There could be something extra lurking in shellfish folks have been eating in Seattle, and it’s not a tasty mignonette: Health officials say they’re investigating a possible norovirus outbreak after multiple reports of people falling ill after eating raw oysters. [More]
public health
Synthetic Marijuana Known As K2 Linked To 33 Overdoses In Brooklyn
By 7.13.16
We’ve written in the past about the dangers of using illegal synthetic marijuana, with hospital officials reporting a spike in hospitalizations related to the drug in recent years. Now, officials in New York City say they suspect a strain called K2 caused 33 overdose in one particular area of Brooklyn where the drug is extremely popular. [More]
EPA May Finally Ban Toxic Pesticide For Food Use
By 10.30.15
A federal agency entrusted with protecting the health of Americans has finally gotten around to doing the job it’s paid to do by taxpayers. And once again, the only reason this agency is doing anything is because a court has ordered it to. [More]
Soft Drink Companies Fund Fitness Programs, Ungrateful Governments Campaign Against Soda Anyway
By 9.3.15
Soft drink companies have an important message to get across to the public: their products can be part of a healthy lifestyle when used occasionally, and when you burn off that Mountain Dew with regular exercise. They’ve even been nice enough to fund fitness programs in many cities, and those ungrateful cities respond by proposing taxes and warning labels for their products. [More]
California Officials Declare Electronic Cigarettes A Public Health Risk
By 1.29.15
California has taken a stance in the debate over electronic cigarettes, and it is coming down squarely on the side that says e-cigarettes are potentially harmful. In a new report released this week by the California Department of Public Health, officials declare e-cigarettes as a threat to public health. [More]
Don’t Have The Measles Vaccine? Stay Away From Disneyland (For Now)
By 1.22.15
Now that a measles outbreak linked to Disneyland and California Adventure Park has grown to 70 cases, California public health officials are warning people who haven’t yet been vaccinated against the measles to stay away from Disney’s theme parks. [More]
Maker Of Giant Plush Microbes Sells Its Entire Stock Of Ebola Virus Toys
By 10.20.14
There’s nothing like a bunch of panicky people freaked out about a global health issue to give your business a boost. That is, if you happen to be in the niche industry of selling giant, plush toy microbes. The company behind fuzzy Black Death and adorable Listeria has been doing gangbusters business with its Ebola toys, now that everyone is convinced we’re all getting Ebola (we are not). [More]
FDA Going After Companies Offering Unapproved Ebola Medications
By 10.16.14
While the country is watching the news of every new Ebola case very closely, the federal government doesn’t want the worrying to get so out of hand that people start looking for medications to prevent or treat Ebola. Since there are currently none approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the government is already cracking down on a handful of companies promising to provide relief from Ebola. [More]
Company Touts “Ebola Containment Suit” As Literally The Most “Viral” Costume This Halloween
By 10.14.14
Sometimes I like to think that just once there will be a tragic situation that won’t lead to someone trying to make a buck off a serious situation. But hey, it’s Halloween, when sensitivity to world events apparently goes out the window. So why not charge people $79.99 to dress up in an “Ebola Containment Suit”? [More]
NYC’s Big Soda Ban Crushed By Appeals Court
By 7.30.13
Nearly five months after a last-minute ruling by a NY State Supreme Court judge took the fizz out of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s plan to ban the sale of large sodas in city-regulated stores and restaurants, the ban has once again been dealt a blow, as an appeals court panel agreed that the city overstepped its authority. [More]
Don't Even Think Of Smoking In New York Parks And Beaches
By 5.23.11
New York City, a pioneer at smoking bans in restaurants, bars and workplaces, has extended its policies to the outside world, with a new law that makes smoking in city parks, beaches or public plazas a crime punishable by a $50 fine. [More]
CDC Will Probably Advise Flu Shots For Everyone This Fall
By 2.25.10
An advisory panel for the Centers for Disease Control has recommended that everyone get flu vaccinations from now on, not just people in special higher risk groups. According to WebMD, “the CDC almost certainly will make universal flu vaccination official U.S. policy for this fall’s 2010-2011 flu season, as it consistently follows the advice of the panel of outside experts.” [More]
Used Syringes Surprise Kohl's Shopper
By 7.18.09
We’ve all been there, trying on a pair of shorts in a Kohl’s dressing room when suddenly we feel the cold sting of three used syringes. Or maybe it’s a joy that was limited to a Texas woman who was shopping yesterday at the Kohl’s in Harris County, Texas.
Now In Farmed Fish: Mad Cow Disease?!
By 7.5.09
Three scientists worry that feeding cow parts to farmed fish could expose seafood consumers to mad cow disease. The scientists published their findings in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and called on the government to ban cow meat and bone meal from appearing in fish feed.
Health Insurers Own Tobacco Stocks Worth Nearly $4.5 Billion
By 6.6.09
Major health insurance companies own nearly $4.5 billion worth of stock in tobacco companies, according to a Harvard University study. It kinda makes sense: health insurers know tobacco sickens people, and so as long as people are smoking, why not profit from the killer? It’s what David Himmelstein, a co-author of the study, calls “the combined taxidermist and veterinarian approach: either way you get your dog back.”
Federal Court: Cigarette Makers Are Liars And "Low-Tar," "Light" Cigarettes Are Dangerous
By 5.23.09
Cigarette companies have conspired for decades to defraud and mislead the public about the health risks of “light” and “low-tar” cigarettes, a federal appeals court said yesterday. The DC Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that a federal district judge was right to ban the terms from appearing on cigarette packages. Under the ruling, cigarette companies may soon be required to issue a public mea culpa admitting that they were killing people when they said cigarettes were safe and non-addictive.
Menu Labeling Controversy Reaches Congress
By 5.17.09
California and New York City already require chains to display calorie counts alongside menu items, but if two Members of Congress have their way, menu labeling legislation will soon apply to chains and fast food restaurants throughout the nation. The Menu Education and Labeling (MEAL) Act introduced by Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) would go even farther than existing state and local regulations by requiring chains to disclose fat, carbohydrate and salt content on their printed menus. The food industry, of course, is supporting a more palatable bill with an equally snappy acronym…
Carnival Cruises Is So Over That Swine Flu Thing
By 5.16.09
Pack up your maracas, Carnival is returning to Mexico! The cruise line wasn’t happy with putzing off the California coast, and the CDC says that swine flu isn’t deadly enough to keep us out of Mexico forever. By the end of the month, souvenir-seeking Americans will again be able to down margaritas and scoop up trinkets in Cabo, Cozumel, and Puerto Vallarta.
