Toxic Treadmill

CPSC Announces New, Lower Limit for Lead Content in Children's Products

2011-07-16T11:55:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) voted (3-2) that there was insufficient evidence to make a determination that manufacturers of children's products sold in the United States could not meet a total lead content limit of 100 parts per million (ppm) for a product or product category. The new total lead content limit, which is called for in the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA), goes into effect on August 14, 2011 for manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors of children's products.

Through the CPSIA, Congress set tough new levels for lead content in products designed or primarily intended for children 12 and younger. Lead is a heavy metal that is toxic for children, and associated with lowered levels of learning, impaired hearing, brain damage and, at high levels, can be fatal.

Congress directed CPSC to phase in the reduced levels for lead content over a three year period, starting with 600 ppm on February 10, 2009. The level dropped to 300 ppm on August 14, 2009. Finally, Congress directed the total lead content limit be set at 100 ppm, unless the Commission determined it was not technologically feasible for a product or product category.

The Commission was not able to determine that 100 ppm total lead content is not technologically feasible, as staff found that materials containing less than 100 ppm total lead content are commercially available in the marketplace for manufacturers. CPSC staff also found many products currently on the market, that have been tested by CPSC or other organizations, that are already in compliance with the new 100 ppm total lead content limit.

Starting on August 14, 2011, manufacturers, importers, retailers and distributors of children's products must comply with the new 100 ppm federal limit for total lead content. CPSC will not enforce the CPSIA's independent third party testing requirement for total lead content until December 31, 2011, due to a stay of enforcement that is already in place.

The stay of enforcement does not apply to children's metal jewelry, which currently must undergo independent third party testing.

The new 100 ppm lead content limit does not apply to inaccessible (internal) parts of children's products and certain component parts of children's electronic devices, like electronic connectors and plugs, including headphone plugs.

Lead content levels for children's products are different from the levels Congress set for lead in paint or surface coatings. The limit for lead in paint or surface coatings is .009 percent. The .009 percent level has been in place since August 14, 2009 and independent third party testing is required for all paints or surfaces coatings used on children's products.

CPSC and HUD Issue Updated Remediation Protocol for Homes with Problem Drywall

2011-03-19T07:35:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) are issuing an updated remediation protocol for homes with problem drywall. A study conducted on behalf of CPSC by Sandia National Laboratories in New Mexico, finds no evidence of a safety hazard to home electrical systems. Sandia simulated long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gas, which is associated with problem drywall.

Based on this study, CPSC and HUD staff, representing the Interagency Task Force on Problem Drywall, are no longer recommending the removal of all electrical wiring in homes with problem drywall. This change in the government's protocol may reduce the cost of remediation for many homes.

After simulating more than 40 years of corrosive conditions that could exist in problem drywall homes, Sandia staff did not observe any acute or long-term electrical safety events, such as smoking or fire. Corrosion and blackening of the exposed electrical components did occur and was observed to be consistent with the characteristic corrosion reported to CPSC by thousands of consumers. Based on this study, it is the belief of the staffs of CPSC, HUD and Sandia that long-term exposure of wiring and other electrical components to hydrogen sulfide gases does not indicate a safety hazard to a home's electrical systems.

With these changes, the remediation guidance for homes with problem drywall calls for the replacement of all:
* problem drywall;
* fire safety alarm devices, including smoke and carbon monoxide alarms;
* electrical distribution components, including receptacles, switches and circuit breakers; and
* gas service piping and fire suppression sprinkler systems.

CPSC and HUD staffs are also issuing an updated identification guidance, which broadens the range of installation years of affected homes to include homes where drywall was installed as late as 2009. Importantly, the drywall installed in 2009 had been previously imported during the years 2006-2007 and does not represent any new importation of problem drywall.

The staffs of CPSC and HUD believe that following the updated identification and remediation protocols will enable homeowners to correctly identify homes containing problem drywall and comprehensively remediate those homes to address any potential health and safety issues associated with the problem drywall.

CPSC is in the final stages of completing its scientific investigation into problem drywall. For additional findings from the Interagency Drywall Task Force's investigation, visit www.DrywallResponse.gov

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FDA: Risk of oral birth defects in children born to mothers taking topiramate

2011-03-04T12:57:00.000-05:00

New data suggest that the drug Topamax (topiramate) and its generic versions increase the risk for the birth defects cleft lip and cleft palate in babies born to women who use the medication during pregnancy, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said today.

Before prescribing topiramate, approved to treat certain types of seizures in people who have epilepsy, health care professionals should warn patients of childbearing age about the potential hazard to the fetus if a woman becomes pregnant while using the drug.

Topiramate also is approved to prevent migraine headaches, but not to relieve the pain of migraines.

“Health care professionals should carefully consider the benefits and risks of topiramate when prescribing it to women of childbearing age,” said Russell Katz, M.D., director of the Division of Neurology Products in the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research. “Alternative medications that have a lower risk of birth defects should be considered.”

Cleft lip and cleft palate, collectively called oral clefts, are birth defects that occur when parts of the lip or palate do not completely fuse together early in the first trimester of pregnancy, a time when many women do not know they are pregnant. The defects range from a small notch in the lip to a groove that runs into the roof of the mouth and nose, possibly leading to problems with eating, talking, and to ear infections. Surgery often is performed to close the lip and palate and most children do well after treatment.

Data from the North American Antiepileptic Drug (AED) Pregnancy Registry indicate an increased risk of oral clefts in infants exposed to topiramate during the first trimester of pregnancy. Infants exposed to topiramate as a single therapy experienced a 1.4 percent prevalence of oral clefts, compared with a prevalence of 0.38 percent – 0.55 percent in infants exposed to other antiepileptic drugs.

Infants of mothers who did not have epilepsy and were not being treated with other antiepileptic drugs had a prevalence of 0.07 percent. Similar data from the United Kingdom Epilepsy and Pregnancy Register supported the North American AED Pregnancy Registry data.

Based on the data, topiramate will have a stronger warning in its prescribing information (labeling). The pregnancy category will be changed to Pregnancy Category D. This means that there is positive evidence of human fetal risk based on human data, but the potential benefits of the drug in pregnant women may outweigh the risks in certain situations. The FDA previously designated the drug as Pregnancy Category C because of the lack of human data. More information about the Pregnancy Categories can be found in the FDA’s Drug Safety Communication1.

The patient medication guide and prescribing information for Topamax and generic topiramate will be updated with the new information.

Before starting topiramate, pregnant women and women of childbearing potential should discuss other treatment options with their health care professional. Women taking topiramate should tell their health care professional immediately if they are planning to or become pregnant. Patients taking topiramate should not stop taking it unless told to do so by their health care professional.

Women who become pregnant while taking topiramate should talk to their health care professional about registering with the North American Antiepileptic Drug Pregnancy Registry2, a group that collects information about outcomes in infants born to women treated with antiepileptic drugs during pregnancy.

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Smoking Early in Pregnancy Raises Risk of Heart Defects in Infants

2011-02-28T13:01:00.000-05:00

Maternal cigarette smoking in the first trimester was associated with a 20 to 70 percent greater likelihood that a baby would be born with certain types of congenital heart defects, according to a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defects, contributing to approximately 30 percent of infant deaths from birth defects annually.

The study found an association between tobacco exposure and certain types of defects such as those that obstruct the flow of blood from the right side of the heart into the lungs (right ventricular outflow tract obstructions) and openings between the upper chambers of the heart (atrial septal defects). The study is in the Feb. 28 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

"Women who smoke and are thinking about becoming pregnant need to quit smoking and, if they're already pregnant, they need to stop," said CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., M.P.H. "Quitting is the single most important thing a woman can do to improve her health as well as the health of her baby."

Based on the findings of this and other studies, eliminating smoking before or very early in pregnancy could prevent as many as 100 cases of right ventricular outflow tract obstructions and 700 cases of atrial septal defects each year in the United States. For atrial septal defects alone, that could potentially save $16 million in hospital costs.

"Successfully stopping smoking during pregnancy also lowers the chances of pregnancy complications such as preterm delivery and that an infant will have other complications such as low birth weight," said Adolfo Correa, M.D., Ph.D., medical officer in CDC′s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

The findings from the study, "Maternal Smoking and Congenital Heart Defects in the Baltimore-Washington Infant Study," are based on a large population-based case-control study of congenital heart defects conducted in the United States; 2,525 case and 3,435 control infants born from 1981 to 1989 were included in this analysis.

Congenital heart defects are conditions present at birth that decrease the ability of the heart to work well, which can result in an increased likelihood of death or long-term disabilities. They affect nearly 40,000 infants in the United States every year.

It is estimated that right ventricular outflow tract obstructions affect approximately 2,500 infants per year and atrial septal defects affect approximately 5,600 infants per year in the United States. In 2004, U.S. hospital costs for all congenital heart defects were estimated at approximately $1.4 billion.

Source: PRNewswire

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FDA warns against certain uses of asthma drug terbutaline for preterm labor

2011-02-23T14:58:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that terbutaline administered by injection or through an infusion pump should not be used in pregnant women for prevention or prolonged (beyond 48-72 hours) treatment of preterm labor due to the potential for serious maternal heart problems and death. In addition, oral terbutaline tablets should not be used for prevention or treatment of preterm labor. The FDA is requiring the addition of a Boxed Warning and Contraindication to the drug prescribing information (labeling) to warn against these uses.

Terbutaline is FDA-approved to prevent and treat narrowing of the airways (bronchospasm) associated with asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. The drug is used off-label for obstetric purposes, including treating preterm labor and treating uterine hyperstimulation. Terbutaline has also been used in an attempt to prevent recurrent preterm labor. There is no evidence, however, that use of terbutaline to prevent preterm labor improves infant outcomes. Serious adverse events, including maternal deaths, have been reported with such use in pregnant patients.

“Women should be aware that serious and sometimes fatal side effects have been reported after prolonged use of terbutaline in pregnant women,” said Scott Monroe, M.D., director of FDA’s Division of Reproductive and Urologic Products. “It is important for patients and health care professionals to consider all the potential risks and known benefits of any drug before deciding on its use.”

The FDA is aware that administration of terbutaline by injection to pregnant women is used in hospital settings in certain urgent situations. The FDA warning relates to safety concerns about the prolonged use of terbutaline injection beyond 48-72 hours, and against any use of oral terbutaline in pregnant women for prevention or treatment of preterm labor.

The decision to require a Boxed Warning and Contraindication is based on the FDA’s review of post-market safety reports of heart problems and even death associated with terbutaline use for obstetric indications, as well as data from medical literature documenting the lack of safety and effectiveness of terbutaline for preventing preterm labor, and animal data suggesting potential risks. Based on this information, the FDA concluded that the risk of serious adverse events outweighs any potential benefit to pregnant patients for either prolonged use of terbutaline injection beyond 48-72 hours or use of oral terbutaline for prevention or treatment of preterm labor.

These changes to the drug labeling are consistent with statements from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists discouraging use of terbutaline for preventing preterm labor.

There are multiple generic versions of terbutaline oral tablets and injectable formulations available. The brand name products were previously discontinued by the companies that made them.

The FDA encourages patients to talk to their health care professional if they have concerns about any treatment they are receiving. Patients and health care professionals should report any side effects from the use of terbutaline to the FDA’s MedWatch adverse event reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch1.

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FDA Review Indicates Possible Association Between Breast Implants and a Rare Cancer

2011-01-26T11:44:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced a possible association between saline and silicone gel-filled breast implants and anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a very rare type of cancer. Data reviewed by the FDA suggest that patients with breast implants may have a very small but significant risk of ALCL in the scar capsule adjacent to the implant.

The FDA is requesting that health care professionals report any confirmed cases of ALCL in women with breast implants.

In an effort to ensure that patients receiving breast implants are informed of the possible risk, FDA will be working with breast implant manufacturers in the coming months to update their product labeling materials for patients and health care professionals.

"We need more data and are asking that health care professionals tell us about any confirmed cases they identify," said William Maisel, M.D., M.P.H., chief scientist and deputy director for science in FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "We are working with the American Society of Plastic Surgeons and other experts in the field to establish a breast implant patient registry, which should help us better understand the development of ALCL in women with breast implants."

According to the National Cancer Institute, ALCL appears in different parts of the body including the lymph nodes and skin. Each year ALCL is diagnosed in about 1 out of 500,000 women in the United States. ALCL located in breast tissue is found in only about 3 out of every 100 million women nationwide without breast implants.

In total, the agency is aware of about 60 cases of ALCL in women with breast implants worldwide. This number is difficult to verify because not all cases were published in the scientific literature and some may be duplicate reports. An estimated 5 million to 10 million women worldwide have breast implants.

The FDA notification is based on a review of scientific literature published between January 1997 and May 2010 and information from other international regulators, scientists, and breast implant manufacturers. The literature review identified 34 unique cases of ALCL in women with both saline and silicone breast implants.

Most cases reviewed by the FDA were diagnosed when patients sought medical treatment for implant-related symptoms such as pain, lumps, swelling, or asymmetry that developed after their initial surgical sites were fully healed. These symptoms were due to collection of fluid (peri-implant seroma), hardening of breast area around the implant (capsular contracture), or masses surrounding the breast implant. Examination of the fluid and capsule surrounding the breast implant led to the ALCL diagnosis.

The FDA is recommending that health care professionals and women pay close attention to breast implants and do the following:

* Health care professionals are requested to report all confirmed cases of ALCL in women with breast implants to Medwatch, the FDA's safety information and adverse event reporting program. Report online at http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/default.htm or by calling 800-332-1088.
* Health care professionals should consider the possibility of ALCL if a patient has late onset, persistent fluid around the implant (peri-implant seroma). In cases of implant seroma, send fresh seroma fluid for pathology tests to rule out ALCL.
* There is no need for women with breast implants to change their routine medical care and follow-up. ALCL is very rare; it has occurred in only a very small number of the millions of women who have breast implants. Although not specific to ALCL, health care providers should follow standard medical recommendations.
* Women should monitor their breast implants and contact their doctor if they notice any changes.
* Women who are considering breast implant surgery should discuss the risks and benefits with their health care provider.

The FDA published its literature review in a document posted on FDA's website site today titled "Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL) in Women with Breast Implants: Preliminary FDA Findings and Analyses."

The FDA also plans to provide an update on its review of silicone gel-filled breast implants in the spring of 2011. This update will include interim findings from ongoing post-approval studies for silicone gel-filled breast implants currently sold in the United States, adverse event reports submitted to the FDA, and a review of the scientific literature on these products.

For more information:

ALCL and Breast Implants

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm239995.htm

Breast Implant Consumer Information

http://www.fda.gov/MedicalDevices/ProductsandMedicalProcedures/ImplantsandProsthetics/BreastImplants/ucm063717.htm

ALCL and Breast Implants Consumer Article

http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm240985.htm

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Bath Salts: For Bathing or the Latest High?

2011-01-18T12:58:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Some bath salts – with names like Ocean Burst and Ivory Wave – aren't really for bathing. Rather, they are the latest high for naive teens and young adults as well as established drug abusers.

"Fake cocaine and fake meth are laced in bath salts and sold legally on the Internet and in convenience stores, gas stations, truck stops and head shops in most states. This newest boutique chemical substance is being used for a narcotic effect and often sends users to emergency rooms," warns Greg L. Jones, M.D., addiction medicine physician at Willingway Hospital, an alcohol and drug abuse treatment center in Statesboro, Ga.

According to Dr. Jones, manufacturers are using engineered molecules similar to controlled substances in the fake bath salts, which are labeled 'not for consumption,' to skirt the law. The molecules are derivatives of two controlled substances –MDPV (methylenedioxypyrovalerone, which is similar to Ritalin, but more potent) and mephedrone (an amphetamine-like drug). Also known as party salts and party powders, fake bath salts are snorted or ingested to create a stimulant, narcotic effect like that of cocaine.

"Users are snorting and ingesting the fake bath salts as a stimulant, to create a sense of euphoria and to stay up and party longer," Dr. Jones explains. "However, it can increase pulse and blood pressure to dangerous levels and cause delirium and confusion."

People using the bath salts as a narcotic have been treated for paranoia, hallucinations, agitation, hypertension, chest pain and headaches.

"Drug-naive teens and college students are showing up in ERs across the country because they purchased and used these products. They probably think that since they didn't buy them from a drug-dealer that they aren't as dangerous as the real thing, so they load up on them and reach a toxic state," Dr. Jones said.

As attention is being drawn to this latest drug abuse fad, Dr. Jones predicts that, as Willingway Hospital is now doing, facilities will be adding questions about use of party powders and fake bath salts to their drug and alcohol history questionnaires. And, more prevalent use is leading to a ban of these products, such as in Louisiana where two weeks ago, Governor Bobby Jindal announced that the so-called bath salts are now defined as illegal narcotics under State of Louisiana law.

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Survey: Exposure to Anti-Drug Messages Among Teens Drops Dramatically by Two-Thirds as Drug Use Goes Up

2011-01-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The University of Michigan's Monitoring the Future study (MTF) – the largest survey on teen drug abuse tracking over 46,000 8th, 10th and 12th graders – found a huge falloff in teens' recalled exposure to drug abuse prevention messages over the past seven years. The new data from the MTF study have been released at a time when teens themselves report finding the drug-prevention messages to be effective.

Comparing 2003, the year in which kids and teens' recalled exposure to drug prevention messages from the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP)'s National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign (NYADMC) peaked, to today, the proportion of 8th graders that reported daily/or more often exposure dropped from 54 percent to 18 percent, a dramatic decrease of two-thirds among the youngest group surveyed. Similar declines occurred among 10th graders (50 percent in 2003 to 17 percent in 2010) and 12th graders (32 percent to 10 percent). According to Lloyd Johnston, the principal investigator of the study, the rates of teens' recalled exposure of drug abuse prevention messages are lower in 2010 than they have been since his research team began tracking all three grades nearly two decades ago.

"At a time when teen drug use is at relatively low levels, historically, and children are not learning as much through the news media about the health consequences of using many dangerous drugs, it is important that we get that information to them by other means – through prevention ads, in schools and through their families," said Johnston. "If they don't get those messages, teens will come to view drug use as less dangerous than their predecessors did and that misconception will leave them vulnerable to having their own epidemics of drug abuse. In fact, we are already seeing these signs beginning to happen now for teen use of drugs like marijuana, Ecstasy and LSD."

Support for prevention programs like the state grants portion of the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Program, which was zeroed out in the 2011 budget, and the federal NYADMC, has dwindled significantly over the past decade. In fiscal year 2003, which marked the peak year for recalled exposure of drug abuse prevention messages among teens, federal support of the NYADMC was $145 million, compared to only $45 million for fiscal year 2010. The kinds of extracurricular activities – programs in sports, civics and the arts – that states and localities have funded to engage kids' positive energies and help prevent substance abuse continue to collapse under relentless budgetary pressure.

"Our prevention infrastructure is disappearing before our eyes and the result of all this is not fair, but it's undeniable: the additional burden is increasingly falling on the shoulders of parents and caregivers," said Steve Pasierb, President of The Partnership at Drugfree.org. "The slashing of funds and lack of support, coupled with the discussion of further cuts for effective prevention programs, are going to have a direct impact on the 35 million American families with children at risk of abusing drugs or alcohol."

Teens Seeing/Hearing Less Drug-Prevention Messages, But Find Them Effective

While recalled exposure among teens is down significantly, perceived effectiveness of the drug-prevention messages did not reflect the same dramatic drops and, for the most part, remained constant. Between 2003 and today, the proportion of 8th, 10th, and 12th graders that agreed "the commercials made them, to a great extent, less favorable toward drugs" remained fairly stable. Among 8th graders, 42 percent in 2003 and 36 percent in 2010; among 10th graders, 26 percent in 2003 and 23 percent in 2010; and among 12th graders 22 percent in 2003 and 21 percent in 2010.

Similarly, the percentage of teens who agreed that drug-prevention messages made them less likely to use drugs in the future also remained stable, although they reported they are exposed to fewer messages.

"There is evidence of a correlation between decreased drug use among teens and their exposure to drug abuse prevention messages," said Pasierb. "The alarming drops in the number of messages teens are seeing or hearing today is especially disturbing because the kids themselves report these messages are effective in keeping them from using drugs."

Increases in Teen Use of Illicit Drugs Correlate with Decreased Support for Anti-Drug Messages

The MTF survey also measures teen attitudes about drug and alcohol use, including perceived harmfulness and disapproval, factors that can predict future substance abuse. The perception among teens that regular marijuana use is harmful decreased among 10th and 12th graders, but declined the most among the youngest group of 8th graders. The study also confirmed a new uptick in teen Ecstasy use, especially, among 8th and 10th graders, following drastic declines of this drug of abuse over the past decade. As teen anti-drug attitudes erode and move in the wrong direction, increases in drug use are sure to follow.

"While we recognize the current constraints on the federal budget, we urge Congress to fund ONDCP's National Youth Media Campaign at the highest possible level and restore the funding cuts that have eroded the impact of this program and have most likely contributed to increases in teen drug abuse," said Pasierb. "We would welcome the opportunity to work with Congress and the Administration to increase the frequency with which teens receive anti-drug messages, while demanding full accountability for the program and its outcomes."

The National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign, administered by ONDCP, is aimed at reducing drug use among American teens. The Partnership at Drugfree.org assists in facilitating the creative development of the drug abuse prevention messages used by the NYADMC.

To learn more about how to help parents prevent, intervene in and find treatment for drug and alcohol use by their children, please visit drugfree.org

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Fed Delays on Alcohol Labeling Stymieing National Policies on Alcohol and Obesity

2010-12-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The National Consumers League (NCL) has once again called on the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) to issue a final rule to improve alcohol beverage labeling.

"The drinking public needs certain basic information on beer, wine, and spirits labels," said NCL Executive Director Sally Greenberg. "With a severe nationwide obesity epidemic, there is no excuse for not having calories listed on all alcohol beverage labels. Consumers also need clear information about alcohol content in order to drink responsibly."

Seven years ago, the National Consumers League petitioned TTB to require an "Alcohol Facts" panel on labels of beer, wine, and distilled spirits. More than 3 years ago, TTB proposed a watered-down version of "Alcohol Facts," which it called "Serving Facts," but has still not issued a final rule.

"The Alcohol Facts panel was intended to provide all the information consumers need in one location, clearly and concisely," said Greenberg. "It would be like the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels, except that it would provide the information relevant to alcoholic beverages." NCL asked that the "Alcohol Facts" panel include serving size, the number of calories per serving, alcohol content information (including the amount of alcohol per serving, the definition of a "standard drink," and the number of standard drinks per container), and ingredient information.

"The nine college students who went to an emergency room for alcohol poisoning after drinking too much of a caffeinated alcoholic beverage earlier this year may not have realized just how much alcohol they were consuming," added Greenberg. "Maybe if the standard drinks per container had been required to appear on the labels, they wouldn't have made that mistake."

TTB's inaction on Alcohol Facts labeling is also interfering with other important public health objectives. A new law requires nutrition labeling of foods and beverages served in chain restaurants and bars, including alcoholic beverages, but there is no approved method for measuring certain nutrients in alcohol and TTB has provided the industry with no guidance. If the Alcohol Facts panel were required, restaurants and bars could simply use the information on the product label.

The lack of calorie and alcohol information on beer, wine, and spirits labels is also an obstacle to application of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. The Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services will soon issue the 2010 Dietary Guidelines, but, without calorie and alcohol information on product labels, consumers still will not be able to follow its recommendations on weight control and alcohol consumption.

"Label reform for alcoholic beverages is a no brainer," according to Greenberg. "What is TTB waiting for?"

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FDA says Tessalon liquid cough capsules pose risk for young children

2010-12-15T11:38:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that accidental ingestion of Tessalon (benzonatate) by children younger than 10 years can result in serious side effects or death.

Tessalon, approved by the FDA to treat symptomatic relief of cough in patients older than 10, may attract younger children because of the drug’s candy-like appearance – a round, liquid-filled gelatin capsule. The safety and effectiveness of benzonatate in children younger than 10 years has not been established.

“Benzonatate should be kept in a child-resistant container and stored out of reach of children," said Carol Holquist, R.Ph., director of FDA’s Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis. “The FDA encourages health care professionals to talk with their patients and those caring for children about the risk of accidental ingestion or overdose.”

A review of the FDA’s Adverse Event Reporting System database from 1982 through May 2010 identified seven cases of accidental ingestion associated with benzonatate in children younger than 10. Five of the cases resulted in death in children ages 2 years and younger. Overdose with benzonatate in children younger than 2 years has been reported following accidental ingestion of only one or two benzonatate capsules.

Common adverse events reported in the overdose cases included cardiac arrest, coma, and convulsion. Signs and symptoms of overdose can occur within 15-20 minutes of ingestion. Some of the deaths reported in children have been within hours of the accidental ingestion.

The FDA is also adding a new Warning and Precaution section to the benzonatate drug label to warn health care professionals about accidental ingestion resulting in overdose and death in children younger than 10.

Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse side effects or medication errors from the use of benzonatate to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 800-332-1088.

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Surgeon General's Report Dramatically Demonstrates Immediate Harm From Smoking and Secondhand Smoke

2010-12-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire-/ -- The following is a statement of Matthew L. Myers, President, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids:

The U.S. Surgeon General's report released today provides dramatic new evidence that smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke cause immediate harm to the human body, triggering physical changes that lead to cancer, heart attacks, lung disease and many other serious illnesses, including damage to the reproductive systems of both men and women.

The report also concludes that design changes to cigarettes, such as filter ventilation, flavoring agents and added chemical ingredients, have over time made them more addictive. Today's cigarettes deliver nicotine more efficiently to the brain, addicting kids more quickly and making it harder for smokers to quit. The tobacco industry's decades-long effort to finely engineer cigarettes, along with its use of deceptive (and now-banned) cigarette descriptions such as "light" and "low-tar," have undermined smoking prevention and cessation efforts, the report says.

Nearly 50 years after the first Surgeon General's report on tobacco was released in 1964, this latest report is a stark reminder of how lethal and addictive smoking truly is, with every cigarette doing you damage. It sends an unmistakable message to elected officials at all levels that reducing smoking is one of the most effective actions we can take to improve the nation's health and prevent some of the most deadly and costly diseases in our society.

The report also sends important messages to America's kids and smokers. If you do not smoke, don't start. If you do smoke, try to quit immediately and get the help you need to succeed. This is true not only for regular smokers, but also for the 22 percent of smokers who do not smoke every day and to those who consider themselves only "social" smokers and may think they are not at risk. This report's message is clear: You are at risk. There is no risk-free level of exposure to tobacco smoke, and you don't have to be a heavy or long-time smoker to develop a smoking-related disease.

The report underscores the importance of actions that we know work to prevent kids from starting to smoke, help smokers quit and protect everyone's right to breathe clean air, free of the hundreds of toxic chemicals in secondhand smoke. Despite progress in making workplaces and public spaces smoke-free, four in ten non-smokers – and more than half of children between 3 and 11 – are still exposed to secondhand smoke, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. No one should have to breathe secondhand smoke at work or in public places, and parents should ensure that homes, cars and other places frequented by children are smoke-free.

Federal, state and local policymakers must redouble their efforts to implement proven measures that reduce tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke.

The federal government must fund and aggressively implement the new tobacco prevention plan that Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced last month. The plan includes a national media campaign to prevent kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit; expanded assistance and health insurance coverage for smokers trying to quit; effective regulation of tobacco products and marketing; and accelerated research to enhance strategies to reduce tobacco use.

The Food and Drug Administration must continue to vigorously exercise its new authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing and sale of tobacco products to keep these harmful products away from our children and reduce their devastating effects on public health.

The states must step up their efforts to reduce tobacco use by increasing tobacco taxes, enacting smoke-free workplace laws and fully funding tobacco prevention and cessation programs at levels recommended by the CDC. Unfortunately, states have slashed funding for tobacco prevention programs by 28 percent in the past three years and now fund such programs at the lowest level since 1999, when they first received funds from the settlement of state lawsuits against the tobacco industry. The states this year (Fiscal Year 2011) will collect $25.3 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only two percent of it — $517.9 million — on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit.

The Surgeon General's report details the serious health effects of even brief exposure to tobacco smoke. It concludes that:

* Tobacco smoke contains more than 7,000 chemicals and compounds, including hundreds that are toxic and at least 70 that cause cancer.
* Every exposure to the cancer-causing chemicals in tobacco smoke can damage DNA in a way that leads to cancer.
* Exposure to secondhand smoke has an immediate adverse impact on the cardiovascular system, damaging blood vessels, making blood more likely to clot and increasing risks for heart attack and stroke.
* Smoking makes it harder for women to get pregnant and can cause miscarriage, premature birth and low birth weight. It also harms male fertility.

The Surgeon General's report provides the grim details of how tobacco use kills more than 400,000 Americans each year and costs almost $100 billion in health care expenditures. It underscores the need for political will and urgent action to win the fight against tobacco.

The report, titled "How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease," can be found at: www.surgeongeneral.gov.

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Darvon and Darvocet: Risks Outweigh the Benefits

2010-11-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

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Some "Lead-Free" Pottery Can Still Taint Food

2010-11-19T21:30:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Colorful pottery may look nice on the dining room table. But beware: it can cause serious harm if it can contaminate food placed in it with lead.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says it has confirmed reports that traditional ceramic pottery made by several manufacturers in Mexico -- and labeled "lead free" -- in fact contains lead.

Learn about this pottery, and steps you can take to detect it, at http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm233531.htm.

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Beware of the Break Up Email

2010-11-19T09:29:00.000-05:00

What fun! Today, I received a delightful email which immediately went into the trash. It appears the writer of the email worded it in a decidedly hostile manner.

What was so fun about the email was it was allegedly addressed to the young female who was his, er, partner. Then why was the email addressed to so many recipients?

In the email, the writer has promised to upload any and all acts online so the world can enjoy their alleged antics. Wow. If so many recipients have been so intimately involved with the writer of the email, then he was one busy character. No wonder he had to send it to any mailbox he could. He couldn't remember their names!

Scam? I think so. Trash? I know so.

Beware of any email that trashes the alleged recipient. You don't want to be a victim of malware.

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Violent Pornography Linked to Sexually Aggressive Behavior in Children and Adolescents

2010-11-18T13:13:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Viewing violent x-rated material may contribute to sexually aggressive behavior among 10-17 year olds. X-rated material without violent content does not appear to have the same impact, finds a new study conducted by Internet Solutions for Kids and funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Published in Aggressive Behavior, the study is expected to be highly influential. "Because of the obvious ethical problems of purposefully exposing kids to pornography," Dr. Michele Ybarra, the primary author of the study, explains, "little was known before about how viewing x-rated material may be related to sexual aggression in children. We asked kids whether they had looked at x-rated material before, and then looked to see if the kids who said 'yes' were more likely to also say that they were sexually aggressive."

The study finds that youth who look at violent x-rated material are six times more likely to report forcing someone to do something sexual online or in-person versus kids not exposed to x-rated material. Watching violent pornography does not always lead to sexual aggression and not all sexual aggressors have been exposed to pornography, Ybarra cautions; nor does the study prove that violent x-rated material causes sexual aggression.

Exposure to Internet pornography is relatively common. Findings from the Youth Internet Safety Survey – 2 indicate that 15% of 12-17 year olds have purposefully looked at x-rated material online. Data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project suggest that 70% of 15-17 year-old Internet users accidentally view pornography "very" or "somewhat" often. Nevertheless, Ybarra's study also finds that the Internet is not the most common source of x-rated material – even violent x-rated material. Fourteen percent looked at x-rated material in movies, 12% in magazines, and 11% online.

"There's an assumption out there that the Internet has somehow increased kids' exposures to deviant content. Our data don't support this. We're learning that just because content that we find disturbing is accessible online, doesn't mean kids will seek it out," Ybarra explains. She agrees that blocking and filtering software will likely prevent exposure to violent x-rated material online. "But, these things won't do anything to prevent exposure through magazines and movies. That's why it's important to talk to your kids also."

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FDA Warning Letters issued to four makers of caffeinated alcoholic beverages

2010-11-17T20:25:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned four companies that the caffeine added to their malt alcoholic beverages is an “unsafe food additive” and said that further action, including seizure of their products, is possible under federal law.

The companies receiving Warning Letters and their products are:

• Charge Beverages Corp.: Core High Gravity HG, Core High Gravity HG Orange, and Lemon Lime Core Spiked
• New Century Brewing Co., LLC: Moonshot
• Phusion Projects, LLC (doing business as Drink Four Brewing Co.): Four Loko
• United Brands Company Inc.: Joose and Max

FDA’s action follows a scientific review by the Agency. FDA examined the published peer-reviewed literature on the co-consumption of caffeine and alcohol, consulted with experts in the fields of toxicology, neuropharmacology, emergency medicine, and epidemiology, and reviewed information provided by product manufacturers. FDA also performed its own independent laboratory analysis of these products.

“FDA does not find support for the claim that the addition of caffeine to these alcoholic beverages is ‘generally recognized as safe,’ which is the legal standard,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, Principal Deputy Commissioner. “To the contrary, there is evidence that the combinations of caffeine and alcohol in these products pose a public health concern.”

Experts have raised concerns that caffeine can mask some of the sensory cues individuals might normally rely on to determine their level of intoxication. The FDA said peer-reviewed studies suggest that the consumption of beverages containing added caffeine and alcohol is associated with risky behaviors that may lead to hazardous and life-threatening situations.

The agency said the products named in the Warning Letters are being marketed in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FFDCA). Each Warning Letter requests that the recipient inform the FDA in writing within 15 days of the specific steps that will be taken to remedy the violation and prevent its recurrence. If a company does not believe its products are in violation of the FFDCA, it may present its reasoning and any supporting information as well.

If the FDA believes that the violation continues to exist, the agency may pursue an enforcement action that could include seizure of the products or an injunction to prevent the firm from continuing to produce the product until the violation has been corrected.

FDA’s action today follows a November 2009 request to manufacturers to provide information on the safety of adding caffeine to their products.

FDA is aware that on November 16, Phusion Projects, LLC, the maker of Four Loko, announced its intention to remove caffeine and other stimulants from its drinks. FDA views this announcement as a positive step. FDA has not yet heard officially from the company about this announcement, including how quickly it will remove present product from circulation and how quickly it will reformulate its product. FDA intends to work with Phusion Projects, LLC and the other manufacturers to assure their products meet safety standards.

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New Report: States Slash Funding for Tobacco Prevention Programs to Lowest Level Since Tobacco Settlement

2010-11-17T12:03:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire-/ -- The states have slashed funding for programs to reduce tobacco use to the lowest level since 1999, when they first received tobacco settlement funds, according to a report released today by a coalition of public health organizations.

The states this year (Fiscal Year 2011) will collect $25.3 billion in revenue from the tobacco settlement and tobacco taxes, but will spend only two percent of it – $517.9 million – on programs to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. The states have cut funding for such programs by nine percent ($51.4 million) in the past year and by 28 percent ($199.3 million) in the past three years.

With the U.S. adult smoking rate stalled at 20.6 percent after decades of decline, the report warns that continued progress against tobacco use – the nation's number one cause of preventable death – is at risk unless states increase funding for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The report also calls on states to increase tobacco taxes and, for states that have yet to do so, to enact strong smoke-free laws that apply to all workplaces, restaurants and bars.

The report further calls on the federal government to robustly fund and implement the national tobacco prevention strategy unveiled last week by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including launching a national media campaign to discourage kids from smoking and encourage smokers to quit.

The report, titled "A Broken Promise to Our Children: The 1998 State Tobacco Settlement 12 Years Later," was released by the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Lung Association and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. These organizations have issued annual reports assessing whether the states have kept their promise to use funds from the state tobacco settlements – estimated to total $246 billion over the first 25 years – to fight tobacco use.

"We know how to win the fight against tobacco, but we will not win it unless elected officials at all levels step up efforts to implement proven solutions," said Matthew L. Myers, President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids. "Despite their budgetary challenges, the states are collecting huge sums from the tobacco industry and should be spending more of it to prevent kids from smoking and help smokers quit. Tobacco prevention is a smart investment for the states that saves lives and saves money by reducing tobacco-related health care costs."

Other findings of this year's report include:

* Most states are falling far short of meeting recommended funding levels for tobacco prevention programs set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The $517.9 million the states have budgeted amounts to just 14 percent of the $3.7 billion the CDC recommends for all the states combined.
* Counting both state funds and federal grants, only two states – Alaska and North Dakota – currently fund tobacco prevention programs at CDC-recommended levels. Only five other states provide even half the recommended funding, while 33 states and DC provide less than a quarter. Three states – Nevada, New Hampshire and Ohio – provide zero state funds for tobacco prevention this year.
* Tobacco companies spend nearly $25 to market tobacco products for every $1 the states spend to fight tobacco use. According to the latest data from the Federal Trade Commission, tobacco companies spend $12.8 billion a year on marketing.
* Federal grants, most of them temporary, have helped to cushion the impact of funding cuts in some states. In the past year, the federal government has provided $261.6 million in state and community grants specifically dedicated to reducing tobacco use (the grants are spread over three fiscal years, so not all the money will be spent in fiscal 2011).

The report comes as recent surveys have found that smoking declines in the United States have slowed and even stalled. The CDC recently reported that the adult smoking rate in 2009 was 20.6 percent – essentially unchanged since 2004 when 20.9 percent smoked. While smoking among high school students has declined by 46 percent from a high of 36.4 percent in 1997, 19.5 percent still smoke.

"We know that much of what helps us live longer, healthier lives happens outside the doctor's office," said Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. "With progress on smoking rates stalled, it's more important than ever for states to focus on community prevention programs and policies that work – like smoke-free restaurants and workplaces and adequate funding to prevent kids from starting and to help smokers quit."

"For every step forward in curbing tobacco use among Americans, many states have taken two steps backwards," said American Heart Association CEO Nancy Brown. "The public health community is appalled at the lack of commitment among a vast majority of states to adequately fund comprehensive tobacco prevention and cessation programs with the settlement dollars. As tobacco companies devise new tactics to increase smoking rates among children and adults, it's more important than ever to protect Americans from the dangers of tobacco use and give smokers the necessary tools to reduce their risk for heart disease, stroke and other smoking-related illnesses."

"Fully funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs stop addiction before it starts and improve the health of our nation's communities," said John R. Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. "Given the record low amount that states are allocating to these important programs, they simply must do a better job at properly allocating funding that helps reduce tobacco use and protects the health of children, 4,100 of whom try their first cigarette every day."

"States have a responsibility to prevent people from starting to smoke and to ensure that all smokers have easy access to cessation treatments and services as the human and financial toll of tobacco continues to rise," said Charles D. Connor, American Lung Association President and CEO. "Preventing kids from smoking and helping smokers quit saves lives and money."

Tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke kill more than 400,000 people in the United States each year and cost the nation more than $96 billion in health care bills. Every day, another 1,000 kids become regular smokers – one-third of them will die prematurely as a result.

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Watchdog Calls for State Bans on Alcoholic Energy Drinks

2010-11-17T10:02:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- While applauding expected actions by the Food and Drug Administration and Federal Trade Commission against dangerous alcoholic energy drinks, Marin Institute, the alcohol industry watchdog, called for strong state action as well.

In the wake of increased media attention to the grave risks of combining caffeine with high-alcohol content, states have taking swift stands. In the past 2 weeks alone, four states – Michigan, Oklahoma, Washington, and New York— have shown leadership by banning the products or suspending their sale, while many more states are planning similar actions.

"State-level product bans will continue to be necessary to get the products off of store shelves," explained Michele Simon, Marin Institute's research and policy director and co-author of the 2007 report. "States are the primary regulators of alcoholic beverages and have full authority to ban alcoholic energy drinks whether by regulatory or legislative action, or through attorney general enforcement," Simon added.

Marin Institute first sounded the alarm about alcoholic energy drinks in 2007, with its groundbreaking report, Alcohol, Energy Drinks, and Youth: A Dangerous Mix. The report describes both the health risks and how companies market these products to youth.

"We are thrilled that the federal government is taking action," said Simon. "We have maintained all along that these products contain illegal additives in the form of caffeine and other stimulants and that they are being deceptively marketed to youth."

For the past several years, Marin Institute has called on companies to stop making these products, for states to ban or restrict them, and for the federal government to act as well. Most recently, Marin Institute directed more than 1,200 emails from around the country calling on FDA to ban alcoholic energy drinks. In 2010, Marin Institute backed legislation in Washington State, California, and New York to ban the tainted products.

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1 in 10 Americans Touched by Bed Bug Problem

2010-11-16T19:35:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Despite media reports that make it seem like the country has been overrun by bed bugs, most Americans seem to be taking this latest scare in stride, with about one in ten respondents in a nationwide survey saying they or someone they know has had a bed bug problem. That number was higher (nearly 2 out of 10) among survey respondents from the Northeast, where cities like New York City have been particularly hard-hit with bed bug infestations.

Regional differences aside, the country was fairly evenly split in terms of their bed bug concerns. Just under half said they were concerned about picking up bed bugs, while half were not, according to the survey conducted by Infogroup/ORC on behalf of Enforcer® Brand pest control products.

"Bed bugs can be a problem anywhere – from big cities to small towns, from coast to coast, and in a variety of settings," says Mari Hayes, VP, Product Development & Marketing, Zep Retail (manufacturer of Enforcer brand products), noting that 25 percent of survey respondents are only afraid of picking up bed bugs when staying at a hotel and nine percent think bed bugs are only a real problem in big cities like New York City. "Fortunately, there are things you can do to avoid them from the start and to eliminate them if you get them."

What People are Doing to Avoid Bed Bugs

Many survey respondents admit to altering their behavior in and outside the home in response to recent reports about bed bug infestations:

* 22 percent have started checking their beds, furniture, clothes and rugs for evidence of bed bugs on a regular basis.
* 21 percent have started washing their clothes and bed linens in extremely hot water and drying them on super-high heat in an attempt to kill bugs that may or may not be there.
* 16 percent are avoiding establishments because they're afraid of picking up bed bugs and bringing them home.
* 13 percent have stopped traveling to hotels or cities with known bed bug problems.
* 12 percent are avoiding people they know who have had a bed bug problem.

"Clearly, people are getting concerned about potential bed bug infestations," comments Hayes. "As we enter the holiday travel, shopping and entertainment season, it will be interesting to see how hotels, stores, theaters and other establishments are coping with a potential downturn in business."

Extreme Measures Considered

While 11 percent of those surveyed said bed bugs are "almost impossible to get rid of," many of the respondents said they would be likely to try a variety of methods – some more extreme than others – to stave off an infestation:

* 52 percent would buy mattress wraps that protect against bed bugs.
* 35 percent would hire a professional to take care of the problem, no matter what the cost.
* 27 percent would blast their home with super-high heat to kill any bed bugs that might be lurking.
* 18 percent would cover all their upholstered furniture with plastic slip covers.
* 13 percent would even go so far as to get a bed bug-sniffing dog to warn them at the first sign of infestation.

"Although some of these measures may seem extreme, they are all effective when used as part of a comprehensive bed bug elimination program," says Hayes. "In fact, there are a number of steps people need to take to eradicate bed bugs from their homes, and it appears as if the people surveyed are aware of many of them."

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, those necessary bed bug elimination steps include:

* Inspecting infested areas, plus surrounding living spaces.
* Checking for bed bugs on luggage and clothes when returning home from a trip.
* Looking for bed bugs or signs of infestation on secondhand items before bringing the items home.
* Correctly identifying the pest.
* Keeping records – including dates when and locations where pests are found.
* Cleaning all items within a bed bug infested living area.
* Reducing clutter where bed bugs can hide.
* Eliminating bed bug habitats.
* Physically removing bed bugs through cleaning.
* Using pesticides carefully according to the label directions.
* Following up inspections and possible treatments.
* Raising awareness through education on prevention of bed bugs.
* Washing and drying bedding and clothing at high temperatures to kill bed bugs.
* Heat infested articles and/or areas through to at least 113 degrees F (45 degrees C) for 1 hour. The higher the temperature, the shorter the time needed to kill bed bugs at all life stages.
* Cold treatments (below 0 degrees F (-19 degrees C) for at least 4 days) can eliminate some infestations. Again, the cooler the temperature, the less time needed to kill bed bugs.
* Use mattress, box spring, and pillow encasements to trap bed bugs and help detect infestations.

Bed Bugs: Myths vs. Facts

The survey found that some people are operating under a number of misconceptions when it comes to bed bugs:

* 37 percent believe that bed bugs spread disease. Actually, while bed bugs may bite, causing small welts, there is no indication they spread disease.
* 34 percent believe bed bugs are resistant to pesticides. In fact, there are still several pesticides on the market that kill not only bed bugs, but also their eggs.
* 29 percent believe that bed bugs are caused by a general lack of cleanliness and hygiene. Unfortunately, bed bugs can be a problem no matter how fastidious a person is about staying clean.
* 62 percent would dispose of bed bug-infested mattresses and 29 percent would dispose of infected carpeting. These extreme measures are not needed if the proper bed bug elimination strategy is pursued.

"Some of these misconceptions may be why there's such a stigma attached to having a bed bug problem," suggests Hayes, noting that a quarter of those surveyed said they would be "too embarrassed" to tell friends or acquaintances if they had a bed bug problem in their home.

Indeed, the thought of a bed bug infestation is so worrisome that 30 percent of those surveyed said they would rather have a root canal than deal with bed bugs.

Survey Methodology

The survey of 1,005 adults nationwide was conducted by telephone from October 21-24, 2010 by Infogroup/ORC on behalf of the Enforcer® Brand. The margin of error is plus or minus three percentage points. For additional survey results, visit www.enforcer.com.

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Say 'I Opt Out' of Airport Scanners on National Opt Out Day, November 24

2010-11-15T07:50:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Pro-consumer grassroots effort We Won't Fly is organizing mass x-ray scanner opt outs at airports around the nation for National Opt Out of the Airport Scanners Day, November 24, in order to highlight the health and privacy dangers of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) backscatter x-ray airport scanners.

"Not only are these porno scanners a gross violation of individual privacy," said boycott co-founder George Donnelly, "they're also a threat to the health of millions of passengers and ineffective as well. The goal of the demonstrations is to urge Americans to exercise their legal right to 'opt out' of the scan."

If you have to fly on November 24, We Won't Fly urges you to opt out of the new scanners for your own health and privacy. Say "I opt out!" Be prepared for delays and intimate TSA "patdowns." If you're not flying on November 24, We Won't Fly urges you to tell your friends, family and community members who are flying. Organizers of local meetups can list their events on our nationwide map at http://WeWontFly.com/opt-out-day.

As University of California scientists noted earlier this year, the airport scanners may pose a serious health risk. "Our overriding concern is the extent to which the safety of this scanning device has been adequately demonstrated. This can only be determined by a meeting of an impartial panel of experts that would include medical physicists and radiation biologists at which all of the available relevant data is reviewed," they said in a letter of concern.

A recent article in the San Diego Entertainer on August 31, 2010 stated that "the scans are detailed enough to identify a person's gender... to identify a passenger's surgery scars, or to discern whether a woman is on her menstrual cycle or not." As CNN has reported, the scanners include ethernet connectivity. Images can be stored and shared by design. According to CBS News, US Marshals saved 35,000 images from similar scanners at just one courthouse.

We Won't Fly is a pro-consumer grassroots effort to boycott the airlines until they join with concerned consumers in opposition to the new airport x-ray scanners and enhanced patdowns.

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How to Stop a Predator...? Don't Ask Backpage, Yet.

2010-11-12T10:48:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Ongoing independent research commissioned by Women's Funding Network, in partnership with the Georgia-based "A Future. Not A Past." campaign, has exposed Internet classified sites as the most commonly used platform for buying and trafficking adolescent girls.

A report released in October by the AIM Group, a global team of consultants in interactive and traditional media, found that Village Voice Media, with its backpage.com classifieds site, is the new leader in online sex advertising. The site recently announced the acquisition of an online security specialist and an initial take-down of roughly half of their sex-related categories while putting others under review. The other half of the frequently misused categories to advertise illegal sex, often related to trafficking, remain active and girls continue to be exploited on backpage.

A CNN segment aired yesterday highlights the plight of just one of thousands of girls trafficked online every day. A young woman who was coerced into the sex trade at 14 is suing Village Voice Media, accusing the newspaper conglomerate of knowingly allowing her trafficker to advertise her sexual services on backpage.com, alleging that websites like backpage provide a "safe house" for traffickers and predators to buy and sell girls for sex.

"How many more girls will be trafficked before Village Voice Media takes comprehensive action to protect them? From what we've seen so far the answer is not nearly far enough," says Deborah Richardson, chief programs officer at Women's Funding Network. "The fact is that girls are being bought and sold online while media companies that provide a platform for this illegal activity increase their profits and market share," Richardson adds.

"Drastic steps must be taken to combat sex trafficking of girls in the United States. Instead of applying a band-aid approach to the problem, companies like backpage must take action to truly protect girls through improved screening and monitoring, and increased cooperation with law enforcement," concludes Richardson.

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Uranium threatens some Georgia drinking water

2010-10-20T10:06:00.000-05:00

Uranium is a naturally occurring radioactive element found in some rocks and groundwater. It can make its way into drinking water, where it can be harmful to health. Some parts of Georgia could have problems with it.

Safe drinking water should contain less than 30 parts per billion of uranium. A small number of wells located in Georgia’s piedmont region exceed the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard uranium amount.

“The potential problem areas are supplied by wells deeper than 100 feet on granite bedrock,” said David Kissel, director of the University of Georgia Agricultural and Environmental Services Laboratories. “Levels of uranium above 30 ppb have not been found in shallow wells or surface water.”

Water that comes from a public system is routinely tested to ensure uranium levels are safe. People consuming water from a private well, cistern or spring are responsible for their own testing and are encouraged to monitor contamination. Water samples can be submitted for testing through a local UGA Cooperative Extension office.

Studies suggest that water containing levels of uranium higher than the standard may hurt kidney function. Health concerns related to uranium should be taken to a local physician.

Although drinking high levels or uranium can be harmful, skin contact is not harmful according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Water high in uranium is OK to use for bathing, washing clothes or gardening.

If a well has high levels of uranium, Kissel said, its water should be treated through filtration systems. Affordable, at-home options such as point-of-use reverse osmosis, or RO, systems are available from many manufacturers.

These systems are placed on a faucet and produce 5 gallons to 20 gallons of safe drinking water per day.

“RO systems remove a high percentage of ions that are in the water,” Kissel said. “Uranium is dissolved in the water, and the RO system pushes the water through a semi-permeable membrane with high pressure to filter the uranium out of the water.”

After an at-home treatment system is installed, the water should be tested again to ensure the filtration system is working properly and the uranium level is below the standard.

People who live in areas that contain water with high concentrations of uranium should also be concerned with elevated levels of radon in their homes.

“Radon is a decomposition product of uranium,” Kissel said “The air filters in through the basement. It is recommended that well owners with elevated uranium levels also test their homes for radon gas.”
Radon test kits are available at county UGA Extension offices.

More information on water contamination or water treatment systems can be found at the National Sanitation Foundation at nsf.org/certified/dwtu or Water Quality Association at www.wqa.org/sitelogic.cfm?id=1165&section=3.

By Sarah Lewis

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FDA: Potentially harmful stimulant found in Slimming Beauty capsules

2010-10-08T11:54:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today advised consumers who have Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules not to use the product. FDA warns that Slimming Beauty Bitter Orange Slimming Capsules contain the active pharmaceutical ingredient sibutramine, a prescription-only drug which is a stimulant. Sibutramine is not listed on the product label and could harm consumers, especially those with cardiovascular conditions.

FDA lab tests reveal that the product contains excessive amounts of sibutramine that may be dangerous to people who have a history of cardiovascular disease, because it can lead to elevated blood pressure, stroke, and heart attack.

Consumers who are otherwise healthy and who take the amount of sibutramine found in Slimming Beauty capsules can experience anxiety, nausea, heart palpitations, a racing heart, insomnia, and elevated blood pressure. Sibutramine also may interact with other medications and can cause serious side effects.

Sibutramine is a powerful stimulant that should not be used without a prescription due to the safety risks associated with it.

Slimming Beauty is being sold over the Internet by Beautiful Health Inc., formerly LL Health and Beauty. Slimming Beauty sample packets also have been distributed by individuals at community events. The product and the sample packets are falsely labeled as “100% Herbal.” The sample packet label is misleading because it indicates that it is a natural vitamin and calcium capsule for use in children as young as 2 years old.

The FDA has determined that Slimming Beauty sample packets were distributed at the 40th Annual Mexican Independence Day Parade in Chicago, on Sept. 12, 2010. The agency is aware of several reports of serious side effects from the use of this product including elevated blood pressure, headaches, vomiting, and insomnia.

Consumers and health care professionals are encouraged to report adverse events related to the use of Slimming Beauty capsules to the FDA's MedWatch Safety Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch/report.htm or by phone at 800-FDA-1088 (800-332-1088).

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Judicial Watch Uncovers FDA Records Detailing 16 New Deaths Tied to Gardasil

2010-09-28T19:31:00.000-05:00

/Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes government corruption, announced today that it has received new documents from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), detailing reports of adverse reactions to the vaccination for human papillomavirus (HPV), Gardasil. The adverse reactions include 16 new deaths (including four suicides) between May 2009 and September 2010. The FDA also produced 789 "serious" reports, with 213 cases resulting in permanent disability and 25 resulting in a diagnosis of Guillian Barre Syndrome.

Adverse report excerpts include:

* A nineteen year old girl with no medical history except occasional cases bronchitis received Gardasil and in 53 days, had "Headache, Nausea, dizziness, chilling, tiredness, shortness of breath, complained of chest plain, severe cramps." She experienced an Acute Cardiac Arrhythmia. Attempts to resuscitate her resulted in a sternal fracture, but were unsuccessful and the patient died. -- V. 356938

* A thirteen year old girl was vaccinated on July 17th, 2009. Ten days later, she developed a fever and was treated. However, "the patient did not recover and was admitted to the hospital on [August 8th]...She developed dyspnoea and went into a coma...she expired [that day] at around 9:00 pm. The cause of death was determined as 'death due to viral fever.' ... This event occurred after 23 days of receiving first dose of Gardasil. -- V. 380081

* Thirteen days after vaccination, a ten year old girl developed "progressive loss of strength in lower and upper extremities almost totally...Nerve conduction studies [showed Guillain Barre Syndrome]." Case was "considered to be immediately life-threatening." -- V. 339375

* One mother of a 13-year old girl who died 37 days after receiving the vaccination noted in a report: "I first declined getting her the vaccination but her doctor ensured me that it was safe..." After her daughter complained of a severe headache, no feeling in her foot and a tingling feeling in her leg, a doctor's appointment was set for October 23, 2009. "My daughter never made it to Oct[ober] 23rd, which is also her birthday," the mother noted. "She passed on Oct[ober] 17th, I found her cold unresponsive in her room at 7am...."

"To say Gardasil has a suspect safety record is a big understatement. These reports are troubling and show that the FDA and other public health authorities may be asleep at the switch," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton. "In the meantime, the public relations push for Gardasil by Merck and politicians on Capitol Hill continues. No one should require this vaccine for young children."

In 2008, Judicial Watch launched a comprehensive investigation of Gardasil's safety record. All previous FDA documents uncovered by Judicial Watch, as well as a Judicial Watch special report, entitled "Examining the FDA's HPV Vaccine Records: Detailing the Approval Process, Side-Effects, Safety Concerns & Marketing Practices of a Large Scale Health Experiment," are available at
www.JudicialWatch.org (http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=hl94yxbab&et=1103726832989&s=13633&e=0019k-0tTevIIcuiGvoaAfx-_dDjhrytmKNsMXSa7cx1qOpHEE38bsioz_9OSnd-aZhrS_agrrYNSLxUqcZwuD57S3sJcHV_V_w04pJv06yfKf3xNcIuwQ7Dw==).

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Consumer Travel Alliance Analysis Finds Major U.S. Airlines Not Disclosing Most Fees on Websites

2010-09-20T07:55:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA), a non-profit organization promoting consumer interests on travel policy issues, today released an analysis showing that major U.S. airlines are not disclosing the vast majority of existing ancillary fees on their websites, despite regular statements to the contrary by the airlines. CTA and other leading consumer and travel organizations are meeting with U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today to support his efforts to bring full transparency to airline fees.

The CTA analysis tracked the time and effort it would take a typical two-bag traveler needing extra legroom to find and calculate the total cost of a flight from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Florida. A video showing the findings of the analysis can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqDrmXp_US8

The analysis found:

* Not a single one of the seven airline websites in the study offered a page or chart with specific fee information regarding extra legroom or seat upgrades.
* Although the airline sites disclosed baggage fees, those fees were often multiple clicks away from the main page and buried in diagrams and legal fine print.
* To compare baggage fees and attempt to find the fees for extra legroom, a typical traveler would have to visit seven different airline sites, view 47 different web pages, and dig through more than 11,000 words of airline fine print.

"The airlines are asking travelers to put on a blindfold and hand over their wallets every time they buy a ticket," said Charles Leocha, director of the Consumer Travel Alliance. "There is no way for a traveler to find the vast majority of extra fees charged by airlines on their websites, because those fees aren't even listed. That's why two-thirds of air travelers said in a recent survey that they had been surprised by hidden fees at the airport. If airlines want to charge ancillary fees, they should be required to disclose those fees through every distribution channel in which they sell their tickets."

The analysis also refuted frequent airline claims that all of their ancillary fees are listed on their websites. For example, a spokesperson for the airline industry told Bloomberg on September 17th that "fee information is already available on carrier Web sites." In another news story, the same spokesperson said that "airlines post their fees on their websites ..." and went on to claim that "there's nothing hidden about the fees by the US airliners that have fees."

Earlier this year, CTA released the results of a study showing that hidden fees charged by airlines on popular routes can increase the base cost of an airline ticket by an average of 54 percent for a typical traveler with two checked bags and extra legroom, or by an average of 26 percent for a comparable one-bag traveler. One of the routes examined in that earlier analysis was used as the basis for this current review.

Travelers concerned about the issue of hidden fees can visit http://www.MadAsHellAboutHiddenFees.com, a joint effort of the Consumer Travel Alliance, Business Travel Coalition, and American Society of Travel Agents, to sign a petition urging the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to take action to make those fees fully transparent. The three organizations plan to present the petitions to the DOT on September 23rd, "Mad As Hell Day."

Methodology:

The analysis examined a single traveler with two checked bags wishing to obtain extra legroom on a flight from Washington, D.C. to Orlando, Florida. Base prices for the analysis were drawn from a popular online travel site. The analysis recorded the time and steps required to enter those fees manually, visit each of the websites of the seven airlines flying that route, attempt to locate the fees for checked baggage and extra legroom, and then calculate the full price of each itinerary. The full video analysis can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqDrmXp_US8

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September Named “Mold Awareness Month”

2010-09-15T08:11:00.000-05:00

As National Mold Cases Rise, Local Experts Warn of Increased Health Risks

As documented cases of residential mold contamination and related health problems continue to rise across the nation, the indoor air quality industry is on a crusade to educate homeowners about the serious consequences of mold in the home. (September 5 – October 5) has been deemed Mold Awareness Month by the industry because mold spores that commonly grow in summer humidity are often trapped as people close up homes and foundation vents in the fall. Just a few of these spores can make a family sick.

Consider This:

There are an estimated 10,000 mold-related court cases nationwide
There has been a 300 percent increase in litigation involving mold contamination over the past five years.
The average mold claim costs $35,000 and many exceed $100,000.

“We know to check the batteries in our smoke detectors, to change our air filters, to clean out our gutters and rake our leaves, but no one talks to homeowners about the dangers of household mold,” says Jeff Dudan, CEO and founder of AdvantaClean, a national mold remediation company with a locally owned franchise serving the area. “We’re on a mission to teach homeowners how to limit mold growth and keep their families healthy.”

Fast Facts about Mold:

According to the U.S. EPA, the air inside the average American home can be more than 100 times more polluted than the air outside. New homes usually have poorer air quality than older homes because they’re air tight, so spores can’t escape, providing a perfect breeding ground.

Common household molds cause asthma, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes and skin rashes. Infants and the elderly are most the at risk, because they often have weaker immune systems.

Mold is prevalent in most homes and it’s often difficult to eradicate, but all mold requires moisture to grow, so reducing moisture will reduce mold growth.

Where Mold Grows:

Windowsills, closets, wall paper, flooring, in or around showers, dishwashers, washing machines, and even in the soil of potted plants.

Mold can be caused by slow dripping pipes, condensation, standing water on or under carpets and floor boards, leaky dryer vents, broken shingles and wet insulation.

Preventions and Control:

When water leaks, ACT QUICKLY. If you dry wet materials 24 – 48 hours after a leak or spill, mold will not grow in most cases.
Clean and repair roof gutters and leaky roofs regularly.
Point sprinklers away from the home and siding.
Make sure landscapes slope away from your home’s foundation so water doesn’t collect.
Keep relative indoor humidity low, if possible below 60 percent. Humidity is measured most accurately with a moisture meter, a small $10 - $50 instrument found at most hardware stores.
Use air conditioners and dehumidifiers regularly.
Run the bathroom fan or open the window when showering and up to 10 minutes afterward.
Use exhaust fans or open widows whenever cooking, running the dishwasher or even washing dishes.

Source: AdvantaClean

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Upcoming FDA Hearing on Abuse of Cough and Cold Medications Misses the Mark

2010-09-14T08:21:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest released the results of a national Teen Substance Abuse survey today, indicating that police officers and high school teachers nationwide believe alcohol and marijuana are the most serious problem substances facing teenagers. These survey results come as the Food and Drug Administration has scheduled an Advisory Committee meeting for September 14 to examine whether abuse of cough and cold medications by teens requires stricter controls on the sale of those commonly used products.

Police and teachers polled do not believe it is a good idea to force Americans to visit a doctor to get a prescription to purchase commonly sold cough and cold medicines. However, an FDA Advisory Committee next week could decide to make more than 100 brand name, over-the-counter cold and cough medicines containing the ingredient dextromethorphan available only through a doctor's prescription or place them behind the counter at pharmacies, forcing customers to receive assistance from a pharmacist or store employee to get the medicines.

When asked which substances pose the greatest negative impact on teens, teachers and police overwhelmingly identified marijuana and alcohol, followed by methamphetamine and cocaine. Additionally, no police and only 1% of high school teachers cited cough and cold medicines as having the greatest negative impact on teens.

When you think of substance abuse,
   which substances do you see as
   having the greatest negative impact
   on teens?                           Police      H.S. Teachers
  ------------------------------------ ------      -------------
  Alcohol//beer                                51%              70%
  -------------                               ---              ---
  Marijuana//pot                               69%              51%
  Prescription drugs//prescription
   pills                                       27%              15%
  --------------------------------            ---              ---
  Methamphetamine//crystal
   methamphetamine                             28%               9%
  Cocaine//coke//crack                         22%               8%
  --------------------                        ---              ---
  Heroin                                       12%               3%
  Ecstasy                                       6%               5%
  -------                                     ---              ---
  Cigarettes//tobacco                           3%               6%
  Inhalants//spray can fumes                    3%               -
  --------------------------                  ---              ---
  Over the counter medicine//non
   prescription medication                      1%               2%
  Cough//Medicines//Cold
   Medicines//DXM                               -                1%

CMPI's study also shows that alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, methamphetamine, cocaine and cigarettes are cited among the top substances posing the most serious problems to teens:

% Selecting as Most/2(nd) Most/
   3(rd) Most Serious Problem
   Substance                          Police      H.S. Teachers
  ----------------------------------- ------      -------------
  Alcohol                                     82%              88%
  -------                                    ---              ---
  Pot                                         76%              75%
  ---                                        ---              ---
  Prescription drugs                          41%              27%
  ------------------                         ---              ---
  Meth                                        32%              22%
  ----                                       ---              ---
  Cigarettes                                  14%              36%
  ----------                                 ---              ---
  Cocaine/Crack                               27%              15%
  -------------                              ---              ---
  Ecstasy                                      5%               9%
  -------                                    ---              ---
  OTC cough and cold medicine                  5%               8%

The survey also reveals that by a margin of two to one, police officers and high school teachers support education efforts as a means to address abuse of over-the-counter cough and cold medicines, versus restricted accessibility to consumers.

"Americans expect to be able to buy cough medicines conveniently at the supermarket or their neighborhood corner store," says CMPI Vice President Robert Goldberg, Ph.D. "Overly restricting access to cough and cold products containing dextromethorphan will create more health problems than it will solve, especially during cold and flu seasons. We need to find common sense solutions and invest more resources in education."

The entire Teen Substance Abuse survey is available at www.cmpi.org and the poll was conducted by Fabrizio Ward and Associates.

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Low Carb Diet Rich in Animal Fat and Protein Increases Risk of Death

2010-09-08T11:33:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Those who adhered to a diet low in carbohydrates but rich in animal-based fats and proteins increased their risk of death - especially by cancer, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, led by Simmons College nutrition professor Teresa Fung, Sc. D.

This study is the first of its kind to demonstrate the link between different types of low carbohydrate diets and mortality. It also sought to determine the long-term impact of low carbohydrate diets, which have been promoted as an effective option for weight loss and improving health.

Conversely, the study found that a diet low in carbohydrates but rich in plant-based fats and proteins was associated with a lower risk of mortality.

Fung, who teaches at the Simmons College School of Health Sciences, led the study with colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health and Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital.

"This research indicates that all low carb diets are not the same, and the differences have an indelible impact," Fung said. "One that is based on plant foods is a better choice than one that is based on animal foods."

The study is based on two cohorts of participants: more than 85,000 women enrolled in the Nurse's Health Study (ages 34 to 59) who provided dietary information for 26 years; and more than 44,500 men enrolled the Health Professional's Follow Up Study (ages 40 to 75) who provided dietary information for 20 years. All participants included in the study were free of heart disease, cancer or diabetes. The Nurses' Health Study is based at Channing Laboratory, Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Health Professionals' Follow-up Study is based at Harvard School of Public Health.

In determining health risk, the study created low carbohydrate scores for the women and men, based on a multi-year evaluation of their diet intake with a focus on the proportion of carbohydrates, and fat and protein - whether derived largely from animal or vegetable-based sources.

During follow ups with the men and women, the study found that those who had a diet made up of more animal-based sources and a low-carbohydrate intake , scored higher for association with "all-cause" mortality and cancer mortality., Those who had a diet made up of more plant-based sources and a low-carbohydrate intake, scored lower for association with "all-cause" mortality, and cancer and cardiovascular mortality.

Participants with a higher animal low carbohydrate score were heavier and were more likely to be smokers, whereas those with a higher vegetable low carbohydrate score consumed more alcohol and whole grains. Variations in lifestyle and other dietary issues, such as smoking status, family history of colorectal cancer, aspirin use, and history of hypertension were controlled in the analyses.

The National Institutes of Health funded the study, "Low-Carbohydrate Diets and All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality: Two Cohort Studies."

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New Survey Shows Consumers 'Mad As Hell' About Hidden Airline Fees: Two-Thirds Say They Have Been Surprised by Additional Fees at the Airport

2010-09-07T09:00:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The Consumer Travel Alliance (CTA), Business Travel Coalition (BTC) and American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) today released the results of an online survey of 1,396 travelers showing widespread surprise and anger over hidden airline fees for services such as checked baggage, advance seating and priority boarding.

Responding to traveler anger, the groups announced the launch of a new website, http://madashellabouthiddenfees.com/, that will allow travelers to tell their own hidden fee stories, create YouTube videos, and sign a petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) urging it to take action to require airlines to disclose those fees in advance through every ticketing channel in which airlines sell their seats. The groups also announced that they were marking September 23rd as "Mad As Hell Day!" and planned to deliver thousands of traveler petitions to the U.S. DOT on that day.

"As we come to the end of one of the busiest air travel periods of the year, millions of Americans are returning from their summer vacations tanned, rested, and mad as hell," said Kevin Mitchell, Chairman of the Business Travel Coalition. "They are tired of arriving at the airport and finding huge unexpected costs for travel services they thought were part of the ticket price. It's time for consumers, corporate travel managers and travel agents to stand up and say 'we're not going to take it any more!'"

Conducted over the last two weeks before Labor Day, the hidden fees survey found:

-- Two-thirds (66%) of respondents said they had been surprised at the
airport by unexpected fees for things such as checking bags,
requesting a seat assignment, getting extra legroom, or flying
standby.

-- Nearly a third (29%) said they were surprised often or nearly every
time they travel via air by such fees.

-- Nearly two-thirds (65%) said such fees placed some or a great deal of
unexpected financial strain on their budget for the trip, while more
than a quarter (26%) said that those fees placed a great deal of
unexpected strain.

-- A nearly unanimous 99% of respondents said that they think airlines
should be required to disclose all of their fees in advance on every
website that sells airline tickets.

-- When asked to rank the fees they found most annoying, respondents
rated carry-on baggage fees the most annoying, with 91% calling those
fees "very annoying," followed by seat reservation fees (88% very
annoying), checked baggage fees (74%), and telephone reservation fees
(67%).

"Hidden fees are a violation of a traveler's most basic right: to know how much they will have to pay for their trip," said Charlie Leocha, President of the Consumer Travel Alliance. "When two out of every three air travelers say they have been surprised by hidden fees at the airport, you know the current system is broken and needs to be fixed. Airlines should have to share their fees with every traveler, through every ticketing channel in which they participate, to every point of sale."

The three groups have called on Congress and DOT to take swift action to ensure that all ancillary airline fees are fully disclosed to travelers through every distribution channel in which carriers participate so that the total cost of air travel options can be compared among carriers.

"For a travel agent, comparing air travel costs without fee transparency is like trying to read a book with half the pages torn out," said Paul Ruden, Senior Vice President of Legal and Industry Affairs for the American Society of Travel Agents. "We must level the playing field to ensure that travel agents and their customers can make apples-to-apples comparisons of the costs of each trip."

Methodology

The survey was conducted among 1,396 air travelers from August 20 - August 31, 2010. Respondents were recruited from the readers of online travel newsletters distributed by organizations such as Consumer Traveler and the Consumer Travel Alliance, and the survey was conducted online via SurveyMonkey. Full results of the survey can be found at http://madashellabouthiddenfees.com/.

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No Specific Cause Found Yet Linking Dry Max Diapers to Diaper Rash

2010-09-03T10:08:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Health Canada (HC) have reviewed consumer incident reports and other information involving Pampers Dry Max diapers. To date, the review has not identified any specific cause linking Dry Max diapers to diaper rash.

Both agencies will continue to evaluate consumer complaints related to Pampers Dry Max diapers and will provide parents with updated information if this assessment changes. As always, parents and caregivers are advised to seek the attention of a medical professional if they have any concerns about adverse health reactions.

From April through August 2010, CPSC received nearly 4,700 incident reports about diaper rash. Nearly 85 percent of these complaints came in May and then dropped off significantly. As part of its technical evaluation, staff from each agency considered certain characteristics of the diaper, including the materials used, the construction of the diaper, and heat and moisture retention issues.

In addition, CPSC staff reviewed clinical and toxicological data found in published, peer-reviewed medical literature. CPSC also critically reviewed data submitted by Procter & Gamble (P&G) and the results of a human cumulative irritation patch study conducted by P&G in May 2010. Further, chemistry, toxicology and pediatric medicine information provided by Health Canada was reviewed by CPSC.

While the investigation thus far does not find a link between the diapers and the health complaints received, CPSC recognizes the serious concerns expressed by parents. CPSC staff cannot rule out that there may exist a health concern for some babies, especially those babies that may be sensitive and develop rashes or other skin problems as a result of contact with the materials in this or other products.

Most babies exhibit diaper rash at least once in their lifetime. If parents or caregivers believe that their child is suffering from a rash that they believe to be related to a diaper, CPSC staff suggests that they discontinue use of the diaper and contact their pediatrician.

Consumers are encouraged to report any health or safety incidents related to the use of a consumer product. Easy-to-use incident report forms are available on CPSC's website at http://www.cpsc.gov/talk.html or on Health Canada's website at http://www.healthcanada.gc.ca/reportaproduct

Additional information on diaper rash can be found on the American Academy of Pediatrics website at www.healthychildren.org

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Should the Federal Government Try to Curb Obesity?

2010-09-02T09:00:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The First Lady and the Surgeon General are trying to rally Americans to fight against the "epidemic" of obesity. Perhaps they will inspire many to follow their leadership by example. Otherwise, the role of the federal government in curbing obesity is questionable, write economists Michael Marlow and Alden Shiers of California Polytechnic State University.

The government's tools are taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages, bans on soft drinks in schools, regulations forcing restaurants to post calorie counts, and government-funded motivational programs.

In an article in the fall issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Marlow and Shiers argue that these methods are ineffective or even counterproductive.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks doubled between 1960 and 1980, a period when obesity rates were stable, and has been declining recently. Taxes are more likely to affect the behavior of casual consumers, who are more price sensitive, than of heavy consumers. States with strong restrictive policies on soft drinks in schools have no better obesity statistics than those with no such policies. Calorie labeling laws do not cause consumers to order lower-calorie meals.

The idea of funneling "sin tax" revenues into government programs to discourage unhealthy behavior has been tried with tobacco taxes. Roughly 10 percent of tobacco tax revenue flows into smoking-control programs--which are not very effective--and the rest is used for unrelated government programs.

"We predict government intervention will make obesity worse as it crowds out market-based solutions that effectively tie weight loss to personal responsibility, higher wages, and lower insurance premiums," write Marlow and Shiers.

"The main effect of the campaign will be to extract more money from taxpayers and to expand government."

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FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid TimeOut Capsules

2010-08-25T14:22:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take TimeOut Capsules because it contains an active drug ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure. The product is marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement.

TimeOut is labeled as “100% natural” and consumers may mistakenly assume the product is harmless and poses no health risk. TimeOut is distributed on Internet sites and online marketplaces as 2,500 mg capsules.

Consumers who have TimeOut Capsules should stop using them immediately. Sexual enhancement products that claim to work as well as prescription products are likely to expose consumers to unpredictable risks and the potential for injury or death.

The FDA analyzed TimeOut and determined that it contains hydroxythiohomosildenafil, a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Like sildenafil, this chemical may interact with prescription drugs such as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, and cause dangerously low blood pressure. When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply which can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.

To date, the FDA is not aware of any adverse events associated with the use of this product.

The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from sexual enhancement products to consult a health care professional and to safely discard the product. Consumers and health care professionals should report adverse events to the FDA's MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online.

During the past several years, the FDA has found many products marketed as dietary supplements for sexual enhancement that can be harmful to consumers because they are adulterated with ingredients in FDA-approved drugs or variations of these ingredients.

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FDA Warns of Possible Dangers from Portable Foot-Tanning Device

2010-08-24T14:14:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about the risk of ultraviolet radiation overdose with the Tootsie Tanner portable foot tanning device.

Use of the tanning device can lead to an overdose of ultraviolet radiation because its labeling recommends an improper duration of exposure to radiation and the device has an inadequate timer. The labeled exposure schedule indicates that the device may be used for 30 minutes, and the timer control permits 30 minutes exposure. Based on FDA testing, the maximum exposure time for this device is 20 minutes.

The device fails to provide prominent warnings about the need for protective eyewear. Use of this product according to the labeling could result in an overdose of ultraviolet radiation, which may cause immediate and delayed serious eye and skin injuries.

The FDA has issued a warning letter to the device manufacturer and distributor, IPCH, located in Sugarland, Texas. Since issuing the warning letter, the FDA learned that IPCH is no longer in business. Thus, the device will not be replaced or updated with the correct labeling. Refunds will not be available for the estimated 3,000 devices sold.

The FDA recommends that users of this device, which include tanning salon owners and operators, stop using this device, remove the lamps and safely discard all components of the device according to local environmental protection standards.

Although the FDA has received no adverse event reports to date, the agency is concerned about the risk of eye and skin injuries from an overdose of ultraviolet radiation.

Consumers may report serious adverse events (side effects) with the device to the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program either online, by regular mail, fax, or phone.

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A Wake-Up Call: Bed Bugs Migrate into the Workplace

2010-08-20T07:40:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta-based pest control leader Orkin identified that bed bugs are making the move among commercial properties. New analysis of its commercial bed bug treatments over the past 10 years reveals that bed bugs, initially confined to the hospitality industry, have steadily increased their presence in multifamily and, more recently, commercial real estate properties.

With the hospitality and multifamily industries on the front lines of the bed bug resurgence, the potential for business travelers and apartment-dwelling employees to pick up bed bugs and bring them into the office has greatly increased. This exposure created a perfect storm for commercial real estate. Orkin conducted a survey with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) International in early 2010 and found that one in 10 respondents reported bed bug incidents in a commercial property.

"Ten percent may not sound significant at first," noted Ron Harrison, Ph.D., Orkin's director of technical services. "But it is a concerning statistic when you consider that these properties don't represent the typical bed bug habitat - a place where people sleep."

Harrison spoke at the BOMA International annual conference in June to address the impending threat to commercial property managers and building owners, noting that Orkin's bed bug treatments in commercial properties more than tripled from 2008 to 2009.

"At BOMA International, we felt it was important to be proactive in presenting this information to our members," said BOMA Senior Vice President Patricia M. Areno, CAE. "Commercial real estate leaders have the opportunity to educate themselves and their tenants to prepare for a possible bed bug epidemic."

Bed bugs are reddish-brown blood-feeders roughly the size and shape of apple seeds. The nocturnal pests surfaced from nearly a half-century of inactivity in the early part of this decade, predominantly in hotels. Increased international travel and a more targeted approach to pest control contributed to bed bugs reestablishing a presence in the U.S. Nationally, Orkin saw bed bug treatments double from 2008 to 2009, a trend it expects will continue this year. While New York City has been in the news recently for its efforts to curb bed bugs, the top five hot spots for bed bug activity, according to Orkin treatment data, are Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, followed by Chicago, Denver and Detroit.

Orkin's treatments in commercial real estate are still limited when compared with the hospitality and multifamily industries. In Orkin's Midwest Commercial Region, which services four of the company's top five bed bug cities, office building treatments range from 10-15 per month. Harrison hopes that the educational measures Orkin has initiated will keep it that way, even as high-profile incidents like retail store infestations in the Northeast garner nationwide media exposure.

"Commercial real estate is facing what multifamily dwellings faced a few years ago," said Harrison, who remembers the number of bed bug incidents in multifamily housing significantly increasing in 2008.

Unlike sparsely furnished hotel rooms, apartments and condos contain personal belongings and more furniture, providing ample shelter for bed bugs. Orkin experts also observe that apartment dwellers often recycle furniture from prior residents, which can perpetuate an existing infestation. By the close of the decade and for the first time since bed bugs resurfaced, Orkin treatments in multifamily properties exceeded those in hospitality, in some regions by three or four times the volume.

Harrison collaborated with the National Apartment Association Education Institute (NAAEI) earlier this year on a bed bug white paper and a series of webinars for property management professionals, and participated in the National Apartment Association's annual conference.

"In addition to learning identification and remediation techniques, apartment management professionals were eager to discuss how to communicate with residents about bed bug prevention," said Maureen Lambe, CAE, executive vice president of the NAA Education Institute. "Our members recognize that good communication and resident cooperation are critical to successful remediation."

Bed Bug Resources for Multifamily and Commercial Properties:
-- EVICTING UNWANTED RESIDENTS: Responsibility, Prevention and Treatment
of Bed Bugs in the Multifamily Industry
-- Don't Let Them Bite Our Community Multifamily Resident Tipsheet
-- Bed Bugs in the Office?: Take ACTION! Resource for Commercial Property
Managers

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U.S. Appeals Court Reinstates Claim That Controversial Diet Drug Redux Should Never Have Been Offered to American People

2010-08-19T13:29:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- An Ohio Federal Court of Appeals ruling issued yesterday is reinstating the late victim's claim that the recalled diet drug Redux (commonly called fen-phen) linked to her death should never have been marketed to the American people by Wyeth due in part to its pre-approval concerns about potentially lethal side effects. The Court, in remanding the case to the trial court, held that Federal drug regulations do not preempt Ohio negligence claims, and indicated that the Supreme Court's 2009 landmark pharmaceutical manufacturer preemption decision (Wyeth v. Levine) may apply beyond inadequate warning-label claims.

Benjamin H. Anderson, Esq., of Anderson Law Offices, LLC of Cleveland, Ohio, counsel for the plaintiff, said, "Mary Buchanan, like so many others, turned to a drug to help her lose weight and as a result she lost her life. She and her surviving family members deserve justice; this is an important decision in her case and for the harms and losses she sustained, as well as the many millions of Americans taking prescription medications who have long been concerned about drug companies being shielded from appropriate state negligence laws. Significantly, the appeals court has also reinstated and remanded to the trial court our claim for punitive damages."

In reversing key sections of the trial court's finding for the defendant on summary judgment in Wimbush v. Wyeth et.al., 6th Cir. No. 09-3380, the three-judge appeals panel held that the trial judge erred in concluding that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) preempted the Buchanan family's negligence claims that the drug should never have been made available to Americans given Wyeth-Redux's known health risks, particularly Primary Pulmonary Hypertension (PPH). Mrs. Buchanan, a hard-working and dedicated 66- year-old nurse from Maple Heights, Ohio who took the weight-loss drug during 1996 and 1997, lost her life to PPH in 2003 within a few months after filing the complaint. The drug company, which spent more than $50 million marketing the wildly popular and profitable drug after its launch in April 1996, pulled it on September 15, 1997 at the request of the FDA and under mounting criticism by independent researchers and reports in respected medical journals.

Though Redux was only on the market for a relatively short period, to date it is estimated that Wyeth has paid thousands of victims of Redux and its predecessor, Pondimin - and/or their survivors - more than $20 billion in damages. In evaluating the potential side effects of Redux, researchers noted that PPH is a devastating pulmonary disease for which there is still no cure, and the associated heart-valve problems may and often did require high-risk heart surgery. The controversial, high-risk diet drug had previously been evaluated and pulled from pharmacies overseas and it was banned in some individual states before the total recall.

In its decision, the appeals Court stated, "...we are not persuaded that it is always impossible to comply with both state law duties and FDA regulations in the process leading up to FDA approval." It added, "...we cannot agree with the district court's conclusion as, not only is there a presumption against preemption, but the case law supports the conclusion that Congress did not intend to preempt state tort law claims when it passed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetics Act (FDCA)."

In a footnote, it commented "...the overwhelming take-away from the Levine majority opinion is that state tort law has historically played a substantial role in the regulation of drug manufacturers and that Congress has never indicated an intent to change this role. Thus, while Levine did leave open the possibility that there may be some state law claims that would conflict with the FDA's regulatory authority and function, the claim at issue in Levine was not one of them. We do not believe that Buchanan's pre-approval negligence claims are, either."

Attorney Anderson, commenting on the interpretation of the Levine ruling in the case, said, "Drug companies are now on notice that they cannot lie to and conceal from the FDA crucial information in the pre-approval process and then expect to be held harmless once their drugs are responsible for causing pain, suffering and, as in Mrs. Buchanan's case, death."

The Court affirmed the dismissal of the balance of the plaintiff's claims, and Attorney Anderson said he will evaluate with appellate counsel Paul Flowers, Esq., and Mrs. Buchanan's family all appropriate legal options.

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Studies Link Range of Major Diseases to Pesticides, New Database Launched

2010-08-18T15:14:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Links to pesticide exposure are being found in a growing number of studies that evaluate the causes of preventable diseases -- including asthma, autism and learning disabilities, birth defects and reproductive dysfunction, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases, and several types of cancer. A new database, released today, tracks published epidemiologic and real world exposure studies. The studies challenge the effectiveness of risk-assessment-based regulation which is intended to manage adverse disease outcomes, but is criticized for allowing the uses of chemicals that can be replaced by green technologies and practices.

To capture the range of diseases linked to pesticides through epidemiologic studies, the national environmental and public health group Beyond Pesticides launched in the summer issue of its newsletter, Pesticides and You, the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database to track the studies. "A read through the scientific literature on pesticides and major preventable diseases afflicting us in the 21st century suggests that one of the first responses called for is an all out effort to stop using toxic pesticides," said Jay Feldman, executive director of Beyond Pesticides. The database begins an ongoing effort by Beyond Pesticides to maintain this comprehensive database of the studies that the group says "supports an urgent need to shift to toxic-free practices and policies."

The group is calling for alternatives assessment in environmental rulemaking that creates a regulatory trigger to adopt alternatives and drive the market to go green. "Under risk assessment, we constantly play with 'mitigation measures' that the Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database tells us over and over is a failed human experiment," said Mr. Feldman.

The alternatives assessment approach differs most dramatically from risk assessment in rejecting uses and exposures deemed acceptable under risk assessment calculations, but unnecessary because of the availability of safer alternatives. For example, in agriculture, where the database shows clear links to pesticide use and multiple types of cancer, it would no longer be possible to use hazardous pesticides, as it is with risk assessment-based policy, when there are clearly effective organic systems with competitive yields that, in fact, outperform chemical-intensive agriculture in drought years. This same analysis can be applied to home and garden use of pesticides where households using pesticides suffer elevated rates of cancer.

Earlier this year Beyond Pesticides released its Organic Food: Eating with a Conscience guide that explains how foods grown with hazardous chemicals contaminate water and air, hurt biodiversity, harm farmworkers, and kill bees, birds, fish and other wildlife even though the finished commodities, often referred to as "clean," may have minimal or nondetectable residues. The guide can be found at www.eatingwithaconscience.org.

The Pesticide-Induced Diseases Database, which currently contains 383 entries of epidemiologic and laboratory exposure studies, will be continually updated to track the emerging findings and trends. To view the database, go to www.beyondpesticides.org/health.

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Report concludes that nearly 80 percent of oil from Gulf spill remains

2010-08-17T08:37:00.000-05:00

A report released August 16 by the Georgia Sea Grant and the University of Georgia concludes that up to 79 percent of the oil released into the Gulf of Mexico from the Deepwater Horizon well has not been recovered and remains a threat to the ecosystem.

The report, authored by five prominent marine scientists, strongly contradicts media reports that suggest that only 25 percent of the oil from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill remains.

“One major misconception is that oil that has dissolved into water is gone and, therefore, harmless,” said Charles Hopkinson, director of Georgia Sea Grant and professor of marine sciences in the University of Georgia Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “The oil is still out there, and it will likely take years to completely degrade. We are still far from a complete understanding of what its impacts are.”

Co-authors on the paper include Jay Brandes, associate professor, Skidaway Institute of Oceanography; Samantha Joye, professor of marine sciences, UGA; Richard Lee, professor emeritus, Skidaway; and Ming-yi Sun, professor of marine sciences UGA.

The group analyzed data from the Aug. 2 National Incident Command Report, which calculated an “oil budget” that was widely interpreted to suggest that only 25 percent of the oil from the spill remained.

Hopkinson notes that the reports arrive at different conclusions largely because the Sea Grant and UGA scientists estimate that the vast majority of the oil classified as dispersed, dissolved or residual is still present, whereas the NIC report has been interpreted to suggest that only the “residual” form of oil is still present.

Hopkinson said that his group also estimated how much of the oil could have evaporated, degraded or weathered as of the date of the report. Using a range of reasonable evaporation and degradation estimates, the group calculated that 70-79 percent of oil spilled into the Gulf still remains. The group showed that it was impossible for all the dissolved oil to have evaporated because only oil at the surface of the ocean can evaporate into the atmosphere and large plumes of oil are trapped in deep water.

Another difference is that the NIC report estimates that 4.9 million barrels of oil were released from the wellhead, while the Sea Grant report uses a figure of 4.1 million barrels since .8 million barrels were piped directly from the well to surface ships and, therefore, never entered Gulf waters.

On a positive note, the group noted that natural processes continue to transform, dilute, degrade and evaporate the oil. They add that circular current known as the Franklin Eddy is preventing the Loop Current from bringing oil-contaminated water from the Gulf to the Atlantic, which bodes well for the East Coast.

Joye said that both the NIC report and the Sea Grant report are best estimates and emphasizes the need for a sustained and coordinated research effort to better understand the impacts of what has become the world’s worst maritime oil spill. She warned that neither report accounted for hydrocarbon gasses such as methane in their oil budgets.

“That’s a gaping hole,” Joye said, “because hydrocarbon gasses are a huge portion of what was ejected from the well.”

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Independent Toxicologists Issue Warning: We Object to the Claim That Chemical Dispersants Have A Low Potential For Accumulating in Marine Life and Do Not Pose an Environmental Health Concern

2010-08-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Attorney Stuart H. Smith, representing the United Commercial Fishermen's Association, the Louisiana Environmental Action Network, public and private entities, and citizens harmed by the BP oil catastrophe, today issued this statement:

"Independent analysis by toxicologists dispute FDA claims made in the last few days that chemical dispersants used by BP during the oil catastrophe may not accumulate in marine animals.

"In fact, in a full report by Dr. Bill Sawyer released today, there is a grave problem caused by dispersants, due to the fact that these were used in deep waters and on such a vast scale.

"Studies of other spills show that the toxic components of crude oil 'bio-accumulate' into the food chain and become highly toxic to marine reproduction, even when dispersants are applied at the surface and the chemical toxins may be sufficiently diluted over time to pose only minimal risks.

"However, BP's use of dispersants deep underwater in the Gulf, and on such a vast scale, represents the first time dispersants have been used in this manner. The greatly-reduced biodegradation in the DEEPWATER HORIZON case, resulting from lack of sunlight, extreme cold temperatures at 5,000 feet, and other environmental factors significantly reduce the rate at which the dispersed crude components are degraded.

"Eight months would be required to remove 96 percent of the petroleum under ideal conditions, thus we can only assume what remains in the Gulf waters will be a 'toxic soup' of chemicals for the foreseeable future, due to the worst-case scenario which has unfolded.

"The most potentially dangerous of the components in the Gulf's toxic soup are 'polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons' (PAHs), dangerous cancer-causing chemicals which slowly break down after being ingested by marine life, persist in marine organisms and can be passed to both humans and other wildlife through consumption.

"PAHs are not contained within the dispersants used, but rather, have been extracted from the BP crude and suspended in the water column via dispersant use.

"It must also be noted that the deep water National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Weatherbird analyses and our own near shore water, tunicate and beach samples have revealed a consistent pattern of dispersant-induced C19-C36 hydrocarbons and PAHs. Unfortunately, these specific PAHs are of the most toxic variety."

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Don't eat a plant unless you can identify it

2010-08-12T08:35:00.000-05:00

During summer, children are outside more, and the vibrant colors and smells of blooming flowers might lead them to take a little taste of a plant. This can be dangerous.

The Georgia Poison Control Center often receives questions about the dangers of mushrooms or houseplants, said Gaylord Lopez, the center’s director. But when someone calls about the toxicity of any plant, the answers to a series of questions determine how much exposure someone has had to the plant. The information is then compared to a plant database to see if signs or symptoms match the toxicity.

Lopez advises homeowners to identify the plants in their landscape and label them for easy identification. This information can prove life-saving if the plant is ever eaten.

“Most plant ingestions are by children, accidental, and in small quantities of only a couple of berries or leaves,” he said. Poison control operators advise callers on how to respond based on how much was eaten and which parts of the plant were swallowed. If someone eats high quantities of any plant, hospitalization may be required.

University of Georgia Cooperative Extension horticulturist Gary Wade says there are several poisonous plants in home landscapes.

“Most people don’t commonly eat leaves from plants in their landscape, but you never know when young children or playful teenagers will grab a few leaves and put them in their mouths, becoming nauseous or developing symptoms similar to food poisoning,” Wade said. “Furthermore, culinary experts use the flowers of nasturtiums and pansies in salads and as garnishes, but this does not mean that all flowers are edible.”

A few common landscape plants that contain toxic compounds capable of causing flu-like symptoms when eaten are azaleas, mountain laurel and rhododendron. Their leaves, stems, flowers and even their pollen contain andromedotoxin, which can cause headache, nausea and respiratory problems. Oakleaf hydrangeas have the compound hydragin in their leaves and buds. When eaten, these plant parts can cause stomach ache and diarrhea.

Ornamental cherries, including the cultivars Yoshino, Okame and Kwansan, are popular landscape plants. Their leaves, stems and seeds contain cyanogenic glycoside, a compound known to cause respiratory problems, dizziness and convulsions when eaten.

Wisteria pods and seeds contain a glycoside called wisterin that causes stomach ache, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea when eaten.

Angel’s Trumpet has become a popular plant in landscapes in recent years. Unfortunately, all parts of the plant contain tropane alkaloids, which cause headaches, convulsions and severe respiratory problems when swallowed.

“People should not stop planting these plants. They just need to be aware of their toxic properties when ingested and should be cautious when allowing young children, or even pets, to play around them,” Wade said. “The word poisonous does not mean deadly. The severity of the symptoms depends on the amount eaten and the plant part eaten.”

While poisonous plants are inconvenient to people, the toxins do serve a purpose to the plant. They are defense mechanisms plants use as protection from predators such as insects and bacteria. Plant poisons are so successful at keeping insects away that several early pesticides were mimics of naturally-
occurring chemicals of poisonous plants, said Matthew Chappell, a UGA Extension horticulturist.

“There is a small percentage of harmful poisonous plants if eaten, however, people need to be aware of the dangers of eating poisonous plants. If someone wants to eat a plant in the landscape they must be well versed in keying and identifying plants beforehand,” Chappell said. “If you are not a plant expert and would like to eat something in your landscape, call your local Extension office and ask them to identify the plant for you.”

For more information on poisonous plants around the home, see UGA Extension circular 957, Poisonous Plants in the Landscape, available on-line at http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/pubs/PDF/C957.pdf.

By Winston Dangler
University of Georgia

Winston Dangler is a student writer for the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

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U.S. Workers Risking Injury by Not Wearing Required Safety Equipment

2010-08-11T20:17:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Nearly all of the safety professionals in a survey released today said that workers in their organizations had at some point failed to wear the necessary safety equipment while on the job.

An exceedingly high 98 percent of respondents who attended the recent American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) show in Baltimore answered "yes" when asked if they had observed workers not wearing safety equipment when they should have been, according to the survey, which was conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional.

To make matters worse, 30 percent of these respondents said this had happened on numerous occasions. Given this, it's not surprising that worker compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) protocols was cited as the top workplace safety issue by all survey respondents.

These findings are in keeping with results from surveys of safety professionals, conducted by Kimberly-Clark Professional at the National Safety Council (NSC) Congress in 2008, 2007 and 2006. Those surveys also found high levels of noncompliance with PPE protocols -- 89 percent in 2008, 87 percent in 2007 and 85 percent in 2006.

"Increasingly high noncompliance with PPE protocols is an alarming trend and a serious threat to worker health and safety," said Gina Tsiropoulos, manufacturing segment marketing manager for Kimberly-Clark Professional. "Whether this is a result of economic conditions, a flawed approach to safety programs, younger workers who are more inclined to take greater risks, or some other reason, it's essential that workers wear PPE when it is required. PPE protects workers against injury, but it will not work if workers fail to use it and use it properly."

It's no wonder then that three-quarters of respondents chose workplace accidents and injuries in response to the question: "What is most likely to keep you up at night?" Potential exposure because of noncompliance with PPE protocols was second, at 13 percent, while fear of a global pandemic and its impact on the workforce was a distant third, cited by only 8 percent of respondents.

Most Challenging PPE

When it comes to compliance with PPE use protocols, eye protection was found to be the "most challenging" PPE category, according to 42 percent of respondents, a disturbing though not unexpected finding considering that nearly three out of five workers who experienced eye injuries were found not to be wearing eye protection at the time of the accident or were wearing the wrong kind of eye protection for the job.(1) Add to this the facts that about 2,000 U.S. workers each day have a job-related eye injury that requires medical treatment(2) and that thousands are blinded each year from work-related eye injuries that could have been prevented(3) and the magnitude of the problem becomes clear.

The next highest category for noncompliance was hearing protection, also disturbing since occupational noise-induced hearing loss is 100 percent preventable when proper preventative measures are implemented. It was followed by gloves and head protection.

While the reasons for PPE noncompliance were varied, the biggest complaint was that it was "uncomfortable," selected by 40 percent of respondents, followed by:

-- Too hot
-- Not available near the work task
-- Poor fit
-- Unattractive looking

When asked what they had done or intended to do to improve compliance levels, these safety professionals' top choice was to improve existing education and training programs. This was followed by:

-- Increased monitoring of employees
-- Purchasing more comfortable PPE
-- Tying compliance to individual performance evaluations
-- Purchasing more stylish PPE
-- Developing incentive programs to encourage greater PPE compliance

How can Suppliers Help?

The issue of PPE comfort came to the fore again when safety professionals were asked what suppliers could do to improve their offerings. The number one selection was to "provide more comfortable PPE," followed by:

-- Providing more instruction on the proper use of PPE
-- Reducing prices
-- Providing greater size selection
-- Offering more stylish PPE

PPE of the Future

When safety professionals were asked about their visions for the future of PPE, fit, comfort and style took precedence. Forty-two percent of respondents said they would like to see PPE that automatically adjusts to fit different body types, hands, heads, faces, etc. Next was PPE with customizable style and design options, so that workers could select PPE based on their own individual tastes and safety requirements (32 percent). This was followed by PPE designed with integrated climate-control features, providing cooling or warmth as needed (15 percent).

The impact of customization and style on PPE compliance was further underscored by the response to another question. When asked if customizable or individualized style and design options would help increase PPE compliance, 87 percent of respondents said that it would.

'Toxic Towels'

Safety professionals were also asked about another area of concern -- the potential health and safety issues for workers posed by oil, grease, heavy metal residues or toxic elements on re-usable Rental Shop Towels. Sixty percent said they were disturbed by these hazards, with 20 percent of these respondents reporting they were "very concerned."

Worries about the risks to workers from "toxic towels" were the chief reason why safety professionals said they would switch to disposable wiping solutions from re-usable rental shop towels. What was the second most important reason for a potential change? A closed-loop solution that converts used disposable wipers to energy and diverts them from landfills. Not surprising, given the increased emphasis on environmental responsibility in manufacturing.

"Manufacturing facilities today are focused now more than ever before on conserving natural resources and reducing waste," said Tsiropoulos. "So a closed-loop solution for used wipers is a very appealing option."

Survey Methodology

The survey of 132 attendees at the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) show in Baltimore, Md., was conducted via the Internet between June 9 and 13, 2010. All survey respondents said they were responsible for purchasing, selecting or influencing the purchase or selection of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) or industrial wiping solutions. Ninety percent were safety directors or managers, while the other 10 percent were industrial hygienists, facilities or general managers, or held other positions. They were employed in the following fields: chemical/plastics manufacturing; construction/utilities; computer, electronics and electrical product manufacturing; food processing; metal manufacturing; transpiration equipment manufacturing or other fields.

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FDA Warns of Salmonella Risk From Frozen Rodents Fed to Reptiles

2010-08-09T20:22:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning U.S. and international customers who may have purchased frozen mice from Biggers and Callaham LLC, doing business as MiceDirect, that these products, which are used as food for reptiles, have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Because children, the elderly, and individuals with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk for salmonellosis, they should avoid handling either frozen rodents used as reptile food or reptiles. Children 5 years and under should not handle either frozen rodents used as reptile food or reptiles.

After handling either frozen rodents used as reptile food or reptiles themselves, individuals should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and water and use a disinfectant to thoroughly clean any surfaces that have been in contact with frozen rodents.

The FDA is actively investigating positive Salmonella findings in frozen mice and environmental samples taken at the company's Cleveland, Ga. plant. After being informed of the positive samples, Biggers and Callaham voluntarily recalled all frozen mice, rats and chicks purchased between May 2009 and July 23, 2010. The frozen reptile feed was distributed in all states, except Hawaii, through pet stores and by mail order and direct delivery.

On Aug. 2, 2010, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that 34 human illnesses in 17 states were associated with handling frozen rodents used for reptile food sourced from Biggers and Callaham. In general, snakes and other reptiles can harbor many strains of Salmonella for several years, but still appear healthy.

Frozen reptile feed was shipped in plastic bags with the following product codes M-SP100, M-P100, M-PF100, M-F100, M-H100, M-W50, M-A50, M-JA25, R-P100, R-F50, R-PUP50, R-W50, R-S50, R-M20, R-L10,R-J5, R-C5, R-M3 followed by E9, F9, G9, H9, I9, J9, K9, L9 or A10, B10, C10, D10, E10, F10, G10 and whole frozen chicks in 25 count bags.

The FDA advises customers with the contaminated product to place it in a sealed container in the trash so that no children, pets, or other animals, such as wildlife, may be able to reach it.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. People infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Most people recover from Salmonella infections within four to seven days without treatment. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses, such as arterial infections (infected aneurysms), infection of the lining of the heart, and arthritis.

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FDA Warns Consumers of Serious Harm from Drinking Miracle Mineral Solution (MMS)

2010-07-31T10:06:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to take Miracle Mineral Solution, an oral liquid solution also known as "Miracle Mineral Supplement" or "MMS." The product, when used as directed, produces an industrial bleach that can cause serious harm to health.

The FDA has received several reports of health injuries from consumers using this product, including severe nausea, vomiting, and life-threatening low blood pressure from dehydration.

Consumers who have MMS should stop using it immediately and throw it away.

MMS is distributed on Internet sites and online auctions by multiple independent distributors. Although the products share the MMS name, the look of the labeling may vary.

The product instructs consumers to mix the 28 percent sodium chlorite solution with an acid such as citrus juice. This mixture produces chlorine dioxide, a potent bleach used for stripping textiles and industrial water treatment. High oral doses of this bleach, such as those recommended in the labeling, can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and symptoms of severe dehydration.

MMS claims to treat multiple unrelated diseases, including HIV, hepatitis, the H1N1 flu virus, common colds, acne, cancer, and other conditions. The FDA is not aware of any research that MMS is effective in treating any of these conditions. MMS also poses a significant health risk to consumers who may choose to use this product for self-treatment instead of seeking FDA-approved treatments for these conditions.

The FDA continues to investigate and may pursue civil or criminal enforcement actions as appropriate to protect the public from this potentially dangerous product.

The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from MMS to consult a health care professional as soon as possible and to discard the product. Consumers and health care professionals should report adverse events to the FDA's MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm.

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FDA Advisory: Avoid Unintentional Exposure of Children and Pets to Evamist

2010-07-29T13:13:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning that inadvertent exposure to Evamist through skin contact with patients using this product has the potential for adverse effects in children and pets.

Evamist contains estradiol, an estrogen hormone, and is used in women to reduce hot flashes during menopause. The drug is sprayed on the skin between the elbow and wrist, on the inside of the forearm. The FDA currently is reviewing reports of adverse events in children and pets who were inadvertently exposed to this topical estrogen product.

"Women using Evamist need to be aware of the potential risks to children who come in contact with the area of skin where this drug is applied," said Julie Beitz, M.D., director of the FDA's Office of Drug Evaluation III. "It is important that people know to keep both children and pets away from the product to minimize exposure."

Evamist was FDA approved in 2007. From July 2007 to June 2010, FDA received eight post-marketing cases of unintended exposure to Evamist in children ages 3 years to 5 years. Adverse events reported in unintentionally exposed children include premature puberty, nipple swelling and breast development in females, and breast enlargement in males. Since 2007, two reports of secondary exposure to Evamist in dogs also have been received by FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine. Pets exposed to Evamist may exhibit signs such as mammary/nipple enlargement and vulvar swelling.

Patients using Evamist should not allow children to make contact with the area of the arm where Evamist is sprayed and should wash the child's skin with soap and water as soon as possible if contact does occur. Pets also should not be allowed to lick or touch the arm where Evamist is sprayed as small pets may be especially sensitive to the estrogen in this product. If direct contact with the arm where Evamist was sprayed cannot be avoided, it is recommended that women wear a garment that covers the area where the drug was applied.

At this time, it is unknown whether unintended exposure can occur with other topical estrogen products. The FDA is continuing to review adverse event reports and evaluate ways to reduce unintended exposures to these products.

Consumers and health care professionals should report any side effects from Evamist by using the FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 800-332-1088.

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Eye Strain, Dry Eyes, Fatigue and Headaches Associated With Those Spending More Than Four Hours in Front of Digital Devices

2010-07-27T08:27:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Eye strain, fatigue and headaches are common indicators that your digital devices - including computer monitors, smart phones and video games - might be causing you discomfort.

According to recent research with VSP Vision Care eye doctors, 33 percent reported that nearly one third or more of their patients suffer from symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome or digital device-related vision problems. The most common symptoms of patients suffering from Computer Vision Syndrome include eye strain (82 percent), dry or irritated eyes (74 percent), fatigue (70 percent) and headaches (61 percent). Yet, two in three eye doctors report 20 percent or fewer of their patients even know what Computer Vision Syndrome is, showing a low level of understanding of the condition.

Computer Vision Syndrome is a serious condition that can have a major impact on the well-being, work productivity and learning capacity. As six hours is the average time spent in front of a digital device, American workers alone are spending in excess of 200 billion hours a year in front of a digital screen.

"Computer Vision Syndrome is a major problem for Americans," said Dr. Nate Bonilla-Warford, VSP provider. "For professionals with this condition, work productivity can decrease by as much as 20 percent. We are seeing patients uncomfortable in the workplace with neck pain, headaches, eye strain, blurred vision, etc. that could easily be avoided. It's important for people to discuss their digital usage with their eye doctor and make sure they are getting annual eye exams."

VSP Vision Care recommends the following tips to help lessen the symptoms of computer-related eye strain:

1. Blink Often: When looking at a computer or hand-held digital device,
it's common for you to blink two to three times less than you normally
would. This can lead to "dry eye." Blinking bathes your eyes in
tears, and tears are naturally therapeutic for the eyes.
2. The 20/20/20 Rule: When spending long periods in front of a digital
device, every 20 minutes, spend 20 seconds looking at something 20 feet
away to allow your eyes to rest.
3. Ensure Proper Lighting: Poor lighting often causes eye strain. To help
ease the strain on your eyes, keep bright lighting overhead to a
minimum and position your desk lamp to shine on your desk, and not at
you. Position your computer screen in a way that reduces reflections
and glare from windows or overhead lights.

"Today, digital device eye strain is the number one computer-related complaint ahead of carpal-tunnel, neck and back pain," Dr. Bonilla-Warford continued. "Eye doctors are trained to help patients mitigate the symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome, and can even offer computer vision glasses, which are prescribed glasses that provide the optimal lens power for viewing your computer screen at the correct distance, without the need for excessive focusing or squinting."

For more information about computer-related vision problems visit the "My Eyes" tab at www.facebook.com/VSPVisionCare.

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Not Big Red, Too! Is the Economy to Blame?

2010-07-26T13:39:00.000-05:00

How can it possibly be? There I was at the local discount big box store in town with all my little treasures in hand when I thought I would grab a big pack of Wrigley's Big Red Chewing Gum at the checkout counter.

And that is when life, just like the economy, went tumbling downhill just like an Olympic downhill skier.

I checked five checkout displays. Yes, five! And not a one of them had Big Red. There was a host of the newest flavors on the block, but not my beloved Big Red. As I was moaning in the aisle, another customer asked if she could help me find the gum. Soon, she was moaning, too.

Despair sank in as even the checkout girl was shocked not to find our beloved Big Red at the checkout display.

Now I know that the Sammy's corporate folks have recently finished redecorating the store and they have lost lots of items that I love to purchase. Catch the hint-- I'm spending more time at the other Big Box Discount store in town now. But, how could they eliminate Big Red at the checkout display?

So, I ran to the other big box store to gather the items no longer found, thanks to the remodel at the first big box store. And--- again, there was no Big Red at the checkout display!

Has the economy gotten so bad that people don't want to experience the fresh feel of Big Red as they pop the gum into their mouths? Do the corporate types really think I want a strawberry mint gum or some other silly combination?

Who makes these decisions? Is it a corporate deal or does the local manager decide which gum his/her customers want? Come on, Big Red has been a top seller for Wrigley for YEARS, and it is the only gum I will consent to chew for a few minutes when I feel the need.

I haven't been able to bring myself to go back in the stores and look way down deep in the bowels, er, racks. Nope, I've been on the edge of despair.

Oh, my Big Red. Where can I find you at the checkout counter? I miss you. I need you. My breath just isn't worth taking without that wonderful spicy cinammon flavor.

Arrgghh. I may even have to give up driving my car.

WMD: 'Lose Christianity or face expulsion'

2010-07-23T07:22:00.000-05:00

A lawsuit against Augusta State University in Georgia alleges school officials essentially gave a graduate student in counseling the choice of giving up her Christian beliefs or being expelled from the graduate program. Read the latest now on WND.com.

10 Ways We Are Being Tracked, Traced, and Databased

2010-07-22T10:56:00.000-05:00

Are technological advances infringing on our right to privacy?

The war on terror is a worldwide endeavor that has spurred massive investment into the global surveillance industry - which now seems to be becoming a war on "liberty and privacy." Given all of the new monitoring technology being implemented, the uproar over warrantless wiretaps now seems moot.

10 Ways We Are Being Tracked, Traced, and Databased

http://www.activistpost.com/2010/07/ten-ways-we-are-being-tracked-traced.html

FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Magic Power Coffee

2010-06-21T09:40:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that Magic Power Coffee, an instant coffee product marketed as a dietary supplement for sexual enhancement, contains an active drug ingredient that can dangerously lower blood pressure.

Consumers who have Magic Power Coffee should stop using it immediately. Sexual enhancement products that claim to work as well as prescription products are likely to expose consumers to unpredictable risks and the potential for injury or even death.

In the case of Magic Power Coffee, the FDA collected and analyzed the product and determined that the product contains hydroxythiohomosildenafil. This is a chemical similar to sildenafil, the active ingredient in Viagra. Hydroxythiohomosildenafil, like sildenafil, may interact with prescription drugs known as nitrates, including nitroglycerin, and cause dangerously low blood pressure. Consumers and health care professionals should be aware of this problem and the health hazard it presents.

When blood pressure drops suddenly, the brain is deprived of an adequate blood supply, which can lead to dizziness or lightheadedness.

"Because this product is an instant coffee labeled as an ‘all natural dietary supplement,’ consumers may assume it is harmless and poses no health risk," said Deborah M. Autor, director of FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Office of Compliance. "In fact, Magic Power Coffee can cause serious harm.”

To date, the FDA is not aware of any adverse events associated with the use of this product.

The product is distributed on Internet sites and online auctions by multiple independent distributors participating in an online multi-level marketing scheme. It is sold in a 2-serving box and a 12-serving carton containing six 2-serving boxes.

The FDA advises consumers who have experienced any negative side effects from sexual enhancement products to consult a health care professional and to safely discard the product. Consumers and health care professionals should report adverse events to the FDA's MedWatch program at 800-FDA-1088 or online at www.fda.gov/medwatch/report.htm

During the past several years, the FDA has found many products marketed as dietary supplements for sexual enhancement that contain undeclared active ingredients of FDA-approved drugs, analogs of approved drugs or other compounds that do not qualify as “dietary ingredients.”

“The FDA is committed to protecting public health and stopping the illegal marketing of unapproved drugs,” said Autor. “We support vigorous law enforcement and criminal prosecution of violators of safe drug laws.

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FDA Warns About Fraudulent Tamiflu

2010-06-17T14:11:00.000-05:00

/USNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about a potentially harmful product represented as "Generic Tamiflu" sold over the Internet. FDA tests revealed that the fraudulent product does not contain Tamiflu's active ingredient, oseltamivir, but cloxacillin, an ingredient in the same class of antibiotics as penicillin.

The agency reminds patients who are allergic to or may have experienced adverse reactions from penicillin products that they are at risk of experiencing similar reactions from cloxacillin. This includes a sudden, potentially life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis, with symptoms that include difficulty breathing, chest tightness, swelling of the throat or tongue, hives, dizziness, loss of consciousness, or a rapid or weak pulse. To date, the FDA is not aware of any reports of adverse reactions.

There is no FDA-approved generic drug for the prescription product Tamiflu.

The FDA bought the fraudulent "Generic Tamiflu" without a prescription from a website claiming to be an online drugstore that is no longer operational. The fraudulent version is likely to be found for sale on other websites, however.

"A rogue Internet website marketing drug products may look like a professional and legitimate website, but may actually be an illegal operation," said Commissioner of Food and Drugs Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D. "Medicines purchased from websites operating outside the law put consumers at increased risk due to a higher potential that the products will be counterfeit, impure, contaminated, or have too little or too much of the active ingredient."

The FDA-purchased product arrived in an envelope postmarked from India, containing two foil-backed blister packages each with 15 yellow and tan capsules containing white powder (see photos below). The foil backing is printed, and labeled in part, "Oseltamivir Phosphate 75mg. Capsules TM-FLU Capsules" and "Manufactured by: TRYDRUGS Pharmaceuticals PVT. LTD."

Although the FDA actively monitors the Internet and when appropriate purchases and analyzes drug products, consumers who purchase drugs using an online pharmacy can protect themselves by knowing how to recognize a legitimate Internet pharmacy and how to buy medicines safely online. Legitimate internet pharmacies are licensed by the appropriate U.S. Board of Pharmacy and follow the applicable laws and regulations.

Consumers can also be confident that the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy Verified Internet Pharmacy Sites Seal, also known as VIPPS Seal, gives a seal of approval to pharmacy sites that apply and meet state licensure requirements. Legitimate pharmacies that carry the VIPPS seal are listed at www.vipps.info

The FDA advises anyone possessing or encountering any of these fraudulent Tamiflu drugs not to use them and to contact the FDA's Office of Criminal Investigations by calling 800-551-3989, or by visiting the OCI website (http://www.fda.gov/OCI).

Health care professionals and consumers are encouraged to report adverse events that may be related to the use of these fraudulent products to the FDA's MedWatch Program by phone at 800-FDA-1088, by fax at 800-FDA-0178, or by mail at: MedWatch, HF-2, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787.

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Who Will Hold BP Liable?

2010-06-16T07:05:00.000-05:00

24-7 - The Ultimate Losses

No one lost more than those 11 workers who died on April 20 in the massive explosion that engulfed the offshore oil rig in flames and sent it into the then-blue water of the Gulf. Their loss of life has been largely overlooked in the nonstop media coverage that has followed in the weeks since the catastrophe. The workers who suffered severe injuries in the explosion have likewise been ignored.

One day those survivors and those who were injured will have their day in court, however, and liability and compensation for their losses will be determined. Who will be held liable? BP has already to some extent admitted liability in the event by paying out minor sums to fishermen and other business owners and workers who have lost income because of the oil spill.

Two other companies may well share liability in the Deepwater incident: Transocean, the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig (Transocean leased the rig to BP) and Halliburton, the company that was responsible for the cement casing that was supposed to cap the well.

Injuries Incurred Since the Explosion

As part of the efforts to prevent the enormous swaths of oil from the leak from hitting the Gulf coast, BP has hired shrimpers, commercial fishermen and others with boats to deploy booms and devices to soak up some of the oil.

Though the efforts have had decidedly mixed results, there's no denying that some of the workers hired by BP have suffered a variety of symptoms due to their prolonged (and in some cases, unprotected) exposure to toxic fumes, oil particles and powerful chemical dispersants used to break up the oil.

A CBS News report aired nationally showed Gulf coast workers reporting a variety of respiratory and other ailments after exposure to the oil and dispersants.

The Los Angeles Times reported that seven workers were hospitalized due to sudden illness. According to Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the illness was apparently caused by exposure to a cleaning substance.

Crude oil is a poisonous stew with ingredients including cancer-causing benzene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, a toxin that can damage the central nervous system and brain.

The legal process is already beginning to sort out issues involving negligence and liability and compensation for lost wages, medical bills and pain and suffering. Legal experts urge people who have suffered injuries, or have family members who are oil-spill victims, to carefully consider their legal options before entering into agreements with BP or others.

Article provided by Winters & Yonker P.A.

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FDA Cautions on Accurate Vitamin D Supplementation for Infants

2010-06-15T12:40:00.000-05:00

The Food and Drug Administration today alerted parents and caregivers that some liquid Vitamin D supplement products are sold with droppers that could allow excessive dosing of Vitamin D to infants.

The FDA also advised manufacturers of liquid Vitamin D supplements that droppers accompanying these products should be clearly and accurately marked for 400 international units (IU). In addition, for products intended for infants, FDA recommends that the dropper hold no more than 400 IU.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recommended a dose of 400 IU of Vitamin D supplement per day to breast-fed and partially breast-fed infants. The easiest way to ensure that an infant will not get more than the recommended dose is to use a product supplied with a dropper that will give no more than 400 IU per dose. The AAP’s recommendations are provided hereExit Disclaimer.

Excessive amounts of Vitamin D can be harmful to infants, and may be characterized by nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, excessive thirst, frequent urination, constipation, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, muscle and joint aches, confusion, and fatigue, as well as more serious consequences such as kidney damage.

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Cotton Is King: Dynamic Adsorbents, Inc. Develops Superior Cotton-Based Solution for Removing Oil from the Gulf of Mexico

2010-06-08T09:27:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The British Petroleum (BP) oil spill controversy is raising eyebrows worldwide not only because of spewing an unprecedented volume of crude oil, but because proven technologies are being overlooked that can dramatically reduce the effects of the spill.

Dr. Mark Moskovitz, President and CTO of Dynamic Adsorbents, Inc. (DAI), has spent his career in separation technology and is outraged by the clean-up decisions.

"While our environment is being destroyed right before our eyes, the problem is being compounded by decisions to use inferior products and technologies to remediate the effects," Dr. Moskovitz said. "While BP may not be able to fully stop the flow of oil, it and the Federal Government have a responsibility to ensure that the best technologies are considered."

BP has recently sprayed almost one million gallons of Corexit Chemical dispersant into the ocean to dissipate the crude oil. Unfortunately, the toxic dispersant is causing adverse health effects to the people cleaning up the spill.

DAI's solution is alumina impregnated cotton.

"Cotton's absorbency power is woefully unrecognized and should be at the forefront of consideration for cleaning up this disaster," Dr. Moskovitz said.

The oil sorption capacity of many natural and man-made fibrous sorbents have been studied for years. Industry professionals are aware that natural sorbents such as milkweed, kapok, cotton and wool are far superior in their sorption capacity properties when compared to man-made sorbents.

"Natural sorbent capacities routinely exceed 30 grams of oil per gram of fiber," Dr. Moskovitz said. "Cotton is the superior choice out of all the natural sorbents due its sorption capacity exceeding 40 grams."

Dr. Mark Moskovitz and Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc. in Waco, TX, have co-developed a new generation of cotton materials impregnated with patent-protected alumina adsorbents. "Cotton, impregnated with activated alumina, should be used for absorbing the toxic chemicals and crude oil from the Gulf due to its ability to adsorb as much as 100 grams per gram of cotton, exceeding 2 1/2 times more than any other cotton-based products," according to Dr. Moskovitz.

Carey Hobbs, CEO of Hobbs Bonded Fibers, Inc., has spent his entire career in the textile industry and is at the forefront of its newest technologies. When Hobbs' superior cotton material is impregnated with DAI's customized activated alumina, the material will have the highest sorption capacity and will remove fumes and noxious airborne particulate materials through adsorption, addressing the problem of workers inhaling dangerous materials.

"The BP disaster is an example of an environmental disaster that we are ready to address now," Hobbs said. "We at Hobbs Bonded Fibers are thrilled to be working with Dr. Moskovitz and his scientific team. Dr. Moskovitz's expertise enhances the absorbency power of cotton, making this material the perfect tool for handling this catastrophe."

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Gulf Coast Poison Centers Respond to Oil Spill

2010-06-05T08:21:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- More than 100 people have called Gulf region poison centers since the Deepwater Horizon oil platform caught fire in the Gulf of Mexico April 20, either to receive information or to report side effects from the resulting oil spill.

Dr. Mark Ryan, managing director of the Louisiana Poison Center, said he expects to see that number rise as the oil continues to leak and spread.

"Louisiana is a particularly difficult area to clean because the marshes are grassy with muddy bottoms that have very low oxygen content," he said. "It's not conducive to breaking oil down. We may be dealing with this for decades."

As of June 2, Gulf region centers reported a total of 45 calls reporting a poison exposure related to the spill. An additional 64 callers have contacted their poison center to seek medical information about the spill.

The U.S. Coast Guard and the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals are among the agencies urging those exposed to toxins related to the spill to call their local poison center for guidance, and the Louisiana center is working with the state's Center for Epidemiology and Environmental Toxicology to gauge the number of poison exposures related to the spill. "We are collaborating to obtain the most comprehensive picture of the exposures that are occurring," Ryan said.

In addition, the Gulf region poison centers are providing data to federal agencies including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Institutes of Health.

Poison centers provide information about calls to the American Association of Poison Control Centers National Poison Data System. When someone calls a poison center after being exposed to an oil spill-related poison, be it skin contact with oil, inhalation of fumes, or exposure to the dispersants used to treat the spill, staff at the centers enter a "tracking code" that links the call to the oil spill. This marks the first time one code has been used to track the varied exposures and medical outcomes stemming from a disaster with potentially wide-reaching consequences.

So far, the most common symptom reported to centers has been throat irritation, followed by headaches. Other callers have reported symptoms including nausea, chest pain, dizziness and coughs. Most calls so far have involved inhalation of fumes. Poison centers in Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri and Mississippi have received calls about poison exposures related to the spill.

"Poison centers are perfectly poised to be a go-to health care resource during a disaster," said Jim Hirt, executive director of the American Association of Poison Control Centers. "There's a reason that state and federal health agencies are relying on information from Gulf region poison centers - these centers provide an invaluable public health service."

Poison centers are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. Their services are free and confidential. If you have a question about medical effects of the oil spill or any other poison exposure, call your local poison center at 1(800) 222-1222.

About the American Association of Poison Control Centers: The American Association of Poison Control Centers is a non-profit, national organization founded in 1958 that represents the poison control centers of the United States, the interests of poison prevention and the treatment of poisoning.

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McDonald's(R) USA Voluntarily Recalls Shrek Forever After(TM) Glassware

2010-06-04T09:14:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- In collaboration with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), and as a precautionary measure, McDonald's USA today issued a voluntary recall of its four Shrek Forever After(TM) glassware recently offered in its U.S. restaurants. Customers should stop using the glasses and visit www.mcdonalds.com/glasses beginning June 8 for instructions on how to return them and get a refund.

McDonald's safety standards are among the highest in the industry and the company has a strong track record. To be clear, the glassware was evaluated by an independent third-party laboratory which is accredited by the CPSC, and determined to be in compliance with all applicable federal and state requirements at the time of manufacture and distribution. However, in light of the CPSC's evolving assessment of standards for cadmium in consumer products, McDonald's determined in an abundance of caution that a voluntary recall of the Shrek Forever After glasses is appropriate.

"When the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission approached McDonald's about cadmium in their current movie-themed drinking glasses, the company responded quickly, agreed to cooperate fully and acted on the side of caution," said Scott Wolfson, Director of the Office of Information and Public Affairs, CPSC. "The glasses have far less cadmium than the children's metal jewelry that CPSC has previously recalled."

McDonald's has a longstanding, cooperative relationship with the CPSC, and continues to follow their lead as testing protocols and new scientific information becomes available.

The Shrek Forever After glassware was offered in four glass designs at McDonald's restaurants beginning May 21. The four designs include Puss n' Boots, Shrek, Princess Fiona and Donkey. Customers can get instructions to return the glassware and request a refund by visiting www.mcdonalds.com/glasses beginning June 8. Customers can also call McDonald's toll-free number at 1-800-244-6227. Previous McDonald's promotional glassware is not involved in the recall.

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HIV Tests Can Do More Harm Than Good

2010-06-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The idea of early detection and cure is appealing. But if the test is unreliable, and the treatment itself harmful, universal testing can do more harm than good.

The availability of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) for AIDS is leading to calls for universal testing for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), which can progress to AIDS, and for early use of this expensive drug cocktail.

While HIV testing is said to be highly reliable, Professor Henry Bauer points out that in a population at low risk for AIDS, a positive test is nonetheless quite likely to be a false positive. Moreover, many people with genuinely positive tests never get AIDS.

The number of "long-term nonprogressors" is not known, but in an article (http://www.jpands.org/vol15no2/bauer.pdf) in the summer issue of the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Bauer calculates that more than half of those tagged as "HIV positive" in a universal testing program could be either false positives or long-term nonprogressors.

Being pregnant, or simply being black, is a risk factor for a false positive HIV test. Tests are calibrated the same for Africans as for Europeans, although blacks are likely to have "sticky serum" that reacts somewhat differently. Thus, HIV tests are racially biased. It is incorrect to assume that black men are more promiscuous, or more likely to be bisexual, just because they are more likely to be HIV positive, Bauer states.

The HAART regimen is so toxic that 40 percent of prescriptions are not filled. Side effects include heart, liver, and nerve damage.

A positive HIV test can also destroy a person's marriage, employability, insurability, and peace of mind. These tests should be used only where indicated, rather than as screening tools, and only with fully informed consent, Bauer states.

"Disproportionate harm from aggressive testing and treatment will be experienced by pregnant women and persons of black African ancestry," he emphasizes.

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Congressional Hearing Targets Dentists as Major Source of Mercury Pollution

2010-05-26T13:34:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Testimony today by a mercury watchdog group charges that the American Dental Association has provided misleading information that dentists are voluntarily controlling their mercury pollution and that the toxic metal doesn't get taken up in fish that people eat. The Mercury Policy Project will provide evidence to the contrary during a 2 PM hearing today of the U.S. House Government Oversight Domestic Policy Subcommittee in Rayburn House Office Building 2154.

"Dental mercury ends up in the fish we eat, although ADA denies it," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project (MPP). "Dentists are the largest polluter of mercury to wastewater. Yet ADA ignores the latest science from the U.S. Navy[1] and others, and pretends that dental mercury doesn't end up in fish."

Bender says the following statement on ADA's website is "misinformation":

"Dental amalgam has little effect on the environment...Even this amount is not in the form found in fish, which is the greatest concern."[2]

Yet EPA states on its website that dental mercury pollution does contaminate fish:

"When amalgam enters the water, microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish."[3]

MPP also charges that ADA has intentionally misled EPA into believing that voluntary pollution prevention initiatives were sufficient to reduce dental mercury pollution. This was reflected in the voluntary agreement[4] that EPA signed with ADA in 2008.

Evidence of the failure of voluntary programs was extensively documented by a 2008 Domestic Policy Subcommittee report, following hearings.[5] Since then, the Quicksilver Caucus, a coalition of state government officials, has found that amalgam separator installation rates are low unless there is a mandatory component.[6]

Again, according to ADA's website, ADA convinced EPA:

"...that a national pretreatment standard for dental offices was not necessary because dentistry was already acting voluntarily to address environmental impacts from dental amalgam. The ADA pointed out support of its position that the use of amalgam separators is part of the ADA's Best Management Practices (BMP). The EPA agreed and concluded that a national standard was not warranted at that time. Following this, EPA proposed an agreement among EPA, ADA and National Association of Clean Water Agencies (NACWA) to further promote voluntary compliance with ADA's BMPs, including the use of amalgam separators."[7]

ADA messaging is contradictory when it comes to promoting pollution prevention, Bender said.

"The need for dentists to install amalgam separators was well-established years ago," Bender said. "Yet, working with its state chapters, ADA has blocked any further mandates for separators since 2008, pretending that voluntary programs work."

www.mercurypolicy.org

Endnotes

[1]-Stone,ME et al, "Determination of methylmercury in dental-unit wastewater," Dent Mater. 2003 Nov;19(7):675-9; mark.stone@ndri.med.navy.mil

[2]-See: http://www.ada.org/1540.aspx
[3]-See: http://www.epa.gov/mercury/dentalamalgam.html
[4]-See: http://www.epa.gov/guide/dental/files/mou.pdf

[5]-See: http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/documents/20080910144322.pdf

[6]-Letter from Mark McDermid, Quicksilver Caucus, Lead ECOS Representative to the EPA Water Docket ID No. EPA-HQ-OW-2008-0517, March 31, 2010.

[7]-See: http://www.ada.org/sections/professionalResources/pdfs/topics_amalgamseparator s_flyer.pdf

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Report: 15 National Parks, Other Natural Areas Most at Risk From BP Oil Blowout Identified

2010-05-26T13:31:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- From Padre Island National Seashore in Texas to the Everglades National Park in Florida, the 15 national parks, wildlife refuges and state parks in Gulf states most threatened by the ongoing BP oil blowout are identified in a new report from the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization (RMCO).

The new NRDC/RMCO report, "Special Places at Risk in the Gulf: Effects of the BP Oil Catastrophe," lists the following 15 top national and state parks and wildlife areas at risk to contamination because of the BP oil blowout:

1. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas
2. Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Alabama
3. Breton National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
4. Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
5. Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida
6. Everglades National Park, Florida
7. Lower Suwanee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
8. Grand Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi and Alabama
9. Gulf Islands National Seashore, Mississippi and Florida
10. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Florida
11. Key West National Wildlife Refuge, Florida
12. Padre Island National Seashore, Texas
13. Pass a Loutre Wildlife Management Area, Louisiana
14. Rockefeller Wildlife Refuge, Louisiana
15. St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

Theo Spencer, senior advocate, Climate Center, Natural Resources Defense Council, said: "This could become America's greatest environmental disaster. Oil contamination from the explosion of BP's drilling rig threatens precious natural resources and livelihoods across the Gulf of Mexico and beyond. By highlighting special places that belong to all Americans, this report sheds light on one stark aspect of the BP disaster: our country's dangerous over-dependence on fossil fuels. That dependence threatens part of America's 'Best Idea,' some National Parks and other protected places with unique natural resources in a region of great natural value."

Stephen Saunders, president, Rocky Mountain Climate Organization, said: "The 15 special places highlighted in our report were chosen to include the best examples of the full range of both the protected public areas and the resources within them that are vulnerable to contamination by the BP disaster. Because the potential reach of this catastrophe is so broad, our list certainly cannot include more than a tiny fraction of what is at stake as oil continues to gush into and spread around the Gulf."

Julie Wraithmell, wildlife policy coordinator, Florida Audubon, said: "For Gulf Coast states, our coastal areas are our lifeblood, ecologically and economically. Blindingly white sand beaches where marine turtles and diminutive snowy plovers nest; vast seagrass meadows flush with redfish and trout; mangrove islands blanketed with nesting pelicans; vibrant coral reefs and cool, clear coastal springs; oyster bars and vast marshes, nurseries for the seafood that feeds a nation. These habitats were already under tremendous pressure when the Deepwater Horizon accident brought oil to our shores. It is our job now to do all we can to protect and restore our coastal wealth, and find a way forward with renewable energy policies so that as Americans we can all tell our children, 'Never again,' and know we can keep our promise."

Enid Sisskin, PhD, University of West Florida and board member of several local and regional environmental organizations, including the Gulf Coast Environmental Defense, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and the Florida Conservation Alliance, said: "For years, the fear of the environmental catastrophe such as we are now seeing, has united Floridians in opposition to drilling near our coasts. Now we all realize that there is no place far enough away that we can be certain that the pollution and other environmentally damaging effects of drilling will spare our shores. This disaster will affect our environment and economy for many years to come."

Captain Louis Skrmetta, of Gulfport, Mississippi, a third generation ferry pilot and CEO of Ship Island Excursions, the official passenger ferry service for the National Park Service and Gulf Islands National Seashore in Mississippi, said, "Gulf Islands National Seashore is the Yosemite, Canyonlands, and Grand Teton of the Central Gulf Coast region. These resilient white sand islands have experienced more than a hundred major hurricanes, and each time the eco-system endured. The BP catastrophe is occurring approximately 40 miles south of the Mississippi islands, and for the first time our national seashore and its magnificent natural recourses are truly endangered and could be transformed into a 'dead zone.' We need a miracle."

For the full report, go to www.rockymountainclimate.org on the Web.

METHODOLOGY

The list of 15 sites included in "Special Places at Risk in the Gulf: Effects of the BP Oil Catastrophe" was chosen to include the best examples of the full range of both the protected coastal public areas and the resources within them that are vulnerable to contamination by the BP disaster. Because the potential reach of this catastrophe is so broad, our list certainly cannot include more than a tiny fraction of what is at stake as oil continues to gush into and spread around the Gulf. But by highlighting some of these special places and what they protect, this report may shed some light on the amazing environment of the Gulf of Mexico that now threatened by the BP oil disaster.

This list does not reflect any judgment or opinion on where the oil from the BP oil blowout may go and which areas may be most affected. Instead, the list reflects the judgment of government agencies and scientists that the oil may go anywhere in the Gulf (and potentially even beyond the Gulf, a possibility which we have not addressed in this report.) For example, the National Park Service has identified eight units of the national park system that are potentially vulnerable to the oil. Those eight units encircle the entire Gulf, and include Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve, in and around New Orleans, Louisiana; Gulf Islands National Seashore, with units in both Mississippi and northwestern Florida; De Soto National Memorial, on the Manatee River at Bradenton, Florida; Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades, Biscayne, and Dry Tortugas national parks, all in south Florida; and Padre Island National Seashore, on the coast of south Texas.

As this is being written, it still is not clear how much oil has already escaped from the BP blowout, when the gush of oil will be stopped, where the Gulf's currents and winds will take the oil, and what may happen if one or more hurricanes enters the Gulf this year.

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Pampers Statement in Response to Dry Max Class Action Lawsuit

2010-05-13T13:23:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Intensive safety assessments, clinical testing, and consumer testing before, during, and after the launch shows that Pampers Dry Max is safe and does not cause skin conditions. Further review by pediatricians, pediatric dermatologists, and children's public health risk experts confirm these findings. While we have great empathy for any parent dealing with diaper rash - a common and sometimes severe condition - the claims made in this lawsuit are completely false.

Diaper rash affects more than 2.5 million babies at any given moment, and 250,000 cases are typically severe. In other words, one out of every four babies at any given time will be experiencing diaper rash. To attribute these conditions to the Dry Max disposable diaper is incorrect and misguided. Such a misperception only contributes to the real problem, which is lack of awareness of the nature and cause of diaper rash, and may cause some parents to delay pursuing important and timely treatment. Our own research, validated by outside experts and physicians, shows that Dry Max is a wonderful product that helps keep babies away from the very wetness that may contribute to rashes in the first place.

We continue to encourage all of our customers seeking honest answers concerning our products and the well-being of their children to contact us toll-free at 1-800-PAMPERS, and we want to reassure them once again that, although some attorneys may wish to profit from rumors and misinformation, the Dry Max product is completely safe and does not cause skin irritations. We have every confidence that we will prevail in this meritless lawsuit.

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FDA: Serious Side Effects from Swallowing Topical Benadryl Product

2010-05-12T11:42:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers about potentially serious side effects from mistakenly swallowing Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel, an over-the-counter (OTC) product that should only be used on the skin.

The FDA has received reports of serious side effects in people who have mistakenly swallowed the product. Some OTC Benadryl products are intended to be swallowed. However, Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel is only safe and effective when used, as directed, on the skin.. People swallowing the gel can ingest a dangerous amount of the active ingredient, diphenhydramine. Large doses of diphenhydramine can result in serious side effects such as unconsciousness, hallucinations, and confusion.

"Consumer confusion and incorrect product use are serious public health issues," said Carol Holquist, R.Ph., director of FDA's Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis. "FDA is advising consumers and pharmacies to store products for the skin separately from products that should be swallowed."

Many pharmacies and grocery stores sell diphenhydramine topical gels that look very similar in packaging to Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel. It is important that consumers also avoid swallowing these products.

To help consumers recognize that Benadryl Extra Strength Itch Stopping Gel is meant for use on the skin, the manufacturer, Johnson and Johnson, has taken the following actions:

-- Changed the product label to add a new, prominent statement "For Skin
Use Only."
-- Attached a sticker to the cap of the product that says "For Skin Use
Only."
-- Initiated consumer studies to better understand factors that may
contribute to consumers mistakenly swallowing Benadryl Extra Strength
Itch Stopping Gel.

The FDA encourages manufacturers of similar products to adopt similar changes to their labeling and packaging.

The repackaged product is currently stocked in retail stores. The FDA reminds consumers and health care professionals to always read the "Drug Facts" box to identify active ingredients, directions for use, and warnings before using any OTC drug product.
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Gulf Oil Spill: Dispersants Have Potential to Cause More Harm Than Good

2010-05-11T11:51:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The chemical dispersants being used to break up the oil leaking into the gulf following the explosion of British Petroleum's Deepwater Horizon offshore oil rig have the potential to cause just as much, if not more, harm to the environment and the humans coming into contact with it than the oil possibly would if left untreated.

That is the warning of toxicology experts, led by Dr. William Sawyer, addressing the Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group, a group of lawyers working to protect the rights and interests of environmental groups and persons affected by the Deepwater Horizon disaster. The group represents the United Fishermen's Association and the Louisiana Environmental Action Network (LEAN), among others.

Various publications from the National Academy of Sciences and the National Research Council show that baseline data on the environmental and ecologic fate of petroleum spills and their effects in the marine environment is substantially deficient, said Dr. Sawyer. The lack of substantial research in these areas makes many of the decision-making processes pertaining to successful major spill containment and remediation rife with speculation.

The ongoing discharge of petroleum from the BP site, with a concurrent substantial use of surface and deep-water dispersants, demonstrates an environmental release of toxicants into the marine, marsh and beach environments in an unprecedented way, said Lead Counsel Stuart Smith for Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group. Mr. Smith was the first to challenge British Petroleum on the failure of its cofferdam cap on the DEEPWATER HORIZON and has won two successful injunctions requiring British Petroleum to respect fishermen's legal rights and protect their health in all areas impacted by the Gulf oil spill.

"The dispersants used in the BP clean-up efforts, known as 'Corexit 9500' and 'Corexit EC9527A,' are also known as deodorized kerosene," said Dr. Sawyer. "With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals. Additionally, I have considered marine species which surface for atmospheric inhalation such as sea turtles, dolphins and other species which are especially vulnerable to aspiration toxicity of 'Corexit 9500' into the lung while surfacing."

The "Corexit 9500" dispersant is designed to breakup the slick at the water's surface, sending the oil into the water column, and from there, to the bottom of the seabed where bottom residing organisms such as shrimp, crabs and oysters reside. One concern with the usage of such dispersants is that, aside from being themselves toxic, they do little more than hide the problem, said Mr. Smith. Many leading experts, doctors and environmentalists have discredited the use of Corexit as a tool for oil spill clean up.

"Toxicity of the petroleum products is increased when it is dissolved into the water by dispersants," said Co-Counsel Robert McKee, Gulf Oil Disaster Recovery Group. "In essence, this activity is making aquatic organisms more exposed to chemicals' harm. The attempt to make these floating tars and oils disappear from view by the use of dispersants increases the likelihood of poisonous effects in these oil polluted waters."

Mr. McKee added, "The use of dispersants, without knowing the cascade of toxic events which may flow from the practice, mandates that those who may be forced to prove their losses in a court of law obtain competent and environmentally knowledgeable legal representatives who can establish the pre-damage baseline ecology now, in order to compare to post-oil spill contamination effects seen later. Without that immediate effort, victims who did not seek that type of early assistance may lose their ability to prove a full accounting of their rightful compensation for losses they actually sustain. The use of dispersants not only hides the amount of oil actually being discharged from view, but also serves to undermine damage proof for the unwary victim who chooses to wait to see what is going to happen."

"What, if any, published testing data has BP used to understand and quantify the long term and short term risks presented to marine environments and fisheries populations by the ongoing spillage of petroleum? What facts supported the decision that dispersants would effectively protect shorelines without significantly impacting the water column and benthic marine populations of the Gulf?" said Mr. Smith. "BP must answer the many questions that arise from the usage of dispersants and be accountable for its actions and the harmful effects they have on marine life, the coastline and the livelihood of those who make their living off the fisheries and tourism industry."

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President's Cancer Panel Report Finds True Burden of Environmentally Induced Cancer Greatly Underestimated

2010-05-06T09:19:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Even with the growing body of evidence linking environmental exposures to cancer in recent years, a report released today by the President's Cancer Panel finds that the true burden of environmentally-induced cancer is greatly underestimated. The Panel's report, "Reducing Environmental Cancer Risk: What We Can Do Now," concludes that while environmental exposure is not a new front on the war on cancer, the grievous harm from this group of carcinogens has not been addressed adequately by the National Cancer Program.

"There remains a great deal to be done to identify the many existing but unrecognized environmental carcinogens and eliminate those that are known from our daily lives - our workplaces, schools and homes," said LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr., M.D., chair of the Panel. "The increasing number of known or suspected environmental carcinogens compels us to action, even though we may currently lack irrefutable proof of harm," he added.

Key Findings

With nearly 80,000 chemicals on the market in the US, many of which are used by millions of Americans in their daily lives and are un- or under-studied and largely unregulated, the report finds that exposure to potential environmental carcinogens is widespread. Yet, the public remains unaware of many of these carcinogens as well as their own level of exposure, especially to many common environmental carcinogens such as radon, formaldehyde and benzene.

In addition to environmental carcinogens, the report found that while improved imaging technologies have facilitated great strides in diagnosing and treating diseases, including cancer, some of these technologies also carry risks from increased radiation exposures. Many health care professionals, as well as the public, are unaware of the radiation dose associated with various tests or the total radiation dose and related increased cancer risk individuals may accumulate over a lifetime.

In addition, the report found that health care providers often fail to consider occupational and environmental factors when diagnosing patient illness. Physicians and other medical professionals ask infrequently about patient workplace and home environments when taking a medical history, thereby missing out on information that could be invaluable in discovering underlying causes of disease.

The report also recognizes the United States military as a major source of toxic occupational and environmental exposures that can increase cancer risk. Information is available about some military activities that have directly or indirectly exposed military and civilian personnel to carcinogens and contaminated soil and water in numerous locations in the United States and abroad, such as radiation exposure due to nuclear weapons testing. Nearly 900 Superfund sites are abandoned military facilities or facilities that produced materials and products for, or otherwise supported, military needs. In some cases, these contaminants have spread far beyond their points of origin because they have been transported by wind currents or have leached into drinking water supplies.

The Panel concluded that Federal responses to the plight of affected individuals have been unsatisfactory, and that those affected lack knowledge about the extent of their exposure or potential health problems they may face.

Recommendations

The Panel recommends concrete actions that government; industry; research, health care, and advocacy communities; and individuals can take to reduce cancer risk related to environmental contaminants, excess radiation and other harmful exposures. Key recommendations include -

-- Increase, broaden and improve research regarding environmental
contaminants and human health.
-- Raise consumer awareness of environmental cancer risks and improve
understanding and reporting of known exposures.
-- Increase awareness of environmental cancer risks and effects of
exposure among health care providers.
-- Enhance efforts to eliminate unnecessary radiation-emitting medical
tests, and to ensure that radiation doses are as low as reasonably
achievable without sacrificing quality.
-- Aggressively address the toxic environmental exposures the US military
has caused, and improve response to associated health problems among
both military personnel and civilians.

Additional recommendations that are underscored in the report include those related to the needs for a comprehensive and cohesive policy agenda on the issue, stronger regulation and safer alternatives to many currently used chemicals, among other highlights.

The Panel concluded, "Just as there are many opportunities for harmful environmental exposures, ample opportunities also exist for intervention, change, and prevention to protect the health of current and future generations and reduce the national burden of cancer."

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FDA Warns Consumers to Avoid Vita Breath Dietary Supplement

2010-05-03T13:27:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is advising consumers not to purchase nor consume Vita Breath, a dietary supplement manufactured by American Herbal Lab Inc. of Rosemead, Calif., and marketed at health fairs and on the Internet, because the product may contain hazardous levels of lead.

The FDA was notified by the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene about a patient with lead poisoning who reported taking Vita Breath and two other herbal products. The department analyzed a sample of Vita Breath and reported it contained 1,100 parts per million of lead. This level is more than 10,000 times higher than FDA’s maximum recommended level for lead in candy.

The FDA has collected and is currently analyzing its own samples of Vita Breath.

People with high blood levels of lead may show no symptoms, but the condition may cause damage to the nervous system and internal organs. Acute lead poisoning may cause a wide range of symptoms, including abdominal pain, muscle weakness, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, and bloody or decreased urinary output. Children are particularly vulnerable to lead poisoning. Lead poisoning can be diagnosed through clinical testing, and individuals who have taken Vita Breath should talk to their health care providers about testing.

The FDA is working with state officials in New York and California to further investigate Vita Breath.

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FDA Warns Users about Faulty Components in 14 External Defibrillator Models

2010-04-28T04:37:00.000-05:00

About 280,000 external defibrillators used worldwide in health care facilities, public places, or in the home may malfunction during attempts to rescue people in sudden cardiac arrest, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned today.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a condition in which the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. When this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs, leading to death if not treated within minutes.

External defibrillators can send an electric shock to the heart to try to restore normal heart rhythm when sudden cardiac arrest occurs.

Faulty components in defibrillators manufactured by Cardiac Science Corp. of Bothell, Wash., may cause the devices to fail to properly deliver a shock. In addition to failure to deliver needed shocks, other problems with the affected models may include interruption of electrocardiography (ECG) analysis, failure to recognize electrode pads, and interference or background noise that makes the device unable to accurately analyze heart rhythm.

The 14 models, which include automated and semi-automated devices, are:

• Powerheart models 9300A, 9300C, 9300D, 9300E, 9300P, 9390A and 9390E
• CardioVive models 92531, 92532 and 92533
• Nihon Kohden models 9200G and 9231 and
• GE Responder models 2019198 and 2023440.

The FDA recommends that hospitals, nursing homes and other high-risk settings obtain alternative external defibrillators and arrange for the repair or replacement of the affected defibrillators.

For all other users, including those who use the device at home or as part of public access programs, the FDA recommends using alternative external defibrillators if they are available, and arranging for the repair or replacement of the affected models.

If alternative external defibrillators are not immediately available, then FDA recommends continuing to use the affected devices if needed, because they may still deliver necessary therapy. The potential benefits of using the available external defibrillators outweigh the risk of not using any of the affected external defibrillators or the risk of device failure.

“The FDA is issuing this notice so that users can take the proper steps necessary to assure they have access to safe and effective defibrillators,” said Jeffrey Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health.

Cardiac Science recalled its Powerheart and CardioVive models, manufactured between August 2003 and August 2009, on Nov. 13, 2009. But the FDA has since learned that additional Cardiac Science models, two marketed under the Nihon Kohden name, and two marketed by GE Healthcare as GE Responder have similar problems.

Cardiac Science issued a software update for two of its Powerheart defibrillators in February 2010 and plans to issue similar software updates for other affected devices. However, FDA’s review of the updated software indicates that the software detects some, but not all, identified defects.

Nihon Kohden is based in Tokyo, Japan. GE Healthcare is located in Britain.

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Tuna Surprise: Over One Third of Mercury Exposure From This Fish, New Study Finds

2010-04-21T10:23:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- A new study ranking exposure risks from methylmercury finds that tuna accounts for over one third of total mercury exposure from seafood consumption in the United States. These key findings were published in a peer-reviewed paper by Dr. Edward Groth III, "Ranking the contributions of commercial fish and shellfish varieties to mercury exposure in the United States: Implications for risk communication," and appearing in the April 2010 issue of Environmental Research.

"Canned tuna is the number one fish product consumed in the U.S. today at just under 3 pounds per capita per year," said Michael Bender, director of the Mercury Policy Project. "Based on these new findings, tuna is also the number one mercury exposure risk."

Tuna contributes 37% of the total mercury in the seafood supply -- almost six times as much as the combined total of the four highest mercury-laden fish: swordfish, shark, king mackerel and Gulf tilefish, according to the study.

"Eating tuna can be a toxic gamble, especially for pregnant women, mothers, babies and children," said Buffy Martin Tarbox, Campaign Coordinator for GotMercury.org, based in Forest Knolls, CA.

Groth's paper explains seafood varieties differ by over 120-fold in average mercury content, so which fish you choose drives your mercury exposure. For anyone who eats fish twice a week or more -- not just mothers-to-be -- choosing low-mercury fish is an important health strategy.

"Unfortunately," Groth notes, "most consumers have no idea which fish are high in mercury and should be avoided, or which are low in mercury and are safe to consume."

Canned "light" tuna, the most popular fish in the American diet, has an above-average mercury level, and some "light" tuna has even higher levels. Canned albacore (white) tuna and tuna steaks have still higher average mercury levels. "Women who are trying to minimize their mercury exposure should avoid all forms of tuna," says Groth.

Dr. Groth's study also found that two-thirds of the seafood supply and nine of the 11 most consumed fish and shellfish are low or very low in mercury. So if consumers know what to pick, they can easily find low-mercury alternatives.

To view an abstract of Dr. Groth's paper and also his chart grouping 51 fish varieties into six categories by mercury content, visit: www.mercurypolicy.org

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The Health Risks of Smokeless Tobacco Use Deserve Congressional Attention, Advocates Say

2010-04-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Oral Health America (OHA) participated in a congressional hearing today on the use of smokeless tobacco by young people, the effects it has on oral health, and the impact of its use by professional baseball players. The hearing, "Smokeless Tobacco: Impact on the Health of our Nation's Youth and Use in Major League Baseball," was held by Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-CA) and Health Subcommittee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ). Speakers included OHA's former NSTEP® (National Spit Tobacco Education Program) Chairman, Joe Garagiola, and Gruen Von Behrens, an oral cancer survivor and member of the NSTEP speaker's bureau.

"I wish to thank the Committee for bringing this important, but overlooked health issue to the table. Smokeless tobacco is not harmless," Mr. Von Behrens said at the hearing. "It has ruined my life."

Mr. Von Behrens first started using smokeless tobacco at the age of 13 to fit in with his peers. As a high school baseball star at the age of 17, he was diagnosed with cancer and has since undergone 34 surgeries in the past 15 years. He now travels throughout the country and has shared his story with over 2 million young people and collegiate and professional athletes.

OHA established the NSTEP program in 1994 to reduce the use of spit tobacco and help break baseball's association with it. NSTEP reaches up to 325,000 Little League players every year with its relationship with Little League Baseball and Softball and its presence at the Little League World Series each August.

"We applaud the committee's attention to this serious health issue today, and maintain our ongoing commitment to providing educational outreach to young baseball and softball players throughout the country," said Beth Truett, President and CEO, Oral Health America.

Oral Health America's mission is to change lives by connecting communities with resources to increase access to oral health care, education and advocacy for all Americans, especially those most vulnerable. For more information, visit www.oralhealthamerica.org.

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NLC: Women's Clothing Lines for Nygard/Dillard's, J.C. Penney and Wal-Mart Linked to Human Trafficking in Jordan Sweatshop

2010-04-14T08:27:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Self-described as the "number one sportswear manufacturer in Canada," Peter Nygard's women's clothing is sewn at the International British Garments (IBG) factory, where 1,200 guest workers from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and India -- 75 per cent of them young women -- have been trafficked to Jordan, stripped of their passports and held under conditions of indentured servitude, according to a new report from the National Labor Committee.

Charles Kernaghan, director of the U.S.-based National Labor Committee, whose report on IBG "Dirty Clothes," is being released today, said that, while sewing Nygard International Ltd.'s Alia, Tan Jay, and Investments labels, the women are forced to work 16-hour shifts, from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., seven days a week.

"There are also mandatory, all-night 23-hour shifts, from 7 a.m. to 6 a.m. at least once a week," Kernaghan said. "The exhausted workers are at the factory over 110 hours a week, while being cheated of over half the legal wages due them. Instead of earning the 74.5-cents-an-hour minimum wage in Jordan, they are paid just 35 cents an hour." Nygard International's clothing is also sold at Dillard's in the U.S. J.C. Penney and Wal-Mart are beginning production at the IBG plants.

"When workers ask for the return of their passports and to be paid correctly, they are slapped and threatened with forcible deportation," said Kernaghan "There are also serious allegations of sexual harassment, even rape, and of workers being overworked to death."

Workers are housed in filthy primitive dormitories without heat and with only sporadic access to water for two hours, three or four days a week. The dorms are infested with bed bugs, and shown photographs of the insects, entomologist Dr. Susan C. Jones of Ohio State University confirmed the bed bugs were engorged with blood.

"All labour laws in Jordan, not to mention the International Labour Organization's (ILO) internationally recognized workers' rights standards, are being blatantly violated at the IBG factory," said Kernaghan. "In fact, the Jordanian Ministry of Labour has placed the abusive IBG plant on their 'Golden List' of best factories."

In a single week, from January 28 to February 17, 2010, Nygard imported more than 280,000 women's pants made at the IBG factory, worth $2.5 million. The customs value of the pants -- the total cost of production and transport -- was $9.49. Many of the pants retail for $38, which represents a 300-percent mark-up. The workers were paid nine cents for each pair of pants they sewed.

Kernaghan said workers do not want Nygard and the other companies to cut and run, pulling work from the factory, which would only further hurt the workers who have already suffered enough. All workers are asking is that their legal rights be respected.

The IBG sweatshop in Jordan is owned by G4S, the world's largest security service company, which also operates in the U.S.

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Feds Would Face Problems in a Bio Attack Clean-Up

2010-04-12T08:34:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Following the 2001 anthrax attacks, the government and private sector undertook the task of cleaning up anthrax-contaminated facilities - a job that had never before been attempted on that scale. Decontaminating congressional office buildings, postal facilities, and media buildings cost hundreds of millions of dollars, and some of the facilities could not be reopened for more than 2 years.

Nine years later, what progress have we made in policy and practice that would make decontamination easier in the event of another attack? A recent assessment, sponsored by the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism (www.preventwmd.gov) and appearing in the journal Biosecurity and Bioterrorism, found that the process of environmental decontamination would still be very difficult and costly and that the lines of responsibility at the federal level are still unclear.

The 2001 anthrax attack is considered to be a small attack, because relatively few facilities were involved and anthrax contamination was limited to indoor environments. But a large-scale biological release could potentially result in hundreds of thousands of illnesses and deaths and could cost trillions of dollars to clean up. An attack on a U.S. city could contaminate both indoor and outdoor areas, including buildings, street, parks, and vehicles.

Researchers from the Center for Biosecurity of UPMC looked at current decontamination policy and technical practices at the federal level to determine what gaps exist that might hamper response to a future large-scale attack with a biological agent. The government agencies with primary responsibility for decontamination are the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Department of Defense (DoD). Federal roles and responsibilities for decontamination research and response are not clearly spelled out, overlap, and are often underfunded.

The article also describes some of the technical and scientific issues that remain unresolved: After an anthrax release, what is the risk of secondary aerosolization? What is the federal standard for decontamination - or, how clean is clean? How clean is safe?

The authors note that there are too few personnel trained in decontamination among all of the agencies and including private contractors. In the event of an attack, private building owners and government agencies would likely be calling on the same limited pool of experts and contractors to help with remediation.

Among the recommendations the authors propose:

-- DHS should clarify federal roles and responsibilities.
-- Congress should increase funding for decontamination research.
-- In addition to research, additional investment in personnel is needed.

"Environmental Decontamination Following a Large-Scale Bioterrorism Attack: Federal Progress and Remaining Gaps" by Crystal Franco and Nidhi Bouri appears ahead of the June 2010 print issue of Biosecurity and Bioterrorism. The full text is available at http://www.liebertonline.com/toc/bsp/0/0.

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FDA Issues Final Rule Restricting Access and Marketing of Cigarettes and Smokeless Tobacco Products to Youth

2010-03-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule containing a
broad set of federal requirements designed to significantly curb access
to and the appeal of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products to
children and adolescents in the United States. Published March 19, 2010,
the new rule becomes effective June 22, 2010, and has the force and
effect of law.

Titled Regulations Restricting the Sale and Distribution of Cigarettes
and Smokeless Tobacco to Protect Children and Adolescents, the new rule
restricts the sale, distribution, and promotion of these products to
make them less accessible and less attractive to kids. Among other
things, the rule prohibits the sale of cigarettes or smokeless tobacco
to people younger than 18, prohibits the sale of cigarette packages with
less than 20 cigarettes, prohibits distribution of free samples of
cigarettes, restricts distribution of free samples of smokeless tobacco,
and prohibits tobacco brand name sponsorship of any athletic, musical or
other social or cultural events. The entire rule can be found at
www.fda.gov/protectingkidsfromtobacco.

"This ruling is a critical piece of a coordinated effort to save lives,
lower costs, and reduce suffering from heart disease, cancer and other
tobacco-related illness," said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. "Today,
we're addressing a larger public health effort to prevent our children
from becoming the next generation of Americans to die early from
tobacco-related disease. This is a great step toward a healthier
America."

"Every day nearly 4,000 kids under 18 try their first cigarette and
1,000 kids under 18 become daily smokers. Many of these kids will become
addicted before they are old enough to understand the risks and will
ultimately die too young. This is an avoidable personal tragedy for
those kids and their families as well as a preventable public health
disaster for our country," said FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg,
M.D. "Putting these restrictions in place is necessary to protect the
health of those we care most about: our children."

Enforcement of the new rule will begin once it becomes effective on June
22, 2010. FDA will work closely with States and Territories to ensure
that retailers comply with the rule. FDA will also work with the retail
community over the coming months to educate them about the new
requirements and assist them in understanding how to comply with them
and help protect our children and adolescents from these addictive
products.

Manufacturers and retailers who do not comply with the rule may be
subject to enforcement action.

The rule was originally crafted in the 1990s by the Food and Drug
Administration. After being set aside by the Supreme Court, it was
included as a key provision of the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and
Tobacco Control Act.

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FDA Committed to Addressing Growing National Overdose Problem

2010-03-18T12:43:00.000-05:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recognizes the five-fold increase in unintentional drug overdose deaths noted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1990 and 2006 as a serious public health concern. Much of this increase follows from increases in the deaths from the use of opioid drugs, which in 2006 accounted for more overdose deaths than heroin and cocaine combined. The agency is also concerned about misuse of benzodiazepines (e.g., Valium and Xanax), which accounted for 272,000 emergency department visits in 2008 (compared to 306,000 for opioids).

FDA is pursuing a variety of programs and initiatives in an effort to strike the right balance between ensuring patients access to important pain medications and mitigating the risks. These efforts include:

* The Safe Use Initiative: The mission of the Safe Use Initiative is to create and facilitate public and private collaborations within the healthcare community. Its goal is to reduce preventable harm by identifying specific, preventable medication risks and developing, implementing and evaluating cross-sector interventions with partners who are committed to safe medication use (see http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/ucm187806.htm1). Collaborations of this kind are essential for drugs like opioids, given the diverse factors that influence their use (e.g., legal, social, medical) and the many stakeholders working to assure they are used safely and effectively.
* Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategies (REMS) for Opioid Drugs: In 2007, Congress provided FDA with the authority to require REMS if that was necessary to ensure that the benefits of a drug outweigh its risks. These can include, for example, requirements for prescriber, pharmacist, and patient education about the risks and appropriate use of a drug, or other tools to better manage a drug’s risks On February 6, 2009, FDA sent letters to manufacturers of certain opioid drug products, indicating that these drugs will be required to have a REMS. The affected opioid drugs include long-acting and extended-release brand name and generic products that contain the active ingredients fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, and oxymorphone (see http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/DrugSafety/InformationbyDrugClass/ucm163647.htm2). FDA held a series of public stakeholder meetings in 2009 and opened a docket to receive public comments. FDA continues to accept public comments on the Agency’s approach to opioid REMS and plans to hold a public advisory committee meeting in the summer of 2010 to discuss proposals for this important safety program.
* Efforts on Acetaminophen: Every year in the United States, about 30,000 people are hospitalized with overdoses associated with acetaminophen – approximately half of which are unintentional. In June 2009, FDA convened an advisory committee meeting to provide expert input on options to reduce harm while maintaining access to this effective medication for pain. Potential strategies are currently under review.
* Strategies for the safe disposal of drugs: Certain medicines may be especially harmful and, in some cases, fatal in a single dose if they are accidentally taken. For this reason, FDA lists 26 drugs, including a number of potent opioids, that have special disposal directions indicating they should be flushed down the sink or toilet after the medicine is no longer needed. If disposed of down the sink or toilet, they cannot be accidently used by children, pets, or anybody else (Learn More: Disposal by Flushing of Certain Unused Medicines: What You Should Know3).
* Evaluating the abuse potential of drugs: FDA has entered into a research collaboration with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to assess particular drugs for their abuse potential. The results of this research are provided to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
* Supporting efforts to identify safer pain medications. Janet Woodcock, MD, Director of the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research recently reviewed this area in the New England Journal of Medicine. See http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/361/22/21054.Exit Disclaimer5

Through these efforts and others, FDA will join with sister agencies, medical professionals, health care institutions, patient organizations and others to reduce the number of overdose deaths.

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"All Black People" Asked to Leave S. Jersey Wal-Mart

2010-03-17T10:38:00.000-05:00

Wal-Mart officials are looking at security tapes after an announcement was made for "all black people'' to leave a store in South Jersey.
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local-beat/All-Black-People-Asked-to-Leave-South-Jersey-Walmart-88118157.html

Electronic Cigarettes Are Tobacco Products, States AAPHP

2010-03-13T11:41:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Association of Public Health Physicians submitted a petition to the US Food and Drug Administration on February 23rd in response to their official stance concerning electronic cigarettes. They cite many concerns, including legal, ethical, epidemiological, medical, and the impact on public health the products could have in the future.

The AAPHP's recent petition dealt with their request that the FDA reclassify the products from a "drug-device combination" to a "tobacco product." They are currently urging all supporters of electronic cigarettes to leave the FDA comments on the docket for their petition so the will of the people may be made known . The AAPHP believes in and promotes harm reduction, unlike other mainstream health organizations who reject the concept.

According to the AAPHP, all tobacco products are "nicotine delivery devices" and that the largest portion of illness and death from conventional cigarettes is due to the products of the combusted tobacco, not the chemicals and other substances found in tobacco cigarettes. The carcinogens are not what cause the majority of the health problems; the smoke causes it when it is inhaled deeply into the lungs and held there.

"E-cigarettes, more than any other tobacco or tobacco-related product, satisfies both the habituation and nicotine addiction," says the organization in their petition. They state that they believe that many smokers struggle with a second addiction to smoking, which is the habit of carrying a pack of cigarettes and lighter, holding the cigarette when it is lit, and the act of smoking it. It is said in their report that there is a significant number of electronic cigarette users who have been successful in switching over to e-cigarette liquid which contains no nicotine while they continue to perform the ritual of "smoking."

Continuing on through the petition, they state that electronic cigarettes, unlike conventional cigarettes, produce no sidestream smoke; that is, smoke that is emitted from a cigarette when it is not being puffed on. The fact that electronic cigarettes also have no combustion is mentioned again, this time in reference to the amount of property damage done every year due to fires caused by lit cigarettes.

The AAPHP states that classifying electronic cigarettes as tobacco products would enable the FDA to impose manufacturing quality regulations, much in the same way pharmaceutical companies are expected to produce their products.

"Objections to FDA approval of e-cigarettes as tobacco products are speculative and largely based on misinformation," states the petition.

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CDC uses shopper-card data to trace salmonella

2010-03-12T09:49:00.000-05:00

As they scrambled recently to trace the source of a salmonella outbreak that has sickened hundreds around the country, investigators from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention successfully used a new tool for the first time — the shopper cards that millions of Americans swipe every time they buy groceries.

With permission from the patients, investigators followed the trail of grocery purchases to a Rhode Island company that makes salami, then zeroed in on the pepper used to season the meat.

Never before had the CDC successfully mined the mountain of data that supermarket chains compile.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100311/ap_on_sc/us_shopper_card_sleuths

Me:

OK, there's good and bad in this one... tracking salmonella, good... potentially tracking me and my habits, bad.

I hesitated for a long time before finally getting one of those grocery cards. I didn't like the idea that my food preferences could be tracked or that I'd be getting a lot of targeted junk mail. I got over it. I love my little Kroger card.

However, I'm still not thrilled with the idea that someday the food police could come after me. Can you imagine how these cards COULD be used?

Let's say I develop diabetes. The new Obamacare is passed and my doctor wants to make sure I'm eating right, my insurance wants to make sure I'm doing what the doctor ordered... So I'm buying Twinkies for the kids when they come over, not for me Mr. Doctor... Ah, but you know that you are creating an unhealthy environment for yourself and you are contributing to the obesity of a minor. Slap, slap.

Who knows where this could go...

I feel fairly safe 'cause I gave 'em all incorrect information when I got my card. I do that as a rule on everything I sign up for these days. Yep, I am one of those bad types who's skewing all the data. To make it even worse, I have two different cards for some stores, hee hee, ha ha... You should see my key chain.

Just as an aside, I understand giving bad info is a good idea. I read somewhere, in passing, that it's possible for crooks to somehow use those cards to find you or do some nasty stuff to you or your credit or something. I'd have focused a bit more on that one if I happened to have been affected.

Someday that last paragraph may come back to haunt me. If the food police, Obamacare, and our government all come together in a potential 1984 scenario, I'm up a creek. Of course, given my propensity to blog against Big Brother, Obamacare, and similar, I'll probably be in a gulag somewhere already so my little handy-dandy cost-saving shopping cards won't matter anyway.

- jmd
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Time to start thinking seriously about money in the mattress?

2010-03-02T11:30:00.002-05:00

Citibank's recent notice to customers is causing quite a rucus across the spectrum:
“Effective April 1, 2010, we reserve the right to require seven (7) days advance notice before permitting a withdrawal from all checking accounts. While we do not currently exercise this right and have not exercised it in the past, we are required by law to notify you of this change.”

People are wondering whether this is their way of getting ready for a potential run on the bank due to a major depression around the corner.

Here's a statement from Citibank:
“When Citibank moved to unlimited FDIC coverage in 2009, we had to reclassify many checking accounts to allow for immediate withdrawals in order to ensure all customers qualified for the additional coverage. When we moved back to standard FDIC coverage with most major banks in 2010, Citibank decided to reclassify those accounts back to make them eligible again for promotional incentives. To do so, Federal Reserve Reg D requires these accounts, called NOW accounts, to reserve the right to require a 7-day notice of withdrawal. We recently communicated this technical requirement to our customers. However, we have never exercised this right and have no plans to do so in the future."

I gather from some limited reading that the rule / law this is based on goes back to the 30s, and that it was expanded in 2006 to include on-line banking.

Cape Bank in New Jersey also has a similar notice on their site:
The Bank reserves the right to require you to give seven (7) days prior written notice to the Bank of an intention to withdraw. This requirement is in accordance with Federal Regulations and payment by the Bank without requiring the seven (7) days notice does not constitute a waiver by the Bank of the right to require the notice. http://www.capebankonline2.com/site/account_agreements.html

A lot of folks have huge concerns about the status of their money in banks. You can't turn on the television or the radio without hearing an advertisement for gold or silver it seems.

Who hasn't experienced a problem with trying to get their money out of a bank? My sister recently received a large check from her insurance company as a result of flood damage. She had workers fixing her house, getting it "livable" again. The bank put an extensive hold on her check, which had already been delayed due to normal insurance procedures.

Some banks now require that you pay a fee to cash a check written on their bank if you're not a customer. I kid you not. My son took a check to the bank it was written on wanting to cash it rather than deposit it in his account at another bank. They wanted $6 to cash it. When he pitched a fit about paying they said he could open up an account for $6. If he closed the account within a specified time they'd take the money. He finally opened an account when they gave him a $100 incentive to open an account (again, the money had to stay there). The catch? He had to make a certain number of transactions and keep a minimum balance. At the end of his 3 months he's outta that bank.

I read recently that the powers that be in Washington are looking at our IRAs and 401ks. They're thinking about taking the money, using it and then doling it back out to us. Not sure how that one will fly, but it is rather scary thinking that the government is eyeing the billions we have in our various savings plans.

Most, if not all, banks have a cap on how much money you can withdraw via an ATM during a day or over a period of time. From scanning it looks like it's $1,000 per day or $2,500 in a 7-day period.

With banks failing all over the place, the government taking over many, the uncertainty of our financial stability and the very intrusive regulations by the banking system and the government, maybe it is time to consider taking our money and putting it under the mattress.

What do I think? Do your research and keep a close eye on things. Make contingency plans but don't panic.

Update: Citigroup Says Feds Ordered 7 Day Restriction On Bank Withdrawals
http://dailypaul.com/node/126537
A new advisory being sent by America’s third largest bank to its account holders has stoked fears that major financial institutions could be preparing for old fashioned bank runs if the economy takes a turn for the worse.

http://www.datehookup.com/Thread-421559.htm
http://www.federalreserve.gov/boarddocs/supmanual/cch/200601/int_depos.pdf

Chesley: Toyota Apologies Are Not Getting Dangerous Cars Off Roads

2010-02-18T17:59:00.002-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- With the latest news that Toyota may recall its 2009 and 2010 Corollas because of power steering defects, Toyota has now admitted to defects in its vehicles' accelerator, braking and steering systems - the three most important aspects of operating a motor vehicle.

Stanley M. Chesley of the Cincinnati-based law firm of Waite, Schneider, Bayless & Chesley Co., L.P.A. - whose firm has filed a major RICO class action against Toyota for deceiving its customers and dealers about these mounting defects - stated that "when your Toyota's accelerator, brakes and steering are all defective, what you really have is a failure of your car's electronic controls, which function as the car's brain and central nervous system."

Congressman Bart Stupak recently amplified Chesley's suspicion, noting that Toyota's internal documents made clear that, as far back as 2002, Toyota was aware that electronic control system problems may be causing sudden acceleration. Despite this Congressional investigation, however, Toyota continues to bar investigators from examining its electronic control technology.

Now, with Toyota's recall of a staggering 11 million vehicles, Toyota's president and CEO, Akio Toyoda, yesterday indicated that he won't come to the U.S. to testify at upcoming congressional hearings on the recalls.

Chesley stated, "No one is above the law. Presidents of tobacco companies, and even U.S. Presidents, have testified before congressional committees. Akio Toyoda's grand apologies from 6,000 miles away don't release him from appearing before Congress and they don't explain Toyota's nearly decade-long cover up of these defects."

According to news sources, Toyota's faulty engineering and sloppy quality control - all of which stem from decision-making at Toyota's Japanese headquarters - have caused at least 39 confirmed deaths, countless injuries and billions of dollars in economic damage to Toyota drivers. As Chesley remarked, "for Toyota's CEO to even consider refusing to appear before Congress, particularly when he's looking to the United States to make Toyota the world's largest car manufacturer, is outrageous."

Chesley filed the RICO class action, in part, because the evidence continues to disprove Toyota's statements about the defects' causes. All of this evidence highlighting Toyota's deception underscores the company's pattern of corrupt and fraudulent practices, which is what RICO, the federal racketeering statute, prohibits.

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FDA Warns About Serious Side Effects From Maalox Product Mix-Ups

2010-02-17T16:14:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers about the potential for serious side effects from mistakenly using Maalox Total Relief instead of other Maalox products. The two products are intended for the relief of different symptoms and contain different active ingredients.

Maalox Total Relief is an upset stomach reliever and anti-diarrheal medication, while traditional Maalox liquid products Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength are antacids. Both Maalox Total Relief and Maalox are made by Novartis Consumer Health Inc. (NCH) and are available without a prescription as over-the-counter liquid medications.

The maker of Maalox brand products has agreed to change the name of Maalox Total Relief to one that does not include the word "Maalox" and will change the drug's packaging to avoid further confusion.

"Maalox Total Relief and Maalox are not interchangeable and shouldn't be used in place of each other," says Carol Holquist, R.Ph., director of FDA's Division of Medication Error Prevention and Analysis. "Consumer confusion and incorrect product use due to name confusion are serious public health issues. We appreciate Novartis' efforts to work collaboratively with FDA and their decision to remedy this situation to avoid any confusion over Maalox products in the future."

Maalox Total Relief's active ingredient (bismuth subsalicylate) is chemically related to aspirin and may cause similar harmful side effects such as bleeding. As such, Maalox Total Relief is not appropriate for individuals with a history of gastrointestinal ulcer disease or a bleeding disorder. Maalox Total Relief also should not be taken by children and teens if they are recovering from a viral infection, nor by individuals who are taking certain medications including: oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs), anticoagulation (thinning the blood) drugs such as warfarin (Coumadin) and clopidogrel (Plavix), non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), and other anti-inflammatory drugs.

Packaging and labeling of Maalox Total Relief and traditional Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength are very similar and easily confused. Due to this confusion, NCH has agreed to:

-- Change the name of Maalox Total Relief to one that does not include
the root name Maalox as well as change the product label design;
-- Conduct an educational campaign with outreach to healthcare
professionals and consumers regarding different Maalox products and
ways to select the appropriate Maalox brand product; and,
-- Actively monitor and report adverse events associated with the use of
Maalox brand products.

"The FDA is concerned about the public health impact of medication mix-ups for products that have the same names or portions of the same name, but contain different active ingredients," said Ms. Holquist. "We want companies to consider the potential for name confusion when choosing names for their drugs."

The renamed product is expected to begin selling in September 2010. Until that time, FDA is advising consumers and healthcare professionals to carefully check the labels of all Maalox products to ensure the appropriate product is being selected for the patient's symptoms.

Any Maalox side effects or other product problems should be reported to FDA's MedWatch Adverse Event Reporting program at www.fda.gov/MedWatch or by calling 1-800-332-1088.

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New Study Concludes No Effects From BPA on Nervous System

2010-02-17T11:27:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The American Chemistry Council (ACC) today commented on a significant study published online in the scientific journal Toxicological Sciences. Quotes below may be attributed to Steven G. Hentges, Ph.D., ACC's Polycarbonate/BPA Global Group:

"This new study, which exposed pregnant rodents to a range of BPA dietary doses from low to high, concluded that BPA had no effects on brain development or behavior in their offspring that had been exposed to BPA in utero and throughout development. The robust study was conducted by highly qualified researchers at WIL Research Laboratories.

"This study follows on the heels of a recent low-dose study by EPA that also explored the potential effects of BPA at very early stages of life in rodents and that found even low doses of BPA did not affect the brain, reproduction or development. Both of these studies - examining potential effects on brain development and behavior at low doses - address the areas of "some concern" which the National Toxicology Program had previously identified as appropriate for additional research.

"Regulatory agencies from around the world have concluded that the science supports the safety of BPA for people of all ages in its current uses. Plastics made with BPA contribute to the safety and convenience of everyday life because of their durability, clarity and shatter-resistance. Can liners made with BPA are essential components to help to protect the safety of packaged foods and preserve products from spoilage and contamination."

Background on the study

The study is titled "Developmental Neurotoxicity Study of Dietary Bisphenol A in Sprague-Dawley Rats," (Donald G. Stump, et al.). In the study, pregnant female rats were exposed to BPA via direct consumption of the diet at dosage levels that spanned the range from low doses, as used in some published studies reporting developmental neurotoxicity, to a high dose that was anticipated to result in systemic toxicity in the pregnant rat (0, 0.01, 0.1, 5, 50, and 150 mg/kg/day). The offspring, exposed to BPA in utero, via milk while nursing and via direct consumption through the diet once they started to feed, were studied for functional or morphological effects on their nervous systems. The study concluded that there were no neurologic or neurobehavioral effects related to BPA at any dose tested.

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If You Purchased Dannon's Activia or DanActive Branded Products, You May be Entitled to Cash from a Class Action Settlement

2010-02-16T09:47:00.000-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Blood, Hurst & O'Reardon, LLP regarding Gemelas v. The Dannon Company.

For more information call 1.888.418.6122. Do NOT call Dannon.

A proposed settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit about Dannon's advertising for Activia® and DanActive® branded products ("Products") and their benefits from "probiotic" bacteria. The lawsuit claims the advertising was not true. Dannon stands by its advertising and denies it did anything wrong. However, Dannon has settled to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation. If you're a Class Member, you could receive up to $100. A federal Court authorized this notice. Before any money is paid, the Court will have a hearing to decide whether to approve the settlement.

You're a Class Member if you purchased, not for resale purposes, the Products in the United States at anytime up until April 23, 2010.

A $35,000,000 fund, and possibly more, will be created to reimburse Class Members for the Products they purchased, and to pay related expenses. Details about how much you may receive are available at www.DannonSettlement.com.

To ask for cash and remain in the Class, you must mail or submit a completed claim form online by October 1, 2010. If you do not wish to participate in the settlement, you may exclude yourself from the Class by May 24, 2010. Or you may stay in the Class and object to the settlement by May 24, 2010. Visit the website for important information about these options.

The Court will hold a hearing on June 23, 2010 to consider the settlement and Class Counsel's request for $10,000,000 in attorneys' fees, plus expenses. You don't have to attend the hearing. For more information, visit www.DannonSettlement.com.

CLAIM FORMS MUST BE POSTMARKED OR SUBMITTED ONLINE BY OCTOBER 1, 2010 - VISIT WWW.DANNONSETTLEMENT.COM For a full list of the Products, see www.DannonSettlement.com

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Toxic Sunday Morning Humor...

2010-02-14T08:14:00.002-05:00

Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to do the chopping.

Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by using the sink.

A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from rolling over and going back to sleep after you hit the snooze button.

If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives; then you'll be afraid to cough.

You only need two tools in life - WD40 and Duct Tape. If it doesn't move and should, use the WD40. If it shouldn't move and does, use the duct tape.

And... if you can't fix it with a hammer, you've got an electrical problem.

DAILY THOUGHT: Some people are like slinkies; not really good for anything but they bring a smile to your face when pushed down the stairs.

Remember, everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

-- Rec'd the above via email & had to pass along.

Headache May Linger Years Later in People Exposed to World Trade Center Dust, Fumes

2010-02-11T07:52:00.001-05:00

/PRNewswire/ -- Workers and residents exposed to dust and fumes caused by the collapse of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001 frequently reported headache years later, according to research released today that will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology's 62nd Annual Meeting in Toronto April 10 to April 17, 2010.

"We knew that headaches were common in people living and working near the World Trade Center on and immediately after 9/11, but this is the first study to look at headaches several years after the event," said study author Sara Crystal, MD, with the NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

The study involved 765 people who were enrolled in the Bellevue Hospital World Trade Center Environmental Health Center seven years after the building collapse and who did not have headaches prior to 9/11. Of those, about 55 percent reported having exposure to the initial World Trade Center dust cloud.

Headaches in the four weeks prior to enrollment were reported by 43 percent of those surveyed, suggesting that headache is a common and persistent symptom in those exposed to World Trade Center dust and fumes. People caught in the initial dust cloud were slightly more likely to report headaches than those not caught in the dust cloud, which may indicate that greater exposure may be associated with a greater risk of developing persistent headache. People with headaches were also more likely to experience wheezing, breathlessness with exercise, nasal drip or sinus congestion and reflux disease after 9/11.

"More research needs to be done on the possible longer-term effects of exposure to gasses and dust when the World Trade Center fell," Crystal said. "We also need additional studies to understand the relationship between headaches, other physical symptoms, and mental health issues."

More data will be presented by Crystal at the 62nd AAN Annual Meeting.

The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health.

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