Life & Style

Richard Amery
For the Sun Times
If you can buy it, somebody can counterfeit it. And if you buy a  counterfeit, it could kill you.
   That may be an extreme conclusion to come from the opening day of the Galt Museum & Archives’ new exhibit “Fakes and Forgeries: Yesterday and Today,” but the main message Lethbridge regional police community liaison officer Const. Blaine Stodolka wanted to leave with a handful of fascinated listeners Dec. 18 is if a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. It is also more likely to be a counterfeit product.
“The best way to tell is if the price is too good to be true,” Stodolka said before his presentation at the museum.
He can’t pinpoint how big a problem selling counterfeit goods is in Lethbridge, although there was the possibility of it being huge.
“It’s a matter of is it enforced? There’s time commitment and resources,” he continued.
City police investigate complaints of counterfeit consumer goods, but don’t actively go through stores looking for them.
He said consumers can safeguard themselves by carefully examining labels. If they look to be of poor quality and are full of spelling errors, and don’t have a contact name or address, they may be counterfeited goods. As well, items such as hockey helmets and day-to-day items including fire extinguishers and extension cords must undergo rigorous safety testing and are marked with a Canadian Standards Association test sticker marking they have passed the test.
Counterfeiters usually won’t bother trying to reproduce these stickers and seals, or, for that matter, making sure the packaging looks professional and well designed.
“Corporations spend millions of dollars making sure packaging and labels look good, but it costs counterfeiters time and money and they just want to get them out as fast as possible,” he said.
Selling counterfeit goods is often viewed as a victimless crime but it costs taxpayers and consumers about $22 million a year in lost income and sometimes jobs. In the case of counterfeit cords, fire extinguishers and drugs, not to mention counterfeit auto parts, the price can be a lot higher — as in a loss of life. He showed a video of a counterfeit fire extinguisher that wouldn’t put out a fire.
“It’s a matter of life and death,” he continued, showing an RCMP slide of a vehicle accident resulting from the driver installing counterfeit brake pads. He noted the most serious counterfeited items found in Lethbridge were substandard extension cords, which can catch fire or set your house on fire if too much electricity is put through them.
“Especially at Christmas time when people are using a lot of extension cords,” he said.
Another sign an item is a counterfeit or cheap knockoff is you don’t recognize the brand name, or there is no brand name.
“It doesn’t mean they are counterfeit, but it is possible,” he said.
Enforcement is a challenge.
“We’ll investigate it if it comes to our attention.”
Tracking counterfeit goods is difficult, he said. However, retailers who knowingly sell counterfeited goods can be charged with mischief, while counterfeiters can actually face a counterfeiting charge.
“It takes some digging to find out where they come from. It’s usually easier to use those sellers as a witness (than to charge them with mischief,)” he continued
Because of the lack of resources, counterfeit goods is a prosperous business. He noted software pirates can make $1.9 million a year, but if they’re caught only face a $67,000 fine. He noted a lot of counterfeit goods are sold online as well as at “bargain” and “dollar stores” plus flea markets.
“There probably isn’t a product that is not counterfeited,” he told the audience.
“It is high profit and low, low risk for them.”

With increased questions and calls concerning bedbugs across the south zone, Alberta Health Services reminds residents of ways to prevent and treat these pesky invaders.
 Bedbugs are small, biting insects that multiply quickly and travel easily. Visible to the human eye, adult bedbugs are wingless insects and are oval, flat and reddish brown in colour. Typically found in covers and mattresses, they often spread to crevices in bed frames and box springs.
 To prevent bedbugs in your home, carefully check second-hand items being brought into your house. Also inspect luggage and clothing, especially after travelling.
 If you are experiencing bedbugs in your home, numerous strategies can be used to eliminate the unwanted visitors, including chemical and non-chemical treatments.
 A licensed pest-control professional can be hired to inspect and quickly address infestations. Commercial pesticides may only be applied by certified pest control operators — in Alberta, these professionals are certified by Alberta Environment.
To help eliminate bedbugs, residents can:
• Machine-wash bedding, curtains, rugs, towels and clothes separately in the hottest water and dry on the hottest recommended cycle;
• Dry clean materials if needed and alert the dry cleaner of any infested clothing.
• Store clean items in plastic bags;
• Scrub mattress seams with a stiff brush to dislodge bedbugs and their eggs;
• Remove bedbugs and eggs with a heavy duty vacuum cleaner on the mattress, bed frame, furniture, floor and carpet;
• Discard the used vacuum bag in a sealed plastic bag immediately after clean-up;
• Repair or seal cracks and loose wallpaper;
• Sticky glue paper can be placed where bedbug activity is suspected; and
• Steam cleaning over 45°C will help kill bedbugs.
When travelling, take the following precautions:
• Inspect the room and furniture: inspect all cracks and crevices of the mattress and box spring, and look for live insects. Request a different room if you find evidence of begbugs;
• Protect your luggage: keep all belongings in your luggage and wrap your luggage in plastic to help prevent bedbugs from entering your luggage. Keep luggage on the shelf or away from the floor;
• Protect the bed: move the bed away from the wall, tuck in all bed sheets and keep blankets from touching the floor; and
• Upon returning home: keep your luggage in an isolated area, such as the garage. Inspect the luggage. Wash all your clothes in the hottest water possible and put them in a hot dryer for 20 minutes.
 These insects feed mainly at night causing small, hard, swollen, white welts on the skin that may become inflamed and itch severely. Although bedbugs do not, as far as is known, transmit any communicable human diseases, they do pose a risk to cause secondary infections and allergic reactions.
 More information is available through HealthLink Alberta by visiting www.healthlinkalberta.ca or by calling 1-866-408-5465.

Heart attacks, strain on the back, muscle spasms, and additional conditions can all be side effects of shovelling snow. A required task in many regions of the country each winter, shoveling snow could turn into a medical emergency.

Typical winter conditions, such as temperatures -20 C, a few inches of snow and the physical activity of shovelling, can cause death rates from heart attacks to triple among men 35 to 49 years old, say medical experts. While shovelling may seem like child’s play, it’s really the equivalent of playing an active game of tennis or doing speed walking. That’s a big demand on the body, primarily for individuals who are not accustomed to such physical exertion.

Also, people underestimate just how many pounds of snow are being moved. On average, a shovel loaded with snow can weigh approximately seven kilograms, or 15 pounds. Repeatedly removing snow over the course of even a few minutes can add up to thousands of pounds.

Shovelling snow safely requires a few precautions.

• If you are prone to heart trouble, ask your doctor if it is safe to shovel snow. If not, hire a professional or a neighborhood kid to do the shovelling.

• Don’t smoke or drink caffeine before starting to shovel. These substances can constrict blood vessels and compound problems of blood flow to and from the heart.

• Stretch your back, legs and arms before shovelling to reduce the chance for strain or more serious injury. Warm up muscles by walking or marching in place. Swing your arms and rotate your neck as well.

• Choose a small-bladed shovel. This will prevent you from overloading the shovel with snow.

• Always bend with the knees and lift with your legs. Step in the direction you’ll be throwing the snow so you’re not pivoting at your back and waist, potentially causing injury.

• Do a lot of pushing of snow and a little lifting whenever possible.

• Shovel in sections, especially when there is a heavy accumulation of snow.

• Dress in layers so you can remove them to feel comfortable. You don’t want to sweat and risk hypothermia. Also, drink plenty of water to stay hydrated.

• Pay attention to what your body is telling you. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or any other adverse symptoms, stop shovelling and get rest or medical attention.

As social media makes its way into the workplace, executives are weighing the potential risks and benefits. Nearly half (47 per cent) of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed recently for an Accountemps survey said their greatest concern is that employees are wasting time during business hours using sites such as Facebook and Twitter. CFOs also expressed worries their staff may behave unprofessionally or post inappropriate information online. However, almost one in four financial executives (24 per cent) said these sites can help staff members expand their networks of valuable business contacts.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world's first and largest staffing services firm specializing in accounting and finance. It was conducted by an independent research firm and is based on interviews with responses from more than 270 CFOs from a stratified random sample of Canadian companies with 20 or more employees.
CFOs were asked, "What is your greatest concern for your company regarding employees using social media?"
Their responses:
Wasting time at work: 47 per cent
Behaving unprofessionally: 14 per cent
Posting negative comments about company: 11 per cent
Posting financial/confidential company information: five per cent
No concerns: 12 per cent
Access not allowed: three per cent
Other: three per cent
Don't know/no answer, six per cent

CFOs were asked, "What is the greatest benefit to your company of employees using social media?" Their responses:
 Expand networks of valuable contacts: 24 per cent
Enhance company's reputation: 22 per cent
Provide better customer service: 18 per cent
Can secure new business: five per cent
No benefits: 21 per cent
Access not allowed: three per cent
Don't know/no answer: eight per cent
(Answers in both cases total 101 per cent due to rounding)                                                   
"Many organizations are still determining how social media fits into their workplaces," said Kathryn Bolt, Canadian division president of Accountemps. "Executives are concerned with the possibility of added distraction from their employees' daily duties, which may affect productivity and efficiency on the job."
Bolt also added, "On the other hand, more firms are realizing that the rewards may outweigh the risks, as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter can be used by employees to expand their networks of valuable business contacts and enhance the company's reputation."