You don’t need to have read George Orwell, brilliant writer that he was, to know that the meaning and usage of words is critical. Since Orwell’s time there have been many examples of Newspeak, the mendacious language he invented in 1984, such as "collateral damage" for the killing of innocent civilians caught up in a war zone.

A recent item of news brought Orwell straight back to my mind. It seems that the NHS has made a short film to try to encourage teenagers to practise “safe sex” (whatever that means in Newspeak). Called Condom No Condom, the clips show teenagers preparing for a party. Watched by an unseen male character, the group visits a corner shop where they have the option to buy condoms. They proceed to a party where the male character meets a girl, flirts with her and then takes her upstairs where she lies back provocatively on a bed.