While New Yorkers occupied themselves with digging out from a foot and a half of freshly fallen snow, City Council Member Peter Vallone, Jr. found time yesterday to hold a press conference to denounce the perils of water fluoridation. The Councilman, son of the late Council Speaker Peter Vallone, Sr., says that he will put forward legislation to end the city s practice of fluoridating its tap water.

Introduction
As the year draws to a close, some of us will be reminded that olde acquaintance should not be forgot. So, before we can officially commence the New Year, the American Council on Science and Health (ACSH) would like to reflect upon this year past. We'd especially like to spend an extra moment considering what we hope the world will eventually learn to forget the most unfounded health scares of 2010.

Last week U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA would seek the input of environmental activists and organic farmers in making federal regulations on the planting of genetically-modified (GM) alfalfa plants.

A new study in the December issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health claims that parents play a minor role in the dietary habits of their children. The study was based on a meta-analysis of earlier research conducted around the world between 1980 and 2009.

The FDA announced yesterday that it has approved Gardasil, Merck’s vaccine against four common strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), for the prevention of anal cancer. Gardasil was already approved as a vaccine to prevent cervical, vulvar and vaginal cancers and genital warts. The FDA decision follows on a randomized study of 4,065 patients given the vaccine. Included in the research were 602 men who have sex with men.

In order to expand upon research that shows smoking raises bad cholesterol (LDL) and lowers good cholesterol (HDL), a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health recruited 1,500 smokers. The investigators report that among the 36 percent of the smokers who had successfully quit a year later, an average increase of about 5 percent in HDL cholesterol was noted, even though the group that quit smoking gained an average of approximately 10 pounds.

Students in Minnesota’s second-largest school district have limited time to tame their sweet tooth during regular school hours since all public schools in the St. Paul district will be “sweet free zones” by the end of this academic year. Once implemented, the St. Paul district will join a handful of other districts nationwide.

A new study shows that after hospitalization for certain coronary events, a majority of patients are not receiving proper amounts of statin drugs as recommended by national cholesterol guidelines. Looking at records on the medications given to over 65,000 patients hospitalized for heart attacks and unstable angina between 2005 and 2009, UCLA researchers found that fewer than 40 percent of discharged patients were put on the recommended intensive statin therapy.

Last week brought news that Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) was holding a press conference about the perils of “toxic” chemicals. As cameras rolled and hot lights shone down, Markey displayed a letter addressed to the FDA asking for an expedited review of triclosan, an antibacterial chemical found in thousands of hand sanitizers, soaps and toothpastes sold in the U.S.

Anyone looking to add some echinacea to their tea as a cold remedy will be disappointed to learn that a new study has shown that the herbal supplement does little to cure the common cold.