How do we regulate the consumption of dangerous foods? Mark Bittman asks in his latest column for The New York Times. The public enemy in question is sugar, and Bittman is of the party that would limit its consumption with the kind of age restrictions and taxation policies applied to tobacco and alcohol.

What s the difference between Meryl Streep and a qualified toxicologist? Well, chances are that a toxicologist won t presume to lecture publicly on method acting, but Streep apparently has no qualms about advising us on matters of chemical safety. In 1989 Streep was at the forefront of a contingent that believed the plant growth regulator Alar was turning the nation s apples carcinogenic. ACSH s Dr.

Speaking of unfounded fears, we wish that public alarmists would adopt the more sensible attitude of David Ropeik, who writes in Sunday's Times on The Wages of Eco-Angst. We recommend reading Ropeik s discussion of why our fears don t match the facts and the real dangers that arise when we get risk wrong.

The good news is that cigarette sales are declining, and the better news is that some of that success may be attributed to a rise in the popularity of smokeless tobacco products. At least that s the hope of Altria Group Inc, a giant tobacco company that has recently cranked up its production of smokeless tobacco products in the U.S. As tobacco-related diseases take their toll on smokers, some have decided to make the switch from cigarettes to other cleaner nicotine delivery systems.

And speaking of junk science legislation, a Connecticut state environmental committee is considering a bill that would require a label on all genetically engineered foods. Yet Gregory J. Costa, director of state affairs for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, counters fears that such biotech products are somehow harmful.

Two bills proposing a ban on the use of bisphenol A (BPA) in food packaging were introduced in France last year by the French Socialist party at the National Assembly. Slated to be approved by the end of this month, following an examination by the French senate, the bills would require that manufacturers operating in France alter their packaging at a high cost.

Women who have a history of endometriosis may be at risk of certain types of ovarian cancer, suggests a new study in The Lancet Oncology. Endometriosis occurs when cells from the lining of the uterus grow in other parts of the body a relatively common condition that occurs in about 10 percent of women during their childbearing years. It can lead to pain, difficulties conceiving, and irregular bleeding.

While it s a preventive measure we ve recommended for some time, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has now officially recommended that all American seniors age 65 and older receive a vaccination which would likely be a booster shot for whooping cough.

For overweight Americans in need of a medically approved way to reach a healthy weight, there may be some welcome news: An FDA advisory committee has recommended the approval of a new weight-loss drug. Yesterday, the Endocrinologic and Metabolic Drugs Advisory Committee voted 20 to 2 to recommend approval of the weight-loss drug Qnexa, which is a combination of phentermine, an appetite suppressant, and topiramate, an anti-seizure medication that increases feelings of fullness.

In the midst of serious questions about the efficacy of certain cancer screenings, it s heartening to finally hear some good news: Colonoscopies really do save lives, according to the results of a new long-term study. In fact, the new findings demonstrated that people who have potentially cancerous growths (polyps) removed as the result of a colonoscopy have a 53 percent lower mortality rate from colorectal cancer (CRC) than that predicted in the general population.