kate

Just heard on SKY NEWS in UK that gas masks are in huge demand in London, and the WHO has issued a warning about chemical/biological attacks. SKY NEWS! Not the tabloid press. Where does one go to buy a gas mask?

david west

*looks out of central london window* <BR> <BR>Nope not a single gas mask in sight. Sky news is as close to tabloid TV as it's possible to get. I am sure some people may be stupid enough to go to the army surplus shops and buy an old WWII gas mask, which will be of absolutely no use against a nerve agent which is absorbed through the skin. <BR> <BR>Panic mongering. That's all this story is.

kate

Try this page: http://www.sky.com/skynews/storytemp...030344,00.html <BR> <BR>Or just search the front pages of any UK paper or National News broadcast. <BR> <BR>Sorry

Paige

Speaking of UK news, can someone tell me the most reputable UK news source and its URL? Thanks.

Clive

A few good ones: <BR> <BR>www.the-times.co.uk <BR> <BR>www.telegraph.co.uk <BR> <BR>www.ananova.com <BR>

JOdy

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/newspaper/0,,2,00.html <BR>then click on story on right side of page. <BR> <BR>The Times is a much more reliable source than SKY NEWS. It is most interesting to see our news from a different prespective. <BR>And they also have a great travel section in Sundays edition!

sylvia

Try BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/ <BR>ITN News Service http://www.itn.co.uk/ <BR>Guardian http://www.guardian.co.uk/ (the Guardian's coverage is very good and thoughtful and has opinions from all political spectra) <BR>The Independent http://www.independent.co.uk/ <BR> <BR>You can find these and other news sites including foreign newspapers at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homep...ne6/papers.htm

Philip

On Tuesday's Today show in the U.S., Matt Lauer interviewed a woman who works in a store that sells gas masks and she said they had run out of gas masks and had a huge demand. I beleive that the media is stirring up trouble and that they should take more responsibility in the news that they report.

clairobscur

It's true that the WHO has expressed concern about the possible use of chemical/biological weapons by terrorists. But this is nothing new. Such concerns have been expressed by many people and organizations for many years. Sarin has already been used by a terrorist organization in Tokyo's subway, remember... <BR> <BR>Well, of course, a gas mask would protect you against many biological/chemical agents. Not all, but many. Now, who intends to wear a gas mask everyday in the streets? Once you've been warned that such an attack has occured, it's too late, anyway, so you'd have to wear it at any time... <BR> <BR>The WHO warning could for instance incite countries to stockpile more vaccines for some of the best known biological agents. <BR> <BR>But it's mostly irrelevant for ordinary citizens. Gas mask are distributed to the population in Israel, for instance, but only because they're surrounded by potential ennemies which could send missiles loaded with such agents in time of war. It isn't the case in the US, nor in Italy. <BR> <BR> In such countries, the risk is someone using an aerosol with lethal agents in a public place. And no warning is possible in such a situation, as opposed to an incoming missile.

peter

mass purchases of gas masks are assine. in order for them to work posperly the must fit in a secure manner. also the types of filters attached are critical to the masks performance. the price for a good mask is high around $300-350 and many times there is not enough time to get one on before exposusre occurs. sounds like dig youo own fall out shelter during the cold war and stock up on huge amounts of supplies ofr the y2k diaster. best advice is cool it and not sucum to mass hysteria

Huh?

All of you people should get top-quality gas masks. Then, when the terrorists strike, I'll whip around and yank it off your face and use it myself. <BR> <BR>I'll be nice enough to say thanks, though.

harriet

Kate - SKY news really is tabloid news. But in this case, it's somewhat true - there's a small run on gas masks in London. In fact, check www.bbc.co.uk - they had a whole feature on this today. Apparently, some people are really into this - most dismiss it. But I heard the same thing today from friends in Boston... US army navy stores are having a run as well. People don't know what to expect, so they grasp at straws. And David's right - it's not going to do much good. Even if you have an effective gas mask, are you going to wear it 24 hours a day? Clair's right, too, that this is nothing new - if you click on the BBC's related stories links from the gas mask piece, you'll see some interesting stuff published long before the current scare. So keep your salt shaker full of grains of salt, stay alert, and urge your govenmental representatives, in the UK or wherever you are, to use common sense and diplomacy. That's the best we can do.