Ideology scored another victory over public health and sound science last week when seven New Jersey legislators obtained a court order barring needle exchange programs in the state. The crusading seven, led by Sen. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Union) claim that such programs, which allow drug users to exchange their dirty needles for new sterile equipment, encourage the use of illicit drugs and do nothing to stop the spread of HIV/AIDS.

A June 30, 2005 column by Ross Mackenzie mentions a piece on Splenda by ACSH president Dr. Elizabeth Whelan:

While the ongoing tension between Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields as well as a book by the latter have recently drawn attention to postpartum depression, the issue of depression during pregnancy is often neglected. Roughly the same percentage of women (14.5%) experience depression during pregnancy as after giving birth.

Diet sodas, which have no or very few calories, should be a boon to the overweight in their attempts to lose excess pounds. What, then, can we make of a recent report about a study purportedly showing that people who drink diet sodas gain rather than lose weight? The answer might lie in the report, rather than in biology, and is a great example of the drawbacks of presenting preliminary reports (those which have not been peer-reviewed) to the public.

With headlines stating "Compound in Teflon A 'Likely Carcinogen'" (June 29) and "Teflon likely to cause cancer" (June 30), it is crucial to clarify a few issues surrounding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) scientific advisory board's recent draft report identifying PFOA (also referred to as C-8) as a "likely carcinogen":

This article originally appeared in TechCentralStation.com:
This week, General Mills announced its intent to launch a national ad campaign which will be targeted at children and tout the health benefits of eating breakfast especially a breakfast of cereal that the company produces. Among the General Mills cereals being promoted to kids are several brands that are pre-sweetened with added sugar.

Mark Parascandola's well-researched article, "Scientists, Families, and Courts Clash Over the Elusive Causes of Autism," in the Summer 2004 issue of Cerebrum, may have confused your readers. He failed to make clear that the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine never contained the ethylmercury-based vaccine preservative thimerosal.

You're being suckered about a certain central science question, all the time. Even my best-educated non-scientist friends haven't a clue. And who can blame them? You can't turn on the TV, open a newspaper, or go into a supermarket without being bombarded with misinformation on this topic. It also happens to be my pet peeve.
Question: In general, are natural substances (isolated from living sources) any better, safer, or healthier than man-made substances?

Are pharmaceutical companies really "laughing" because the companies haven't finished all the drug studies ordered by Food and Drug Administration (FDA)?
That ludicrous charge was leveled by Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-MA), who has claimed that drug companies are abusing the "accelerated approval" process. This process was approved by Congress and the FDA to get drugs to patients who need them, often to save lives.

Alzheimer's disease has made headlines this week. In the past, only memory tests were available to detect moderate and advanced stage Alzheimer's disease. There are now methods able to detect the disease up to nine years before it becomes apparent. While Alzheimer's is still uncurable, this early detection may allow potential sufferers to postpone its onset. Researchers are working on developing treatments that may combat newly-detected mild cases of the disease.