ZELLA COMPTON: I've discovered where to buy cheap drugs

You know the ones that I mean '“ you're the 49th apple user in the past three minutes, so stay online to be in with a chance of being deluged with endless advertising for eternity. Perhaps those are what he means? But this week I happened to read a Facebook post which interested me very much as it sounded too good to be true, but played to what I already thought I knew.

Plus it purported to be from Money Saving Expert founder Martin Lewis, whom I happen to think is expert and an money saver, so my trust is high.

And how was he saving me dosh this week? With my drug buying. The thing is, I kind of knew this already, that paracetamol and ibuprofen in a fancy-dan packet are the same medicine as paracetamol and ibuprofen in a supermarket own-brand package.

The differences are threefold and nothing to do with the drugs themselves. Number one is shiny finishes on the packaging, two is lovely colouring on the packets and three is a fiver in price.  Seemingly there are many more medicines on the shelves which do the same job with the same ingredients '“ all you need to do is ask a pharmacist.

Like for powdered hot drinks, those epic fighters of the common cold.

Again, same ingredients in high-end branded and supermarket branded, but wildly different prices. The comments on this story were enlightening, showing that this isn't just medicines, it's for a multitude of products. 

People who work in factories noted they stop the lines for the packaging to be changed while the product remains the same, from a cheap as chips version to a high-end taste of the best range.

It's hardly surprising when we live in a world that's led by trickle-down economics that the consumer should be fed like this, but it doesn't make it right.

At least now we all know that some prices that seem to good to be true are actually true.

 

THE WEIGHT OF THE WORLD ON THEIR SHOULDERS A ripple of positivity and a sigh of relief went around the world when the last of the Thai boys, their coach, and the rescue team, managed to get free from the flooded caves.

I can't begin to imagine what they all must have gone through, whatever their part in the whole proceedings.

It's wonderful  that so many came together in such a tremendous way to work on this rescue plan.

I've done a bit of caving as part of outward bound courses and found it more than oppressive, so how they all managed so brilliantly for such a long time is truly astounding.

Those boys though will now bear the weight of expectation of the world on them, to do something extraordinary as their lives have been snatched from the jaws of death. 

 

 

LET'S SUPPORT COMMUNITY-SPIRITED YOUNGSTERS A few weeks back I mentioned that my eldest daughter had signed up for NCS and was off on adventures learning how to be a better citizen.

This week she's raising money for her chosen charity which is Cancer Research UK.

Other NCS teams are raising money for other causes.

Her team's having a few stalls in Fareham town centre on Wednesday (July 18) from 10am onwards, as well as other activities.

But keep an eye out and about for other NCS teenagers and their fundraising efforts. They'll be dressed in T-shirts with a slogan that says Just Say Yes, and as the programme rolls for the whole of the summer I expect there will be new teams and new activities every week.

Let's support these activities where we can, from being venues for activities, to donating to good causes.