into an aerosol mist. They come in different enticing flavours - including blueberry pancake - and supposedly contain no tobacco or carcinogens. What's more, the act of inhaling the vapour from these sleek wonders is called, somewhat unimaginatively, "vaping". "I'm just nipping out for a vape" sounds much more current, and impressive, than "going for a quick smoke". What's not to love? The fact that their principal ingredient is nicotine.

In cigarettes, nicotine is what gives you a rush - and gets you addicted. The e-cigarette industry is targeting vulnerable teenagers who are lulled into a false sense of security with the "no-tobacco" claim. The makers say nicotine is harmless. Tosh. The effects of nicotine are well known - it can lead to brain malfunction and pancreas damage and play havoc with diabetics' systems.

It's time someone took a leaf out of Bloomberg's book and a stand on what appears to be a dodgy practice of luring teenagers into yet another quagmire.

How to play the stock market recovery in 2021?

If you are looking to build your long-term wealth in 2021 and beyond, the stock market is still the best place to do it as equities powered on despite the pandemic.

Investing in individual stocks is not for everyone and most private investors should stick to mutual funds and ETFs, but there are some thrilling opportunities for those who understand the risks.

Peter Garnry, head of equity strategy at Saxo Bank, says the 20 best-performing US and European stocks have delivered an average return year-to-date of 148 per cent, measured in local currency terms.

Online marketplace Etsy was the best performer with a return of 330.6 per cent, followed by communications software company Sinch (315.4 per cent), online supermarket HelloFresh (232.8 per cent) and fuel cells specialist NEL (191.7 per cent).

Mr Garnry says digital companies benefited from the lockdown, while green energy firms flew as efforts to combat climate change were ramped up, helped in part by the European Union’s green deal. 

Electric car company Tesla would be on the list if it had been part of the S&P 500 Index, but it only joined on December 21. “Tesla has become one of the most valuable companies in the world this year as demand for electric vehicles has grown dramatically,” Mr Garnry says.

By contrast, the 20 worst-performing European stocks fell 54 per cent on average, with European banks hit by the economic fallout from the pandemic, while cruise liners and airline stocks suffered due to travel restrictions.

As demand for energy fell, the oil and gas industry had a tough year, too.

Mr Garnry says the biggest story this year was the “absolute crunch” in so-called value stocks, companies that trade at low valuations compared to their earnings and growth potential.

He says they are “heavily tilted towards financials, miners, energy, utilities and industrials, which have all been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic”. “The last year saw these cheap stocks become cheaper and expensive stocks have become more expensive.” 

This has triggered excited talk about the “great value rotation” but Mr Garnry remains sceptical. “We need to see a breakout of interest rates combined with higher inflation before we join the crowd.”

Always remember that past performance is not a guarantee of future returns. Last year’s winners often turn out to be this year’s losers, and vice-versa.

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Checks continue

A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.

Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.

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6. Free economic and creative zones in universities

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi

Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.

Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en

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  • The UAE government announced a retirement savings plan for private and free zone sector employees in 2023.
  • Dubai’s savings retirement scheme for foreign employees working in the emirate’s government and public sector came into effect in 2022.
  • National Bonds unveiled a Golden Pension Scheme in 2022 to help private-sector foreign employees with their financial planning.
  • In April 2021, Hayah Insurance unveiled a workplace savings plan to help UAE employees save for their retirement.
  • Lunate, an Abu Dhabi-based investment manager, has launched a fund that will allow UAE private companies to offer employees investment returns on end-of-service benefits.

Profile of MoneyFellows

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Name: Kumulus Water
 
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Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.