BBC NEWS-Kitchen Knife Ban-A&E doctors are calling for a ban on long pointed kitchen knives to reduce deaths from stabbing.

The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.

They consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen.

"We suggest that banning the sale of long pointed knives is a sensible and practical measure that would have this effect."

Last Updated: Thursday, 26 May, 2005, 23:48 GMT 00:48 UK
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Doctors' kitchen knives ban call
Knife
Doctors say knives are too pointed
A&E doctors are calling for a ban on long pointed kitchen knives to reduce deaths from stabbing.

A team from West Middlesex University Hospital said violent crime is on the increase - and kitchen knives are used in as many as half of all stabbings.

They argued many assaults are committed impulsively, prompted by alcohol and drugs, and a kitchen knife often makes an all too available weapon.

The research is published in the British Medical Journal.

The researchers said there was no reason for long pointed knives to be publicly available at all.

They consulted 10 top chefs from around the UK, and found such knives have little practical value in the kitchen.

None of the chefs felt such knives were essential, since the point of a short blade was just as useful when a sharp end was needed.

The researchers said a short pointed knife may cause a substantial superficial wound if used in an assault - but is unlikely to penetrate to inner organs.

Knife wound
Kitchen knives can inflict appalling wounds

In contrast, a pointed long blade pierces the body like "cutting into a ripe melon".

The use of knives is particularly worrying amongst adolescents, say the researchers, reporting that 24% of 16-year-olds have been shown to carry weapons, primarily knives.

The study found links between easy access to domestic knives and violent assault are long established.

French laws in the 17th century decreed that the tips of table and street knives be ground smooth.

A century later, forks and blunt-ended table knives were introduced in the UK in an effort to reduce injuries during arguments in public eating houses.

The researchers say legislation to ban the sale of long pointed knives would be a key step in the fight against violent crime.

"The Home Office is looking for ways to reduce knife crime.

"We suggest that banning the sale of long pointed knives is a sensible and practical measure that would have this effect."

Government response

Home Office spokesperson said there were already extensive restrictions in place to control the sale and possession of knives.

"The law already prohibits the possession of offensive weapons in a public place, and the possession of knives in public without good reason or lawful authority, with the exception of a folding pocket knife with a blade not exceeding three inches.

[link to news.bbc.co.uk]

Last Edited by Phennommennonn on 12/26/2012 01:14 PM

ban everything

what THE FUCK?????????????

They need to reduce their population and reduce the stresses their society places on people.

suggest shin this pit!

so hw do i cut my steak meat? ,, getting a joke guys..

OMG!! Now I know they all must be inbred retards in the UK to call for a ban on pointy knives..LOL

More proof that the UK is the land of whipped useless slaves/subjects to be controlled by a bunch of inbreds that claim the subjects must do as they are told.

pointy sticks?

pencils?

where does it fucking end?

fucking doctors. they're only pissed off cos every now and then they actually have to do a bit of work to justify the fortunes we pay them.

twats.

Sounds a bit like a headline from The Onion, though.

bane everything sharp first and then all blunt objects, too dangerous. and when the guns, knives and clubs are all banned we'll have to ban rocks. i have a better solution, wrap all libtards in bubble wrap so they can't hurt themselves or others, starting with their mouths.

hang on, it's from 2005

Jesus Christ... I had to check to see if the date was April 1st.

That is fucking amazing.
This is real...

I suppose pencils will be next, I mean a suitably motivated attacker could easily pop your eyeball or puncture your neck with a pencil right?

If the full length of a pencil is pushed into your eye socket, you could be killed easily enough... all long objects need to be banned.

Blunt objects can be used to cause lethal head trauma so they'd better ban all objects right?

My fucking god... I'm shocked at this, I cannot actually get my head around it.

Yes, pin this shit asap, everyone needs to see this.

Fucking madness.

Last Edited by Lucky Charms on 12/26/2012 12:47 PM

The world is getting more stupid as each day passes...

it's 8 years old though, and there has been no movement in that direction

people just have to accept that humans will kill humans, as long as there are humans on the planet.

even if we were all wrapped in cotton wool, people would find a way to kill each other with cotton wool

Careful with that sharp pointed stick you're waving around there

This is from May, 2005.

Someday men gonna be castrated because penis are used to rape... Please stop with these crazy bans!

Of all the country's that would do this it would be the U.K

This does not surprise me there Banning knives now, they've banned certain types of swords and other hand held weapons.

You could kill someone with a bar of soap if you where that way inclined.

Get to the root of the problem and ban the mad people that 'run' everything ...