After ACSH s Dr. Josh Bloom was inspired to coin the phrase Wheel of Extortion just last week, in reference to Syngenta s disappointing class-action settlement in a suit against its herbicide atrazine, we have, unfortunately, come across another example to add to the wheel.

Tomorrow is World No Tobacco Day, a day to bring attention to the toll of tobacco use on the world s population. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco use is responsible for 6 million deaths around the globe each year, and if current trends continue, this number may rise to 8 million by 2030, the majority of which will occur in low- to middle-income countries.

Drs. Elizabeth M. Whelan, Gilbert Ross and George Lundberg on medpagetoday, May 30, 2012
Treating Recalcitrant Nicotine Addiction: the EBM Way

Things are not looking good for the genetically-engineered salmon developed by AquaBounty Technologies. Granted, the FDA concluded in September of 2010 that the fish is safe to eat and poses no threat to the environment. And in October of 2011, the agency submitted its support of the fast-growing salmon s commercial production.

A startling new graphic released by the CDC provides some concrete numbers to substantiate what most of us only vaguely acknowledge: Restaurant portions are larger than ever. In fact, they re now an average of four times larger than what passed for a serving in the 1950s.

When more people are screened for skin cancer, more malignant tumors are found, according to results from a recent German study. What s more, a related study found that, following the introduction of a state-wide screening program, deaths from skin cancer fell by about 50 percent.

ACSH has today submitted a letter to the FDA s Center for Tobacco Products, urging the agency to reconsider its opposition to tobacco harm reduction, an approach that uses modified risk tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), to help smokers quit. The letter, supported by a number of ACSH s scientific advisors, explains the benefits of a harm reduction paradigm and notes the absence of logic in the FDA s hyper-precautionary stance, especially toward e-cigarettes.

To: Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration
From: The American Council on Science and Health Elizabeth M. Whelan, President Gilbert Ross, Executive Director and Medical Director
Re: Electronic cigarettes

In an op-ed for Forbes, Angela Logomasini, a senior fellow at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, takes the EPA to task for attempting to skirt the standard regulatory system on chemical regulation. She describes an insidious new policy called Design for the Environment, which is effectively restricting certain substances by putting pressure on manufacturers to voluntarily remove them from the market.

Postmenopausal women have long been told that in order to prevent fractures and protect against osteoporosis, they should include plenty of calcium in their diets. Because women often find it difficult to obtain all of the recommended calcium from their food intake alone, however, many rely on supplements to make up the difference. However, a new study, published in the journal Heart, warns that taking calcium supplements may actually increase one s risk of heart attack.