BREXIT. A sad day.

BREXIT. A SAD DAY.

Today, 24^th June 2016, the UK has decided to leave the European Union. Yesterday, with a 51.9% the Eurosceptics voted not to stay in Europe anymore and with this, the UK would probably become the first country to leave the EU. However, how will this affect us? What advantages and disadvantages are we going to have?

First of all, we have to talk about which countries in the UK are for and against leaving the EU. Scotland and Northern Ireland voted against leaving the EU, while Wales and England voted for it. As a result of this, Scotland and Northern Ireland want to have referendums to decide if they want to leave the UK or remain. In the case of Scotland, for example, they want a referendum to leave the UK and stay in the EU, especially because that was the reason  England used to convince Scottish people to stay in the UK, “If Scotland leaves the UK, they will also leave the EU”. And in the case of Northern Ireland they would want a referendum to belong to the Republic of Ireland, which is in the EU.

Secondly, we have to know the main reasons why they think that it’s better to leave the EU. Leaving the EU, they reckon that they would make stronger trade deals with other nations, they would have more freedom to control their national borders (having fewer problems with immigration) and they also think that they would restore Britain’s special legal system.

Thirdly, how will this affect a European country like Spain? On the one hand, this will have an economic impact: in our commercial trades with England which are really important for our economy, in tourism (English tourists are the ones who visited our country the most last year). And on the other hand, it will affect the Spanish people that are now working or studying in England. Moreover, this will also affect us at school, because until now, English was the official language in Europe, but now, we don’t know if it will continue being it.

Another important problem would be Gibraltar, a little region situated in the South of Spain that belongs to the United Kingdom and that voted with a 94% to stay in the EU. They voted for staying in the EU, because its main economic source is their commercial trades that they do with Europe and England, and now they could even decide to join Spain.

In my case, it will probably affect me directly, because in two years’ time I will have to decide where I’m going to do my Erasmus, and I’ll probably choose Ireland or Scotland rather than England. For me it’s a sad day, because I love England and I would have liked them in the EU, but I respect their decision. Nevertheless, I have travelled to all the UK (except Northern Ireland) and I know that British people are a bit more arrogant than for example Irish or Scottish (don’t misunderstand my words) for example having a different currency from EU or a different manner for driving…, but I would have never expected this. It’s true that there would also be some advantages, such as the fact that England would be cheaper. However, as I said before, today is a sad day.

NO SMOKING: Drive me home, Daddy!

NO SMOKING: Drive me home, Daddy!

According to the British Lung Foundation, more than 430,000 children are exposed to second-hand smoke in cars each week. There are 10 million adult smokers in the UK, and one of their many consequences is that they are affecting their own kids when they smoke in their cars. As a result of this, the English and the Welsh government are to implement a new law which will ban smoking in cars carrying children with a penalty fine of £50. But, is it enough? Are they conscious of the problem of smoking in cars?

On the one hand, there are still too many people who smoke in their cars that are still unaware aabout how this affects themselves and the other second-hand smokers. These are some of their many consequences: second-hand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, some of which are known to cause cancer; smoke can stay in the air for up to two and a half hours even with a window open; smoking in a car creates a higher concentration of toxins than in a bar - some research has put it at 11 times higher; research indicates 300,000 children in the UK visit a GP each year because of the effects of second-hand smoke, with 9,500 going to hospital…

On the other hand smoking in cars is allowed, provided that they don't throw away the cigarettes on roads or highways. Without talking about how much it can affect the other passengers if someone is smoking in the car, in Spain it is one of the main reasons of having a car accident, because it is a very common distraction. I think that if they are in a jam, and they are very anxious, they could have the possibility of smoking if this "relaxes" them.

In my opinion, I would never understand why people continue smoking, especially young people, because I’ve had at least 4 or 5 lessons about the effects of smoking at school and I can't see its relaxing effects, especially when I see the trembling hands of smokers I don’t find it very relaxing. Others will say that it is cool, but I don't find it 'cool' when someone dies of cancer. But well, each one decides how he will like to die and to live.

WALES vs ENGLAND

WALES VS ENGLAND

England and Wales are two of the four countries that form part of the UK. In spite of this fact, there are many differences between them and all of them have the same king. They are a bit different in their culture, language and music. But, why are they different?

Before Romans arrived in England, in Britain there were Celts and Britons. However, when Romans arrived, Britain became part of the Roman Empire. However, they didn’t conquer all Britain, because the Welsh and Scottish resisted. So, Wales and Scotland developed their own language and culture. In the 13th century England conquered Wales, but the people of Wales still have their own identity and they didn’t want to become part of England. And it’s for that reason that they formed the UK, Which consists of four different countries or regions.

Wales has its own language: the Welsh, which is very difficult to study, but which is spoken by half a million of the population. They have another type of culture and music. They also have their own parliament and they don’t get on very well with English people.

I say that they don’t get on well with English people, because this year we have been to Chester and the North of Wales and we have seen all the medieval castles in the North of Wales, when England wanted to conquer Wales. Moreover, now there are some old laws against Welsh people in Chester that haven't been abolished and that sound crazy in our days.

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THE BANS OF SMOKING ARE INCREASING!

THE BANS OF SMOKING ARE 

INCREASING!

• The Guardian: Electronic cigarettes may face public ban in Wales.

Not long ago smokers could smoke in bars. Before that, even students had the possibility to smoke at school, like their teachers. However, this won’t happen again, because it is prohibited. Moreover now, you need to be at a certain distance of hospitals or schools to smoke. This new ban in Wales that says that electronic cigarettes will be banned in bars is another example of this change in the world of smokers. But, why does it happen?

On the one hand, I personally agree with the new law in Spain that banned smoking in bars, because I was very annoyed when I was in a bar and when I went out all my clothes had this disgusting smell of tobacco. It’s true that I can’t stand the smell of tobacco, but I think that if you want to smoke there are more places to go.

On the other hand, I think that electronic cigarettes aren’t as bad as normal cigarettes, so I don’t mind if smokers want to use them. I don’t know if they are better than the normal ones, but it’s true that they don’t smell like the others. I only know that they use steam instead of tar, tobacco..., so they should be better.

All in all, I think that now people are more conscious about the issues of smoking than before. Nevertheless, I would never understand why people continue smoking, if they know what they contain, because I will never smoke something that contains the same materials as a road. It’s crazy!