It was nice to see the PM announcing on TV on Monday night the government’s “Operation Namu”, the purpose of which is to try to stop the spread of dengue.

But please don’t spray the s**t out of everything while you are doing it! Some of us don’t want to get cancer either.

Not only will you kill more of the beneficial insects that took a long time to bounce back after the last spraying campaigns, but history also shows it does not work. So why keep doing it?

There are more effective means of preventing the spread of dengue: use mosquito nets when sleeping, trim your bushes, empty your water filled tyres and containers, fill in puddles, net your windows, wear trousers and long-sleeved clothing and use mosquito coils along with personal insect repellents.

It was horrifying to see the Ministry of Health last week not following its own rule about warning neighbours when they are spraying nearby.

Not all of us are happy about this. Some of us would rather get dengue than cancer. So please Ministry of Health, how about notifying neighbours when nearby residences get sprayed?

Some people grow their own vegetables at home and some leave their windows open. It’s also a good time not to hang out your washing.

When it comes to cancer or dengue – the choice is clear. Dengue: because there is a chance of recovery.

No to deadly chemicals

(Name and address supplied)