That’s the super bad news.. The good news is, the ban on magic mushrooms will take on December 1! You have at least 3 weeks to stock up on it so go!! Netherlands’ famous hallucinogenic mushrooms (imported mainly from Hawaii, Mexico and Ecuador) have been popular among mainly German, French and British tourists. The decision to ban FRESH magic/psilocybin mushrooms was taken after a 17-year-old French girl jumped to her death from one of Amsterdam’s canal bridges in March after taking them. The dried variety, which provides even stronger hallucinations, is already illegal.

Paul Van den Berg, who works in one of the shops that sells the magic mushrooms, described that ban as “a disgrace”. He said: “It’s all the fault of tourists, especially the Brits. They misuse alcohol at home and come over here to do the same with hash and the so called ‘magic mushrooms’.” A city councillor meanwhile said: “Despite Amsterdam having the world’s most important collection of Rembrandts and Van Gogh and being home to the famous Concertgeboug Orchestra, the City is still perceived as a place where you go to buy drugs.” Meaning, he supports the psilocybin ban.

Poor backpacking tourists! The reason why most visitors to Rome snack near monuments and other historical sites is that they want to avoid the expensive cafes that tack on a surcharge for their outdoor tables near tourist spots. Unfortunately for tight-on-the-budget tourists, Roman authorities have no cheaper snacking alternative in these areas =( Now, the reason why the city’s officials banned snacking near historical sites is that they want to preserve artistic treasures and decorum in a city that draws millions of visitors every year. Food miscreants will be fined as much as $80.

The ordinance also bans the homeless from setting up makeshift beds and cracks down on drunks, litterbugs and nighttime revelers loitering in central areas. The ban, passed on July 10, stays in effect until the end of October. Venice has already previously banned picnics in public places and bare torsos in St. Mark’s Square. City official Davide Bordoni said police would have to use their judgment in deciding when to intervene. “It is obvious that some situations must be tolerated,” he said. So far, 3 Tunisian men eating and drinking beer on the Spanish Steps were among the first to be fined.

Following the footsteps of New York City, Seattle and Philadelphia, the state of California is now banning restaurants and food retailers from using trans-fats, which are linked to coronary heart disease. This makes California the first US state to ban the unhealthy ingredient. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said the new legislation, which will take effect in 2010, represented a “strong step toward creating a healthier future”. Hooray for the Californians!

Trans-fats are produced artificially in a process called hydrogenation which turns liquid oil into solid fat. In effect, they are chemically altered vegetable oils and are used to give processed foods a longer shelf-life. Trans-fats are cheap, add bulk to products, and have a neutral flavor. Many food chains have also been experimenting with replacements for oils and foods that contain them in the wake of the banning. Violations will incur fines of between $25 (£13) and $1,000 (£502).

Last year, strict rules were introduced by Britain’s Ofcom (broadcasting watchdog) that banned junk food companies from advertising their products during times of the day when children were likely to be watching television. The move was an attempt to cut down on the growing problem of childhood obesity. However, Ofcom used the Food Standards Agency (FSA) definition of junk food –- any product that had high levels of fat, salts and sugar per 100 grams.

This meant that lots of food, including Marmite, honey, most breakfast cereals, nearly all dried fruit, and many fruit juices were banned from being advertised! Apart from a small alteration to the complicated definition, 97 per cent of the products that were banned last year will have to remain off television screens during children’s programmes. The only products given a reprieve are a range of cereals including Weetabix Weetos and Oatiflakes, Quaker oat granola, and Kellogg’s Special K Sustain. Some crisps are also being allowed back.

But the day before the ban was enforced, a drinking spree ensued in the Tube! And you thought Londoners are uptight?? Think again! Hehe! =) According to reports, police were kept busy as people using London’s Tube took advantage of the last night that drinking alcohol was allowed in the underground train network. Revellers held rowdy parties inside train carriages late Saturday in a city that has gained a reputation for reckless binge drinking — and now the new mayor’s attempts to curb public rowdiness. Police responded to reports of vandalism by closing six stations and arresting 17 people.

Six assaults were reported on staff members and police said intoxicated revellers damaged several trains. YIKES! Many partygoers wore elaborate costumes, including some men who dressed up as beer bottles to enjoy a final drink before the ban went into effect at midnight on all of London’s public transit systems. At Monument station, a group of men wore platinum-blond wigs and business suits as they dressed up as Mayor Boris Johnson, who vowed during his election campaign to tackle anti-social behaviour. You go Mayor! =)

What the?? And as you might have guessed, this stupid banning happened in UK again. Sheesh! According to reports, school entrepreneurs who won a competition with their home-made soup have been told to hand back their prize – because their ingredients were “too fresh”! In the latest example of health and safety madness, pupils of Penwortham Priory Sports and Technology College in Preston, Lancs, were disqualified because their dish did not have a three-month shelf life.

Goodness! I really don’t get it! The judges would rather have a food full of bad preservatives just that it will have a long shelf-life?? o_O The students were also accused of breaking rules by growing their herbs, using organic veg and touching the ingredients. The school’s head teacher Jim Hourigan is refusing to hand back the trophies after winning the final. He described the ruling by organisers Young Enterprise UK as “absurd”. SO RIGHT!

The Korean government has suspended the sale of Italian mozzarella cheese on March 22, following reports that water buffalo milk, the main ingredient of the cheese in question, contains high levels of cancer-causing dioxin. A notice at a cheese shop in Seoul informs customers of the suspension in the sale of mozzarella cheese made from Italian water buffalo milk on March 23. Will other countries follow suit? Stay tuned!