***MEDIA ADVISORY***
ACSH Responds to misinformation in the CNN special,“Toxic America”
For Immediate Release
Contact: Jeff Stier, Esq., or Dr. Elizabeth Whelan at (212) 362-7044
June 3, 2010
CNN has an interesting video promoting their apocalyptic Toxic America report, which begins tonight.
This promotion is bizarre, says ACSH's Jeff Stier. They re showing people walking around in haz-mat suits, obviously trying to be funny. We think it s funny because we know that environmental chemicals aren t a serious problem, but they say they actually believe that those chemicals are causing cancer and death, so it s weird that they would promote this in such a mocking way.
A new urine test may detect prostate cancer better than current prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood tests and rectal exams, according to research presented Tuesday at the American Urological Association in San Francisco.
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has officially released its updated list of fruits and vegetables ranked by potential pesticide exposure. As ACSH's Jeff Stier noted when he got a sneak-peek at the list in April, blueberries and peaches are cited among the worst offenders.
As part of their initiative to bring transparency to the FDA s tobacco advisory committee examining potential regulatory policies for menthol cigarettes, dissolvable tobacco products and other issues, the watchdog group Center for Regulatory Effectiveness (CRE) launched a Studies and Concepts Under Review forum that allows experts to analyze the FDA s reports on the issue of menthol in cigarettes.
The UN s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) predicted yesterday that worldwide cancer deaths would increase to 13.2 million by 2030, nearly twice the 2008 figure. IARC s new database also projects a shift of the cancer burden from wealthier to poorer nations.
Whelan argues that the public should focus on proven health issues, such as the dangers of cigarettes and obesity and the need for bicycle helmets and other protective equipment. As for chemicals in plastics, Whelan says, What the country needs is a national psychiatrist.
A study published in the journal Nature Medicine claims that a vaccine appears to have prevented breast cancer in lab mice. The mice, genetically prone to develop breast cancer, were injected with a vaccine designed to provoke an immune response to a protein found in most breast tumors. None of the mice immunized with the vaccine developed breast cancer, compared to the control group in which every mouse developed breast cancer.
The World Cancer Research Fund is criticizing the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) for accepting sponsorship deals with Coca-Cola, McDonalds, and Budweiser for the 2010 World Cup, claiming that the companies advertisements promote unhealthy products.
Sunday's New York Times featured a front-page article by Michael Moss discussing the food industry’s efforts to avoid regulatory limits on the salt content of processed foods: “By all appearances, this is a moment of reckoning for salt. High blood pressure is rising among adults and children. Government health experts estimate that deep cuts in salt consumption could save 150,000 lives a year.”
