Cross Talk, one of the shows on RT.com, a Russian-based English language quas-propaganda site which says it is the largest news service on YouTube, with a reach of 1 billion viewers (?), did a segment on the over-pharmacating of America. In a live debate, host Peter Lavelle and two participants (with obvious agendas) took a decidedly anti-pharmaceutical position, leaving ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom as the fall guy.

After years with a dearth of anti-obesity drugs, Eisai and Arena Pharmaceuticals just announced that Belviq (locaserin) will be available to patients on June 11. Belviq is a prescription drug that is approved for obese adults whose body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more, and for overweight adults (BMI of 27 -30) who have at [...]
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A recent study on drunk driving is giving the term DD -- as in Designated Driver-- a whole new meaning.

In an effort to increase rates of flu vaccination among elementary school age children, researchers from the UC Davis Health System, the Monroe County, NY Department of Public Health, the University of Rochester Medical Center and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that the key may be offering the flu vaccination at [...]
The post A convenient way to vaccinate more kids against the flu, and save more lives appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

This week, another member of the old-guard tobacco companies moved from ankle- to knee-deep in the accelerating e-cigarette free-for-all. RJReynolds’ branch of tobacco giant Reynolds American, the 2nd largest tobacco company (after Phillip Morris), launched its new, sophisticated electronic cigarette, called Vuse. It has some features unique to this product, aimed at making attempting to [...]
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Last week, a farmer in OR reported finding evidence of wheat containing Monsanto’s Roundup Ready variant. The bizarre aspects of this alleged discovery are manifold: RR wheat was FDA approved as safe for human consumption after the typical exhaustive testing GM products are subject to (because of activist-generated fears of GM technology, in other words, [...]
The post GM wheat found in Oregon: a real tempest in a teacup appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

Organic foods benefit from what’s known as a “halo” effect. People believe that because they are not produced with synthetic pesticides they are more healthful. As a result, they also gain the misguided reputation of being safer. That this is not true is obvious from a recent lawsuit in California. Lynda Brackenridge is suing Costco [...]
The post Hepatitis A outbreak: Was it the (organic) berries? appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

Based on a new study by Dr. Peter C. Butler, Division Chief of Endocrinology and the Director of the Larry Hillblom Islet Research Center at UCLA, the FDA and the European Medicines Agency have started to look more closely at Merck’s diabetes drug, Januvia, a step which may lead to warnings on the drugs, or [...]
The post Questions about diabetes drug Januvia based on rat tests appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

It’s been all the rage lately — states attempting to enact legislation requiring that foods containing genetically engineered ingredients be so labeled. Last fall, California tried and failed to pass such a law, and the New York legislature decided against it too. Some 20 states, according to a report in The New York Times, are [...]
The post Connecticut Senate passes conditional GMO labeling law appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.

In another example of “the sky is falling” news cycle, the predictions of massive radiation-induced illnesses, especially cancer, resulting from the devastating Fukushima nuclear plant damage in March of 2011 have been found to be grossly exaggerated, according to a new report issued last week by a U.N. panel. Naturally, no major media bothered to report [...]
The post Japanese “nuclear disaster” update: none sick, none dead appeared first on Health & Science Dispatch.