#and I just don’t feel entitled to someone else’s life’s work.
That comment exactly!! It’s not mine and I can survive without it, so I will.
This is why honey is not vegan.
The problem here is that honey, especially if you buy it ethically from an apiarist, isn’t actually detrimental to the well-being of the bee or the hive. In the wild, honey is used as a food stock, but in a domesticated honeybee colony, the bees are fed quite well, and so the honey is a surplus.
The alternatives, like sugar, relies on monocrops in third world countries, with transient labour. Growing up, there was a sugarcane field by my house, and I’m sure the Haitian men who worked backbreaking hours hacking a machete through knife-bladed leaves in 40 degree heat for a couple dollars a day would have traded a testicle to be a Canadian honeybee. Stevia’s going the same way, iirc.
Additionally, apiarists are actually huge proponents and activists for sustainable bee-keeping, and it’s estimated that the domesticated hive may be the last great hope for declining populations, because we can optimize their chances for survival.
It’s their life’s work, sure, but it’s not the death of them to use it responsibly.
literally read anything about the history of sugarcane and the cuban sugar industry if you think sugar is or ever has been more ethical than honey
Beekeepers-
Provide a home for the bees
Keep that home warm in the winter
Keep the bees well fed, negating the need for honey, which the bees would make anyways
Still do not take all the honey, just in case
Protect the bees from predators
Monitor the hives for any signs of the parasites, diseases, etc. that cause colony collapse disorder
Their bees-
Provide a valuable and reliable source of pollination for plants in the area, both wild and crops
Help keep the local ecosystem healthy
Honey-
Is one of the healthiest things you can eat
Is able to keep for a EXTREMELY long time (Millennia even), making it more valuable than many perishable foods without being full of preservatives
Can be used to soothe sore throats, nauseau, etc.
Has been eaten by humans since at least Ancient Egypt (We’ve found STILL EDIBLE honey in tombs)
Is a great tool in cooking, adding sweetness without raising the sugar content much
Is a staple food in many people’s diets
Honey is amazing you can put it on or in pretty much everything I goddamn love it and you should too.
Honey is also a natural antimicrobial that has been used medicinally since time out of mind on external wounds like edible neosporin.
Particularly useful in the treatment of dermal abcesses.
“oh no we steal it from the bees!”
*has no problem benefiting from exploited migrant farm workers*
I just got certified in CPR and First Aid last month with the American Heart Association. I wanted to share this information with you, because a lot of what we see on TV is not at all accurate as to what you’re supposed to do to actually help someone. Here are some of the topics that were covered:
First Aid Basics
Here are the steps you should follow when addressing a situation where a person may be injured/unconscious:
Check to make sure the scene is safe- you are no help to anybody if you also get hurt
If the person is responsive: “Are you okay?”
If they are unresponsive, hit their shoulders hard and yell: “Are you okay?” to see if you can rouse them
Phone 911 and put the phone on speaker (you can delegate this task to somebody else if you’re not alone)
Have somebody get a First Aid kit (don’t leave the person if you’re by yourself unless the 911 operator tells you to)
Is the person conscious? Unconscious?
Check them for any obvious signs of injury
Check them for medical jewelry
Remember
Time is of the essence! Be decisive and confident.
Don’t be afraid to call for help and assign people tasks
You can only perform CPR on a flat service. If a person needs CPR and is on a bed or in a chair, move them to the floor immediately. Don’t worry about hurting their head or anything, if they don’t get CPR immediately, their life expectancy is significantly less. (See my CPR post for full details)
Do not move the person unless the area they’re in is unsafe. If you have to move the person, drag them by their clothes and pull them to safety.
Adult Choking
There are both mild and severe cases of adult choking. In a mild case, the person choking will be able to make a sound or cough loudly. Typically these cases resolve themselves.
Ask: “Are you choking? Can I help you?”
If the person cannot make a sound or cough in response, they are suffering from severe choking.
Walk around back of the person and put your arms around them
Make a fist with your dominant hand
Place your fist slightly above the belly button and below the chest bone.
Grasp the fist with your other hand
Give quick upward thrusts
If the person is overweight or pregnant, put your arms around the person’s armpits.
If you are unsuccessful in removing the blockage, the person will quickly become unresponsive. You will need to perform adult CPR and call 911.
After chest compressions (see above link) check person’s mouth to see if the thing they choked on is visible. If it is visible, remove it. Never going digging around in someone’s mouth.
Amputation
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
Get a First Aid kit
Both these steps can be delegated to someone else if they’re around
Put gauze on the wound and apply pressure until the bleeding stops
Do not remove the gauze if it’s bled through- this will remove any blood clots that have formed.
If the gauze is bled through, add more gauze on top and keep applying pressure until the bleeding stops
Clean the amputated part with water
Warp the amputated part with dressing
Put the amputated part in a small plastic bag
Get a larger plastic bag and fill it with equal parts ice and water
Put the small plastic bag inside the large plastic bag
Label the bag with person’s name and time of the injury
Asthma (How to Operate an Inhaler)
People diagnosed with asthma will typically be aware of it and may have an inhaler on them. If someone has an asthma attack:
Ask them: “Are you okay? Do you need your inhaler?”
The person will probably be able to give some sort of indication in response
If they need their inhaler:
Locate the inhaler
Put the medicine (metallic capsule pictured below) in the inhaler if it is not already in there, it will click into place
Shake the inhaler to activate the medicine
Attach the mouth piece if it’s unattached (not all inhalers have one, it is not pictured below)
Remove the cap (cap is darker blue piece pictured below)
Have the person put their head back
Put the inhaler in the person’s mouth
Push down on the canister and have them breathe out slowly
They should begin to feel relief immediately, but you should still have them sit down and take it easy for a while
Call 911 if they are still having difficulty breathing after the inhaler has been administered
Bee Sting
Usually bee stings present only mild irritation and pain. If the person stung has a severe allergic reaction, you will need to call 911.
Get a first aid kit
Scrape away the bee stinger and venom sack using a credit card or something similar in nature
Wash the affected area with lots of soap and running water
Wrap a bag of ice in a towel and place it over the affected area for 20 minutes or until the pain is gone
Watch the person for up to 30 minutes for signs of an allergic reaction
Call 911 if they present any classic allergy symptoms
Bleeding from Nose
Have the person lean their head forward
Get a First Aid kit
Or have someone else get one
Have the bleeding person apply pressure to the bridge of their nose using gauze from the First Aid kit
Do not remove the gauze if it’s bled through- this will remove any blood clots that have formed.
If the gauze is bled through, add more gauze on top until the bleeding stops
Call 911 if the bleeding lasts longer than 15 minutes
Heat Cramps/Dehydration
Can lead to heat exhaustion! These typically happen when someone is dehydrated and tries to do lots of physical activity.
Have the person sit down and cool off
Have them drink something with sugar and electrolytes
Water will work in a pinch but sugary drinks and gatorade are preferred
Heat Exhaustion
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
Have the person lie down
Cool the person by pouring water on them or wetting them with wet cloths until they begin to act normally
Have them drink something with sugar and electrolytes
Water will work in a pinch but sugary drinks and gatorade are preferred
Wait with them until help arrives
Opioid Overdose
My instructor said that these will often happen in an unsafe or an isolated environment. Always check to make sure that the scene is safe- look out for needles.
Naloxone is used to revive people who have overdosed on opioids. If you find someone who has overdosed on opioids you happen to have naloxone on you and know how to administer it, the American Heart Association recommends that you use it instead of waiting for help to arrive.
Seizures are abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Typical seizure symptoms: spasms, muscle rigidity, and unconsciousness. Seizures typically last between 60-90 seconds before the person gains consciousness.
Do NOT touch the person who is having a seizure
Do NOT put anything in their mouth
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
If there are people around, ask them to get a First Aid kit while you wait with the person having the seizure
Don’t leave the person having a seizure if you are alone
Move objects away from the person having the seizure so that they don’t knock into them
If possible, place a small towel/pad underneath the person’s head
If the person starts vomiting, turn them over on their side so that they don’t choke
If possible use gloves and an eye mask from a First Aid kit to avoid exposure to bodily fluids
After they come to, they may be bleeding from the mouth.
Use gauze from a First Aid kit to stop the bleeding
Have them apply pressure with the gauze until the bleeding stops
Stay with the person until help arrives
Splints
Splints should be significantly longer than the injured area. They’re used to constrict movement, so the person is injured should not be able to move freely once the splint is applied. Splints are use to treat broken/dislocated bones. It’s very difficult to tell if a bone is actually broken or just dislocated, so don’t worry about it and just splint the thing.
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
Get a First Aid kit
Both these steps can be delegated to someone else if they’re around
Put on gloves/eye glasses from the First Aid kit to avoid contamination from bodily fluids
Cover exposed wound area with gauze
Do not remove the gauze if it’s bled through- this will remove any blood clots that have formed.
If the gauze is bled through, add more gauze on top until the bleeding stops.
Place a strip of rigid material underneath the injured area
Use gauze/dressing from the First Aid kit to secure the splint by wrapping material above and below the injured area
Never tie material directly over the injury
Have the person stay as still as possible until help arrives
Stroke
Strokes are caused from blockage/bleeding from things like blood clots. Typical signs of a stroke: face drooping (or numbness), arm weakness (or numbness), and speech difficulty. There is nothing much you can do except wait with the person and try to make them comfortable until help arrives.
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
Note the time that the stroke symptoms began (this will help hospital technicians)
Stay with the person until help arrives
Tourniquets
Some First Aid kits will come with a pre-made tourniquet. If your kit does not have a tourniquet you can make one fairly easily. Tourniquets should only be used for injuries where the person is squirting blood. No squirting blood? Use a splint.
Call 911 and put the phone on speaker
Get a First Aid kit
Both these steps can be delegated to someone else if they’re around
Put on gloves/eye glasses from the First Aid kit to avoid contamination from bodily fluids
Fold cloth or a bandage so that it’s long and an inch wide
Wrap the the bandage/cloth two inches above the wound
Never apply a tourniquet bandage/cloth on a joint (like elbows or knees).
Find a small stick
Place the small stick atop the cloth/bandage and tie it there
You can now turn the small stick to tighten the cloth/bandage
Have the injured person lay down and try to move as little as possible
Do not remove the tourniquet- even if the bleeding stops.
