The Scientific American, a respected journal on scientific research, in its September 2010 issue has examined the steep price being paid for extra hours of sunshine in some countries. It has been reported in an upcoming study of the Journal of Economics and Statistics that examined the electricity consumption patterns from a 'natural experiment in Indiana where some regions observed daylight saving time while others did not. The regions that observed daylight saving consumed more electricity than those that did not due to use of fans and air-conditioners during extended summer days. Other studies revealed that switch to daylight saving may lead to more traffic accidents (it disrupts circadian rhythms leading to sleep deprivation), depression (a 2008 study showed that men are more likely to commit suicide in early weeks of daylight savings) and may even contribute to increased risk of heart attack incidence, (according to a Swedish study) with spikes from 5 to 10 percent in the first week after clocks are shifted forward. This is quite a price to pay for just following others in daylight saving. The government needs to reconsider its policy on the issue. -DR MUHAMMAD YAQOOB BHATTI, Lahore, September 17.