So you thought it was all over, right: given the Federal Court’s mandate by Judge Korman one month ago to make Plan B “universally available” OTC, and this week’s decision by the FDA to do just that, but only for age 15 and up, the path to universal access to the morning-after pill seemed nice [...]
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In an act that is sure to cause an unnecessary scare, industry, environmental and health groups have called for the amending of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act, specifically focused on cosmetics and personal care products. The new bill, The Safe Cosmetics Act of 2013, would give the FDA the “authority to create and enforce [...]
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Sometimes science is like the weather. Wait a few weeks and it changes. Such is the case with Zithromax (azithromycin), an important antibacterial drug that is a member of the macrolide class of antibiotics (erythromycin being the best known). Azithromycin is used against a number of bacterial infections, including strep throat, pneumonia, and bronchitis. Back in March, the FDA warned [...]
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If you went by the headlines, you’d be sure that the widespread obesity problem is due to consumption of too much sugar — especially from sodas and other sweetened beverages. But according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you’d be wrong. Examination of data on adults’ (20-60+ years) intake [...]
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ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross appeared — again — before the FDA advisory committee on tobacco products regulation. That panel, officially the Tobacco Products Scientific Advisory Committee, is required to meet periodically by the 2009 Tobacco Control Act and get public commentary on various relevant topics. Yesterday’s meeting was a discussion about how the FDA’s Center [...]
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A new study conducted by the National Toxicology Program, an agency that is part of the Department of Health and Human Services, has put yet another dietary supplement in the spotlight.

A new meta-analysis suggests that breast cancer may be more deadly for women who have cosmetic implants, largely thought to be a result of receiving the diagnosis at a later stage. Study authors explain that the breast implants are “radio-opaque” — meaning they appear “light” on the dark breast tissue background — which makes it [...]
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Today’s announcement by the FDA’s Commissioner Margaret Hamburg approving Plan B One-Step for women and girls age 15 and up, while welcome in the “better late than never” category, does not come close to complying with Federal Judge Ed Korman’s ruling of April 5th. That ruling, finding for the plaintiffs in a 2001 lawsuit against the Bush-II [...]
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Leeches used to be used as a medical cure-all, but today are of course almost entirely discredited. It’s worth wondering how many other medical tests — from the prostate-specific antigen to routine mammography — will one day be relegated to the dust bin of history. The latest exam to undergo scrutiny are routine pelvic exams [...]
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In a recent op-ed in the The Daily Caller, ACSH President Dr. Elizabeth Whelan addresses the health risks (or lack thereof) of fracking. Dr. Whelan says, “While New York Governor Andrew Cuomo vacillates on whether to allow fracking in New York State, a coterie of publicity savvy activists posing as public health experts are spearheading [...]
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