The nationally-syndicated “Dr. Oz Show” on Tuesday revealed what it called the results of a comprehensive investigative report on arsenic levels in store-bought apple juice. Their findings? That the arsenic levels in some brands made them unsafe for consumption. But the U.S. Food and Drug Administration refutes the show’s report and says drinking all brands of apple juice is safe.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/14/apple-juice-arsenic-dr-oz-fda_n_962675.html

Article Courtesy of The Huffington Post

And not only are they enjoyed by those considered low income, but even the middle and upper incomers are having a problem paying for them.  Yet for some strange reason, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) believe by putting a large graphic image on the back of the pack showing various smoker’s fate from smoking cigarettes will somehow deter the smoker from smoking and may even make them quit.

It may even be difficult to make out which pack of cigarettes someone is buying because of the placement of the graphics on the cigarette pack.  According to the New York Times,  The “images are to cover the upper half of the front and back of cigarette packages.”  The campaign will begin September of next year.  And not only will the package be affected, but tobacco companies will have to dedicate 20 percent of their ad space to these health ads.

Tobacco companies are in an uproar over all of this and will probably seek legal recourse against the government.  The likelihood of them being successful…doesn’t look good!  Read more information about the fight between the government and big tobacco here.

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via CNN

The availability of menthol-flavored cigarettes is linked to a rise in the number of children and African Americans who smoke and the cigarettes should be taken off the market, an FDA advisory committee said Friday.

The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee met to evaluate the available science on the impact of menthol cigarettes on public health, including children, African-Americans, Hispanics, and other ethnic and racial minorities. The group determined menthol cigarette smokers do not have a greater risk of diseases related to smoking when compared with non-menthol cigarette smokers. But, menthol in cigarettes increased experimentation, raised the risk of progression to a regular smoker, increased smoking among kids, and their availability increased the chance of addiction–and even the degree of addiction in children.

“The TPSAC also found that the public health impact of menthol cigarette availability is substantial,” said Dr. Jonathan Samet, chair of the advisory panel. “The availability of menthol cigarettes leads to an increase in the number of cigarette smokers and the burden of premature mortality.”

“The TPSAC’s recommendation of removal of menthol cigarettes from the marketplace would benefit public health in the United States is simply that – a committee recommendation based on its review of current, prevailing science on the topic of menthol as an ingredient in cigarettes,” said Dr. Lawrence Deyton, director, Center for Tobacco Products at the Food and Drug Administration. The report will be reviewed by experts at the FDA Center for Tobacco Products, who’ll also review all of the available science related to public health implications of  menthol in cigarettes use.

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Article courtesy cnn.com

On Monday, the debate among African American organizations burst into the open after the National Assn. for the Advancement of Colored People, or NAACP, joined ranks with the anti-smoking group, the American Legacy Foundation, in calling for a ban on menthol as a cigarette flavoring.

After decades of marketing mentholated cigarettes in minority communities and blunting criticism by supporting minority causes, the tobacco companies have secured a huge following in minority communities, where rates of smoking remain stubbornly high. As many as 80% of African American smokers favor menthols, as do 30% of Latinos. By comparison, 22% of non-Latino whites smoke mentholated cigarettes. At least one large study, published in 2009, has found that those who smoke mentholated cigarettes find it harder to kick the habit than those who smoke unflavored tobacco

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Two days of public hearings got underway in Washington Monday to analyze a U.S. company’s proposal to create genetically engineered salmon — the so-called Frankenfish.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is hearing arguments Monday on whether to approve the marketing of the fish, which would be the first of its kind bred for human consumption.

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Consumer and environmental groups from Canada and the U.S. have rallied against the proposal by Aqua Bounty, worried a favourable ruling would open the floodgates to the genetic modification of many food products destined for dinner tables.

The company — which intends to make a similar request in Canada — argues that its product will reduce pressure on wild salmon stocks.

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On Monday, the FDA — which has already said the salmon is health to eat — will present information on “animal health, food safety, environmental concerns, and data supporting the claim that AquAdvantage Salmon grow faster than conventionally bred Atlantic salmon,” according to the FDA’s website.

On Tuesday, the FDA hearings will examine the food labelling issues surrounding the potential approval of a genetically-modified animal.

Over the course of the hearings the FDA will be considering whether the government should allow the salmon to be sold, rather than whether the fish is safe to eat, which it has already indicated it is.

Aqua Bounty, which has a large production facility in Bay Fortune, P.E.I., has faced challenges from opponents who say there are “gaps in the science” around whether the fish is safe to eat.

“We’re really concerned that the U.S. government is not seriously looking at the health risks of eating (genetically engineered) fish,” Mary Boyd of the PEI Health Coalition said in a statement last week.

Read entire article at CTA.ca

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YouTube search the term “DXM.” You’ll find thousands of videos that chronicle the adventures teenagers “robotripping,” or getting high on dextromethorphan. This drug is known on the streets as DXM, CCC, Triple C and Skittles. It’s also known as Robo because it is found in a number of over the counter cough and cold medications like Robotussin DM.

An alarming number of young adults are abusing DXM by chugging bottles of cough medicine or taking excessive does of tablet and gel capsules that contain the compound. According to the Food and Drug Administration, between 2004 and 2008, the number of dextromethorphan abuse related emergency room visits increased over 70 percent. In 2008 approximately 8,000 people were hospitalized due to DXM injuries, and more than half of these cases were people 12-20 years old. The Department of Health and Human Services is currently reviewing ways to counter this dangerous drug abuse trend in the United States.

Pharmacologicaly, the dextromethorphan acts similar to hallucinogens like PCP. It produces euphoric effects when it is ingested in concentrations 10 to 20 times greater than the recommended 10-30 mg dose. FDA researchers say “robotripping” has increased over the past few years because DXM is cheap and easy to access. It is currently found in over 125 over the counter medications.

Furthermore, many people think dextromethorphan is harmless. YouTube footage often features teens having fun or enjoying their high in the company of others. Few videos, depict the health hazards of abusing dextromethorphan. When used inappropriately, DXM can increase blood pressure and heart rate and cause a fever. Large quantities of cough and cold medication can also cause an abuser to overdose on the other active ingredients present in the mixture. These ingredients may damage the liver, suppress the central nervous system, prohibit respiratory function, and even lead to death.

Read more at TheGrio

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A voluntary recall has been issued for more than 40 over-the-counter drugs for children, including Tylenol and Motrin, because they don’t meet quality standards.

“This recall is not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events,” McNeil Consumer Healthcare said in a statement Friday. “However, as a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these products to their children.”

FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg gave a similar recommendation in a statement Saturday, saying, “we want to be certain that consumers discontinue using these products,” though she called the chance for serious health problems “remote.”

“Some products in the recall may have a higher concentration of active ingredient than specified while others may have inactive ingredients that don’t meet testing requirements, the company said.

The company said it issued the recall after consulting with the Food and Drug Administration. The affected brands include: Tylenol Infants’ Drops, Children’s Tylenol Suspensions, Children’s Tylenol Plus Suspensions, Motrin Infant Drops, Children’s Motrin Suspensions, Children’s Zyrtec Liquids in Bottles and Children’s Benadryl Allergy Liquids in Bottles.

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Article courtesy cnn.com

The diabetes drug Avandia is linked with tens of thousands of heart attacks, and drugmaker GlaxoSmithKline knew of the risks for years but worked to keep them from the public, according to a Senate committee report released Saturday.

The 334-page report by the Senate Finance Committee also criticized the Food and Drug Administration, saying that the federal agency that regulates food, tobacco and medications overlooked or overrode safety concerns found by its staff.

“Americans have a right to know there are serious health risks associated with Avandia and GlaxoSmithKline had a responsibility to tell them,” said U.S. Senator Max Baucus, a Democrat and committee chairman. “Patients trust drug companies with their health and their lives and GlaxoSmithKline abused that trust.”

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Article courtesy cnn.com

The evolution of R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. may be shaped in large part by how well it can live down — and learn from — its past.

Reynolds received another clear example of that reality last week when the Food and Drug Administration requested research on the company’s three innovative dissolvable smokeless products — Camel Orbs, Camel Sticks and Camel Strips — and others being considered.

The Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee was formed as part of the FDA taking on oversight of the tobacco industry last year.

Reynolds said that the flavored, finely milled tobacco products serve as an alternative to cigarettes, giving adults a discreet option in venues where smoking is banned out of concern for secondhand smoke exposure. They are being sold in three test markets, none in North Carolina.

The FDA acknowledges that Reynolds is marketing the products to adult consumers.

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Article courtesy Winston-Salem Journal