'Brand'ishing unhealthy & dangerous stuff?
...or are we just over-reacting without sufficient knowledge?

Sigh! If only medication drugs would always cure... and in case you are one of those who is rolling his eyes at this hope, convinced that that was already the case, it's time for a wake up call! Just refer to the latest revelations splashed across dailies globally, targetting Bausch & Lomb Inc.'s (BOL) ReNu with MoistureLoc contact lens solution and you'd figure what we're talking about.

Reportedly, the American Optometric Association, representing thousands of eye specialists, has warned against the use of ReNu, linking the contact lens solution to a series of irreparable fungal eye defects such as corneal infection and even blindness. Although ReNu's shipments have been temporarily suspended by the company (BOL) itself, the exposé has put a big question mark on the consumer's trust levels with popular brands across market segments, whose quality till now was never suspect and trusted almost .... well, blindly.

Take Colas for example. Although public memory is short and summer thirst almost unquenchable without a sip for many, some consumers may well remember a similar breach of trust by a few popular Cola brands in 2003. Pepsi & Coke were in for a rude shock when an Indian NGO went public with its allegation of presence of pesticides in harmful quantities in the popular beverages.

Sales figures of the cold drinks reportedly fell by nearly 30-35% when the controversy first broke. But, thanks to a mega marketing overdrive and a few celeb ambassadors, the unpleasant situation is almost a faint public memory today. The same year, another similar controversy erupted with a news channel, alleging that Mc-Donalds cooked its French Fries in beef tallow.

Or take some other kiddies' favourites - noodles, or even chips - that contain the harmful compound Monosodium glutamate (or ajinomoto), amongst other taste enhancing ingredients. Same story. Even toddler essentials aren't innocent of such crimes either. Recently, a popular baby oil was reportedly composed of hazardous paraffin oil, known to cause myriad skin ailments.

But if you thought that there was all that there was to it, hmm... think again! Before you press the panic button, hear this. "Such news reports are not meant to spread fear in society but to make people aware of the bare facts. For instance, Vitamin E is an essential element, but if consumed in improper quantities, may lead to severe health hazards like hypervitaminosis.

Same is the case with tea, coffee and eggs, which may harm some people by giving allergies, while remaining beneficial for the rest. After all, nothing in this world is completely safe," explains Dr. Narottam Puri, MD of Max Healthcare. Instead of accusing brands of exposing millions of unsuspecting consumers to health hazards, it's better to be apprised of all pros and cons before venturing into the market. All you need is an eye for detail and awareness. After all, sun rays too have been proved to be harmful, but that doesn't deter us from lazing on the beaches for that sexy bronze tan

No platitude in the high altitudes!
Tracking the pulse of adrenaline

From skiing in the snowy slopes to rock climbing in the jagged gradients to rafting in the gushing waters of the raging Ganges; India surely has a complete bouquet of adventure sports to offer the derring-do-enthusiasts. Then, how long can remain exciting the prospect of beholding the drizzling snow outside the hotel room with a cozy candle-light dinner for consolation?

For ages, the high peaks have been the resort of the ones intending to escape the heat of the plains in the scalding summers. A vacation for Mummy-Papa-Pinky-Billoo automatically meant packing up for the cool climes of the mountains where adventure, at best, translated into taking pot shots at each other with the biggest snowballs possible!

But, even as reality TV makes the couch-friendly Indians warm up to challenges, adventure sports tourism has more than caught the fancy of the holidaying hordes. According to Tejbir Singh, Director, Holiday Moods - Adventure Tour Operators, "The growth rate of adventure tourism in India is 38-40% compared to 7-8% internationally."

Blessed with a topography as diverse as ours, it isn't far too difficult a proposition to imagine fascinating options like skiing, biking, rock-climbing, river-rafting, etc. to enthrall the young at heart! Consider mountain biking amidst the serene spread of Ladakh, or Lahaul & Spiti in Himachal Pradesh; or rappelling down the rocky cliffs of the Aravali Hills in Dumdama and Mount Abu in Rajasthan.

In fact, pilgrimage sites like Rishikesh and Haridwar have begun to be frequented more, as Singh further elaborates, "Trekking and river rafting are the most popular, but of late vacationers aren't any less keen on other adventure activities like skiing or rock climbing, etc." As more and more travellers set out to explore and avail of some high-altitude action, don't get left behind in the pursuit of a little thrill-in-the-chill!!

Nature is playing a major role in cruise liners offering big bargains to travel aficionados this season. Incidents like the tsunami, howling hurricanes and recent incidences of traveller disappearances are deterring vacationers from opting for cruising on the high seas, and cruise business marketers are pulling out all stops to lure seafarers this season.

With nature's fury decelerating industry growth, the surge in the North American passenger cruise market has come down from 8% (which was the figure for the last two decades) to 4.5% this year. Cruise liners have reacted by slashing prices, particularly for the Caribbean charter, where the reduction is to the tune of more than $100.

This follows bizarre occurrences of people having gone missing in the region, and ever-increasing pirate attacks. However, industry pundits opine that this is a passing phase. As Anil Ray, Business Head, SOTC says, "The calamities would affect the industry only for the short-term wherein the industry stands to lose up to about 20%, but in the longterm, it would not (suffer significantly)." While on the one hand, prices are being trimmed, on the other, security measures are being, to put it nautically, shored up to curtail future mishaps. And for those craving the rush of lilting seawinds and rippling waves, hope it's 'All Ahoy' on the high seas soon!