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Time compiled profiles of what they call the Top 10 Common Household Toxins, with the dire warning, Chemicals in plastics and other products seem harmless, but mounting evidence links them to health problems -- and Washington lacks the power to protect us.

Time leaves the realm of science altogether to try and scare the pants off of you, says Dr. Ross. They go to people with impressive-sounding credentials whose entire career has been devoted to spreading rumors about environmental chemicals. It s all about selling magazines.

This is just classic junk science, says Dr. Whelan. They re...

A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute investigated the claim that eating fruits and vegetables can reduce the risk of cancer, concluding, A very small inverse association between intake of total fruits and vegetables and cancer risk was observed in this study. Given the small magnitude of the observed associations, caution should be applied in their interpretation.

The popular wisdom dictates that eating vegetables prevents cancer, but here is one very large study saying that might not be the case, says Stier. But somehow, I doubt this will be in headlines on the news tonight.

A study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology based on data for over 2.4 million Canadians shows that for every 1% increase in colonoscopy use, the risk of death from colon cancer dropped 3%.

“It’s really important that the message get out to people that this is the gold standard for colon cancer screening,” says ACSH’s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan.

“The message is out,” says Dr. Ross. “Everyone knew that colonoscopies work, but now we have a very large, well-done,...

Reuters reports, “Children with a history of food-induced allergic reactions may need more than one shot of epinephrine to halt a severe reaction, a study has confirmed. Among a group of children treated for food-related ‘anaphylactic’ reactions over six years, 12% needed a second epinephrine dose, according to a report out today in the journal Pediatrics.”

“Parents of children with food allergies should be advised to carry two epi pens with them,” says Dr. Ross. “What is troubling is that the...

The CDC is reporting an increase in hospitalizations for severe H1N1 influenza among adults, as well as an overall increase in H1N1 activity, especially in the southeastern states.

“This is something to watch,” says Dr. Whelan. “We’re not trying to be preachers of gloom and doom, but there could be a third wave, and no one is getting the vaccine anymore since they think the whole thing is over.”

“Wave or not, the point is that there is still H1N1 flu circulating, you could still come down with it, and it could be severe,” says Dr. Ross. “The current...

The CDC says that it is too early to confirm the Washington Post s reported estimates that 71.5 million doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine may be discarded. Some of the doses will expire as soon as June.

Well, you heard it here first, says ACSH s Dr. Elizabeth Whelan. An underlying story about vaccines that we ve talked about for years is that millions of doses end up being discarded. It is a disincentive for pharmaceutical companies to make the vaccines in the first place, but in this case, all of these doses that will be thrown away were purchased with U.S. tax dollars.

The American public is fickle about influenza vaccines. They want and expect them to be available...

CBS’s 60 Minutes devoted a segment to the smokeless tobacco product snus as a possible method of tobacco harm reduction last night.

“They accurately described the facts about smokeless tobacco as a harm reduction method: that it’s a substance that addicted smokers can use to get nicotine without inhaling the deadly products of combustion in cigarette smoke,” says ACSH’s Dr. Gilbert Ross. “Dr. Karl Fagerstrom appeared on the segment describing the Swedish experience with snus. Swedish men in particular have switched from smoking to snus with resultant dramatic declines in smoking-related disease.”

Dr. Fagerstrom will be a member of a panel organized by...

Reuters reports, “Despite an overall slight decline in head and neck cancers in recent years, cases of a particular form called oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have increased sharply, particularly in the developed world. This growth seems to be linked to cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), scientists said in a report in the British Medical Journal.”

“The disturbing increase in oral and pharyngeal carcinoma -- 60 to 80% in the U.S. over the course of the last decade -- is linked to infection with HPV acquired by oral-genital contact,” explains Dr. Ross. “HPV has long been known to be associated...

Yesterday’s New York Post bemoaned the unequal compensation provided to those who claim to have various ailments as a result of exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.

“Dispatch readers know that ACSH’s Jeff Stier took these claims on last week,” says Dr. Ross. “He was attacked by Representatives Maloney and Nadler for his op-ed, which pointed out that there was little or no evidence linking toxic dust from 9/11 to chronic disease.”

“This piece compares the amount awarded to someone claiming to have asthma as a result of 9/11 and someone claiming to have esophageal cancer as a result of 9/11,” says Dr. Whelan. “The whole thing...

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced the voluntary recall of several models of hockey sticks that have paint containing lead levels in excess of the federal standard.

“We all know how dangerous hockey sticks can be in the rink when they are used to spear or trip opponents,” says Dr. Ross. “Apparently, they are also dangerous if a player decides to chew or suck on them. At least, that’s what the CPSC is worried about. Here is yet another example of your government at work protecting you from health hazards, both real and imaginary.”