Health Care : Public health crises |
Disease outbreaks in pandemics and epidemics and community response to same; health crises generated by natural disasters such as floods and droughts; chronic hunger in the world, nation and local community; availability of immunizations and other preventives to epidemics like AIDS.
11/25/09
INTERNATIONAL
Websites Doctors Without Borders: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Analysis & views: 10/9/09 9/26/09 9/20/09 8/23/09 8/13/09 8/11/09 8/2/09 6/10/09 World Health Organization says swine flu infection in Victoria, Australia is moving the world "very very close" to a pandemic. http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25614343-421,00.html 5/1/09 The swine flu is coming! The world panic over a looming "pandemic" takes a strange twist in Egypt, in which no cases of the disease have yet been reported. Largely ignoring the person-to-person epidemiology of the spread of this strain of influenza, the Muslim majority government orders the slaughter of the total pig population of the country. Pork being forbidden in the Muslim diet, pig farmers as well as pork consumers are Coptic Christians, who charge that the government action is really a move against themselves more than it is a rational response to a "pandemic." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/01/health/01egypt.html?_r=1&ref=global-home 5/1/09 Mexico's chief epidemiologist accuses World Health Organization of slow response to early warnings of swine flu epidemic http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090501/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/med_swine_flu 4/30/09 Global swine flu pandemic? Put the blame on NAFTA. Laura Carlsen cites a "Smithfield connection" to the pandemic, as the multi-national corporate meat-packer has helped create disease-generating farm factories and the Mexican government, to deal with NAFTA's mandates, has had to scale back drastically on medical treatment and public health precautions. http://americasmexico.blogspot.com/2009/04/mexicos-swine-flu-and-globalization-of.html 12/26/08 Spurred by training received in an NGO on Gender Justice, South African men are starting to break the stereotyping that caring for the poor and the inform is women's work, as many especially become involved in HIV/AIDS care work. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45222 12/22/08 New book in South Africa describes the "Balancing Act" between public health and private rights that often occur in campaigns to eradicate health problems http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=45191 11/14/08 One village at a time: The RVP model for developing health facilities in third world countries: . IPS describes an approach to world development, as practiced in Kenya by a group called Rabour Village Project, which proceeds "village by village" and uses local people and resources to deal with health issues by addressing such related matters as education and employment opportunities in the targeted communities. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=44692 10/5/08 Chinese government moves to minimize public panic over tainted milk. http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/afp/081005/world/china_food_safety_child 9/30/08 Chinese dairy industry is in near-collapse as police arrest 22 people on charges of illegally inserting melamine into powdered milk used for infant nutrition. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7643391.stm 9/20/08 Death of B.C. woman is the 18th fatality in Canada's continuing listeriosis outbreak http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=808266 8/30/08 The guinea worm infestation that was devastating the populations of Sudan, Ghana and other countries twenty years ago has largely been eliminated. It began with former President Jimmy Carter's meeting an infested woman in Ghana and then going on to raise $225 million from governments private donors to organize a campaign to install inexpensive water filters and a public education drive to guarantee their use. A "weapon of mass salvation" has been developed at a fraction of the cost of the "weapons of mass destruction" that are still being generated around the world. 8/28/08 Canadian food retailers suffering fallout from meat recalls associated with outbreak of listeriosis in the country. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/story.html?id=749529 8/25/08 Outbreak of listeriosis across Canada leads to "precautionary" recall of products of Toronto meat-packing plant. http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=742696 8/22/08 Infections of veteranarians from Hendra virus associated with horses becoming an issue of major public concern in Australia. http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/4947837/hendra-death-prompts-independent-review 8/2/08 Mexian virologist fears that UN's report of a drop in number of AIDS cases will interrupt the "momentum" of world-wide effort against HIV/AIDS. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43419 7/25/08 AIDS epidemic and drought are devastating Swaziland which has the world's highest incidence of AIDS (19%) has life expectancy has been reduced from 60 to 31 years. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=43303 6/24/08 Babies in Krygyzstan allegedly being infected with HIV by use of un-sterile equipment in hospitals. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7470625.stm 5/20/08 AIDS services providers in Canada are concerned with government's announced plan to transfer $26 million from these services to efforts to develop HIV vaccine. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080518.waidsfunding0518/BNStory/National/home 5/20/08 Throw the fat guy under the bus. Lancet magazine publishes a reasonable article describing the cost of the world of transporting enough food to provide food intake for the obese. Although the article was largely a call for a change in transport policy, BBC's "most e-mailed" description of its message was: "Obese Blamed for the World's Ills." http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/raj_patel/2008/05/fat_chance.html 5/11/08 As children's vaccinations in UK falter as parents react to negative reports on their safety, a British MP suggests that those refusing vaccination should be barred from school. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7392510.stm 3/18/08 The drag queens of Pinar del Rio:. A group of Cuban transvestites and crossdressers are engaging in public education about HIV and AIDS by using their artistic talents to provide inspiration for a more "responsible sexuality" in the male homosexual community. http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=41623 3/13/08 In Belgium, when they say polio vaccinations are mandatory, they mean they are mandatory. Two Belgian couples are hit with 5-month prison sentences for refusing to have their children vaccinated, as the government struggles for full compliance with the measure to control the disease 2/20/08 As the "compassion" tour of Africa by President Bush winds down, two authors evaluate his self-promotion on his record in combatting HIV/AIDS as it were a rock music album release: The "songs" on this album involve one called "My Plan" which touts the advantage of his unilateral approach to that of full support of a UN fund; one which glorifies abstinence instead of vigorous condom-distribution efforts; and a peppy tune called "Profits versus Lives" to describe the glories of pushing brand name drugs over more affordable generic ones. In all these "singles" the "reviewers" find the Bush production seriously "out of tune" with world needs for combatting HIV/AIDS. http://www.fpif.org/fpiftxt/4969 2/16/08 President Bush's "great compassion" tour of Africa hits Benin as he touts U.S. efforts in the continent against HIV/AIDS. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3016&art_id=nw20080216101241228C944107 2/2/08 U.S. plans to finance multi-billion dollar programs to combat global AIDS are threatened by Democrats' opposition to inclusion of funds for abstinence promotion. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080202/ap_on_go_pr_wh/global_aids;_ylt=ApOK32LSOlwjazGuQDdfuTas0NUE 2/1/08 Loose-running backyard chickens are blamed for another outbreak of avian flu in Indonesia:. With over 100 bird flu deaths in the country, epidemiologists are struggling to explain the high concentration of fatalities in this country. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/01/world/asia/01flu.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin 1/3/08 "You can actually smell the food!"...the surprised response of an American in Paris in a visit to a Paris restaurant after the government imposes a first-ever across the board ban on smoking in cafes and bars. It could lead to a decline in lung cancer as intended, but it will surely lead to the decline of the Parisian image of a place in which the "sexy, sultry and brooding" nature of French national character can be expressed. 1/3/08 La Nina dampness may spark upsurge in malaria in southern Africa. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7169421.stm 1/2/08 International survey shows that fast food consumption is most common in U.K. and U.S. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7165990.stm 12/23/07 British researchers working on an antidote to malaria which involves the toxic effects on mosquitoes of sea cucumbers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7155398.stm 11/20/07 UN revises downward its estimate of HIV-infected people world-wide: from 40 to 33 million, based largely on rate reduction in India. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7103163.stm 10/26/07 UK announces plan to vaccinate all British school girls against cervical cancer. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7062479.stm 10/16/07 Boston University study says H.I.V. treatment programs are "failing" in Africa. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7046545.stm 10/5/07 Efforts to deal with cholera outbreak in Iraq are complicated by the condition of "lawlessness" in the country that reduces available medical supplies and personnel. 9/18/07 In West Africa, many people in rural areas are said to be "HIV illiterates" as the bulk of prevention and treatment of HIV-AIDS has centered on urban areas. http://ipsnews.net/africa/nota.asp?idnews=39280 9/2/07 Canada's Health ministry adds children's pencils to list of toys made in China recalled because of lead content. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070901.wpencilrecall0901/BNStory/National/home 8/17/07 A cave man could do it (with apologies to Geico). A health and wellness writer for Independent UK advocates a "paleolithic diet" which features free consumption of meat and fruits and vegetables from trees, avoiding any cereals or dairy products. Seemingly it worked for our paleolithic ancestors, so.. http://www.alternet.org/healthwellness/59864/?page=1 8/7/07 Indonesia is lone world hold-out on WHO request that all countries furnish live viruses of bird flu for international public health studies. http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070807161526&irec=3 7/17/07 Remittances of Mexican migrants from U.S. to Mexico take and ominous turn: Public health officials in rural Mexican areas are noting an upturn in AIDS cases among the families of men who return from a stint of working in the U.S., especially in New York. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/07/17/world/americas/17mexico.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin 6/20/07 "A never-ending sea of disaster" is an African doctor's assessment of the losing effort to contain the HIV epidemic in Africa. While treatment drugs are in adequate supply, five Africans contract the disease for every one entering treatment, and the problem is the unavailing effort to have African men alter their sexual behavior. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/19/AR2007061901971.html?referrer=email 6/9/07 European Union officials look to extend the "exclusion zone" for work place smoking to exclude the common "huddling" of smokers in doorway areas. http://observer.guardian.co.uk/uk_news/story/0,,2094289,00.html 5/21/07 New report indicates a "staggeringly slow" progress toward HIV/AIDS eradication in Africa. http://www.guardiannewsngr.com/africa/article02 5/21/07 Argentinian study shows that low doses of Viagra can reduce jet lag effects: but only for hamsters flying eastward. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6676585.stm 5/6/07 Junk food "addiction" is cited as a factor in the rising rate of malnutrition in Britain. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2516769.ece 4/27/07 An Australian, Ian Frazer, developed the HPV vaccine in Gardasil and millions of Australian girls will be getting the vaccine. Unlike similar programs contemplated in U.S., the vaccinations will be free to school children and to women 18-26 through their GPs and will be voluntary. http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/sydney-girls-get-cancer-vaccine/2007/04/26/1177459847880.html 3/29/07 "Today it's me, tomorrow it's somebody else" These plaintive words of a popular Ugandan concert singer who died of AIDS in 1989 inspired sexual abstinence or at least caution among a generation of young Ugandans. Today the fear inspired by the singer's story has diminished and the upsurge in unprotected sexual activity in the country threatens efforts against AIDS eradication. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/03/28/AR2007032802510.html?referrer=email 3/29/07 British research study indicates that drinking of green tea may prevent HIV infection or slow down the rate of its spread. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6502399.stm 3/21/07 Canadian province of British Columbia is refusing to pay for hepatitis B treatments, a disease affecting primarily Chinese-Canadians. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070321.wbcdrug21/BNStory/National/home 3/20/07 Rise of the TB bug with no enemies. There is a looming public health crisis in the failure of global systems of tuberculosis control, as mis-management within that system has led to the emergence of a virulent strain of that disease, to which HIV/AIDS patients are particularly susceptible. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/20/health/20docs.html?_r=1&8dpc&oref=slogin 3/20/07 U.S. scientists are working on a genetically-modified strain of mosquitoes which is malaria-resistant and could hopefully be released in the wild to stamp out those which carry the disease. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/6468381.stm 3/19/07 Though barely acknowledged in a religiously-conservative country, HIV/AIDS pandemic strikes Afghanistan. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/19/world/asia/19afghan.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 3/17/07 Opinion: the "branding" of African AIDS assistance by the purchase of red t-shirts is a less effective way of helping than giving money directly to the Global Fund. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/20070307.html 2/18/07 A "hidden epidemic of child alcoholism" in Britain is described in a feature article in the UK Independent. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/this_britain/article2281379.ece 2/13/07 Turkey processing plant in England closed for 10 days after outbreak of bird flu is re-opened although source of the infection remains a "mystery." http://uk.news.yahoo.com/13022007/323/bird-flu-hit-plant-re-opens.html 2/11/07 British agri-business which operates a poultry farm at which bird flu virus appeared is accused of a "bio-security breach" in importing meat from its operations in Hungary. http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/health_medical/article2258897.ece 2/10/07 With new outbreak of bird flu deaths in South Korea, 2 million birds have been slaughtered in the country since the epidemic re-appeared 3 months ago after a 3 year respite. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6349109.stm 2/7/07 Indonesia stops sending free virus samples to World Health Organization in favor of its negotiating with an American vaccine producer to sell the samples to them. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/07/world/asia/07birdflu.html?th&emc=th 2/1/07 Tests in Africa and India of a microbicide applied during sex to control transmission of AIDS are suspended by World Health Organization as safety dangers of the drug are cited. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6319787.stm 1/26/07 Rumors that polio vaccines cause impotence and that the vaccination program is a clandestine operation against Muslim population results in many Pakistani children not receiving the vaccine. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6299325.stm 1/26/07 Fat is okay and anorexia is out as Spain moves to super-size women's clothing and ban ulti-thin women from fashion runways. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6300793.stm 1/25/07 Efforts to combat HIV/Aids around the world are being hampered by provision in U.S. law which withholds aid to any agencies that refuse to denounce the "sex trade" in their countries. http://newstandardnews.net/content/index.cfm/items/4179 12/1/06 Human Rights Watch report says that, in Africa, ideology trumps action when it comes to AIDS prevention, as the epidemic worsens, abetted by "abstinence only" forms of sex education and widespread violence against women often resulting in infection. http://allafrica.com/stories/200611300280.html 12/1/06 South African Council of Churches says it is "deeply disturbed" by claims that 500 HIV patients have been cured by herbal remedies. http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/Aids_Focus/0,,2-7-659_2037698,00.html 12/1/06 International Labor Organization says that over a million jobs are lost in the world each year to AIDS, 70% of them in sub-Saharan Africa. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6197074.stm 12/1/06 Government and UN sources estimate 650,000 AIDS cases in China; an activist says the actual number of cases may be 10 times that number. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?=20061201 12/1/06 As prevalence of HIV infection rises sharply in Shanghai, surveys show substantial numbers of people disposed to discriminate against them. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_index.cfm?DR_ID=41339 12/1/06 Thirteen Australians tell their stories about living with HIV-positive. http://www.worldaidsday.org.au/internet/wad/publishing.nsf/Content/stories 4/26/06 World Bank accused of fraudulent claims about its world-wide efforts at malaria control: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/042506B.shtml 4/8/06 British government shrugs off first case of bird flu in the UK: http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/article356441.ece 4/7/06 Bird flu arrives in Britain: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/04/0407_060407_bird_flu.html 4/6/06 New study shows that projected AIDS infection rates in Africa were greatly over[-estimated, based on data obtained from urban pre-natal clinics: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/05/AR2006040502517.html?referrer=email 4/1/06 A preventable and easily correctible disease, trachoma, devastates millions in poor Third World countries: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/31/world/africa/31blind.html?th&emc=th 3/26/06 Public health success story for a change: long fight, led by Jimmy Carter, to eradicate Guinea worm disease in Nigeria has almost been completed: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/26/international/africa/26worm.html?th&emc=th 3/9/06 Unclean water an international public health crisis: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0308-29.htm 2/23/06 UK bird flu plans in 'disarray' http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1716407,00.html?gusrc=rss 2/23/06 Bird flu anxieties spread to Czechs http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2006/Art/0223/news3.php 2/22/06 Bird flu fears coop up London's famous ravens: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/21/AR2006022101042.html?referrer=email 2/17/06 Bird flu confirmed in France http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=416817
1/31/06 Corporate lobbyists oppose global fight against AIDS: http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0127-02.htm
1/23/06 Mideast fears of bird flu increase: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060122/API/601220725&cachetime=5
1/11/06 World Health Organization minimizes Avian flu danger: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060111/API/601110599
1/8/06 Drug companies and AIDS vaccines: http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051230/NEWS/51230005/1120/health
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Analysis & views: 11/30/09 11/25/09 11/25/09 11/20/09 11/17/09 10/31/09 10/28/09 10/16/09 10/13/09 9/28/09 9/17/09 9/15/09 New York City may ban smoking in public parks and beaches. 9/15/09 5/1/09 Baltimore area Catholic Archbishop warns priests against using wine in communion services because of influenza concern. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/bal-md.obrien01may01,0,4302401.story 4/29/09 All the news that's fit to print about U.S. response to swine flu pandemic. New York Times gives a glowing review to the "performance" in giving regular updates to the public by the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Richard E. Dresser. Plucked from "relative obscurity" from a minor staff role at CDC in January, Dr. Dresser draws on his 14 year experience as local commentator on health issues at a San Diego TV station, and delivers these updates in a calm and reassuring manner. He gets the ultimate compliment from another famous TV doctor, Ophrah Winfrey's Dr. Mehmout Oz, who says of Dresser, "he has lapped me." http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/29/health/policy/29besser.html?th&emc=th 4/28/09 As swine flu spread, Dave Lindoff says Americans are "wide open to pandemic." This openness results from two features of the country: (a) the paucity of work place rules coveing sick pay for employees, resulting in many going to work and spreading the disease when they should be home; (b) weakness of the health insurance system, with many Americans unable to afford the care they need if they do contract a disease. http://www.counterpunch.org/lindorff04272009.html 2/17/09 Some Texas bar owners now favoring statewide ban on smoking in bars, thinking it won't hurt their businesses if it is applied without "loopholes" with unfair advantage to competitors. 1/23/09 Ian Sinclair denounces the industry of those who "sell anxiety" to the numerous people in a narcissistic culture who obsess over imagined inadequacies in their body images. This critique even covers the Dove "Campaign for Real Beauty" which touts itself as more realistic about attainable body shapes but still hawks a "firming range" product to get rid of that "unsightly cellulite." http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/20329 1/9/09 CDC reports salmonella outbreak in 42 U.S. states. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-08-salmonella_N.htm 12/16/08 Anti-tobacco forces get rare win in Supreme Court with 5-4 ruling allowing suits against companies for misleads advertisements about "light" cigarettes. http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2008/12/16/20081216scotus1216.html 10/5/08 As an indication of increasing childhood obesity, interschool competition and efforts to become NFL players, an increasing number of high school football players are weighing in at 300 and more pounds. http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/10/05/tipping_the_competitive_scales/ 8/30/08 California truck farmers are using their guns to keep wild animals out of their vegetable fields, in an effort to prevent further E-coli contamination of their products 8/22/08 Cervical cancer; the disease du jour. Is it education or is it marketing? New York Times feature article examines this question, noting the huge profits from mandatory and urged vaccinations in the U.S. and U.K. and the huge profits of vaccine manufacturers Glaxo/Smith/Kline and Merck, who say that the upsurge in vaccinations is simply a matter of better public education about the dangers of the disease. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/20/health/policy/20vaccine.html?th&emc=th 7/31/08 "A wise decision that puts the health and well-being of the people first." ...says the sponsor of legislation, passed by Navajo Nation Council, that bans tobacco smoking and chewing in all public venues except those involved in religious and tribal ceremonies. http://nativetimes.bizweb5.tulsaconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=109&Itemid=1 6/29/08 In inner city Philadelphia, there is an alternative to eating at McDinald's and getting obese: . A city program to bring super-market fresh foods to the ghetto is surviving with some creative adaptations to people of diverse ethnicities http://features.csmonitor.com/innovation/2008/06/27/wanted-inner-city-supermarkets/ 6/23/08 Ban on smoking in Charleston West Virginia restaurants, to go into effect next week, has proprietors struggling to try to maintain business by building outdoor pavilions and decks for their smoking customers. http://wvgazette.com/News/200806220280 5/13/08 New legislation in Congress to control marketing cigarettes as candies and adding attractive flavoring appears to have one exemption which will allow the continued addition of menthol to cigarettes. Critics note that menthol cigarettes are particularly favored by African Americans, that lung cancer is of near epidemic proportions in that community and this exemption represents a "cave-in" to the tobacco industry. (Shut your mouth, Jeremiah Wright!) 4/24/08 Comprehensive smoking bans in Minnesota and other states have led to a decline in revenues of those who operate charity bingo games, as many would-be players who are smokers are driving for their games across state lines or to Indian reservations where no such bans exists. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/24/us/24bingo.html?th&emc=th 4/4/08 Will there be a resurrection of cigarette ads on the model of the Pall Mall cigarette claims to be "low tar" and therefore more "mild?" Federal appeals court provides big victory for "light" cigarette industry by throwing out a suit against tobacco companies which claimed that they were lured into use of light cigarettes on basis of false claims of their relative harmlessness. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/04/business/04tobacco.html?th&emc=th 3/12/08 Having sex with a teenage girl may or may not be morally reprehensible; it's certsinly dangerous: New CDC survey indicate that 1/4 of American (1/2 of African American) girls aged 14 to 19 are infected with STDs, most often the HP virus. Some doctors are said to be reluctant to discuss test results with teenage clients because they know their parents will have to be informed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7290088.stm 3/9/08 Minnesota bars trying to beat the state's ban on smoking in public places by exploiting the exemption for actors in theatrical productions, translating the drinking scene into a play-acting one, with assigned "roles" to bartenders and customers. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7285808.stm 3/8/08 Illinois economy said to be suffering from public smoking ban that went into effect on January 1, as Alton casino lays off workers, with a downturn in business allegedly linked to the ban. 2/21/08 Supreme Court says a state can't force deliveries of cigarettes sold through the internet to show proof of age: The "thought" that went into the Court's unanimous decision was that federal law forbids states (like Maine in the case at hand) from regulating tobacco distribution, fearing that state legislation would create a "patch work" of different rules and procedures that would complicate the practices of delivery carriers and interfere with "interstate commerce." As Ruth Bader Ginsburg notes, there is no system of federal regulation yet in place, and the Court's decision should put "pressure" on Congress to come up with one. Lots of luck. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0221/p25s04-usgn.html 2/16/08 Flu virus hits New England \http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2008/02/16/flu_cases_rampant_across_region/ 2/14/08 "Moderately severe" influenza epidemic hits Houston area. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5540434.html 2/1/08 New smoking ban has a tobacco shop owner setting up a "private club" (at a cost) in the back of his shop where Super Bowl fans can gather while they smoke, as such entities are exempted from the comprehensive Maryland ban on smoking in public places. He also advocates, with few takers, acts of civil disobedience to defy the ban. 1/10/08 California is pioneering in anti-smoking regulations, as automobile passengers are forbidden to smoke in cars containing children. http://www.adn.com/front/story/260369.html 1/9/08 New scientific evidence that thimersol component of childhood vaccinations does not induce childhood autism does not deter autism activists. http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/health/bal-te.infocus09jan09,0,1363729.story?coll=bal_tab01_layout 12/30/07 Maryland about to double the tax on cigarettes (to $2 a pack) in an effort to curb smoking. 12/9/07 Isolating AIDS patients from the general public. As Mike Hukabee surges in support among GOP presidential candidates, his public record comes under increasing scrutiny. Reflecting this scrutiny, it is revealed that he answered a campaign questionnaire in his 1992 race for the Senate by avowing that "too much" attention and funding were being given to AIDS treatment and research. His campaign now says that these views resulted from the prevalent "confusion" of the time about AIDS and that he now supports such funding. This supposedly "negative" information about him may actually help solidify his support among the "values" GOP voters who are looking for a hardliner about homosexuality, abortion and "activist" judges. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071208/ap_on_el_pr/huckabee_aids 11/16/07 Workers at construction site for new slots facility in Maine are riled by the construction company's ban on their smoking on nearby public property. http://www.bangornews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=156571&zoneid=500 9/19/07 Iatrogenic anti-viral research? University of Wisconsin bio-lab is revealed as having violated rules for safe handling of the Ebola virus, in the process of search for an antidote. Failure of the National Institutes of Health to enforce its own rules about the handling of this highly virulent substance is related to the "celebrity status" of the UW lab which allows it to escape normal outside controls. http://www.sunshine-project.org/publications/pr/pr190907.html 9/13/07 Los Angelese officials beginning to view fast food operations as a public health issue: Citing obesity and other health concerns, City Council is considering ordinance that would limit the additional fast food outlets in the city. http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0913/p01s04-ussc.html?s=hns 9/2/07 "Take it outside." Bar and tavern patrons complain as new smoking ban in Houston requires them to go outside to smoke. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5101731.html 6/13/07 "Cell phone related accident" in which a teenage age was killed by a driver who was distracted while looking up a phone number leads state of Utah to crackdown on drivers who use cell phones as they drive. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,665193199,00.html 6/1/07 Quarantining of an Atlanta TB legal injury lawyer who may have exposed fellow airline travellers could have legal consequences, either from his suing airlines for allegedly unconstitutional actions, or from fellow passengers suing him if they contracted TB. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070601/ap_on_he_me/tuberculosis_infection_law 5/18/07 Ban on smoking in nearly all public places is enacted in Maryland. 5/2/07 Illinois Governor likely to sign a bill banning smoking in all indoor public places in the state. 4/28/07 New York Mets bat boy handled more than bats in the dressing room. Former "club house assistant" pleads guilty to felony charges for a decade-long operation in which he provided steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs to players. 4/26/07 Texas legislature tries to block Governor's plan for HPV vaccinations for all Texas school girls. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070425/ap_on_he_me/cervical_cancer;_ylt=AtSlDZeRTtp3jcSYU8GZTvnVJRIF 4/21/07 CDC is unhappy about alleged "medical misinformation" on a television show that suggests lack of link between AIDS and HIV. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660213843,00.html 3/22/07 Incidence rates of chlamydia and other STD diseases rise sharply in Utah. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660205342,00.html 3/21/07 Last year's unused supply of flu shots in U.S. to be destroyed, even though their "shelf life" has not expired and there will likely to shortages when another flu season arrives. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070321/;_ylt=AkCuYot_9D_Pk1FlBD.eufhI2ocA 3/15/07 Increase in binge drinking and abuse of prescription drugs by U.S. college students is among the findings of a new report of the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse. http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660203388,00.html 3/9/07 Report says 25% of U.S. women aged 14 to 59 have HPV. http://www.abqtrib.com/news/2007/mar/08/25-us-women-have-hpv/ 2/28/07 As Maryland legislature takes up state-wide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants, Governor says he will sign the legislation if passed. 2/22/07 Merck cools it on Garadasil lobbying: As political backlash appears in Texas over Governor Perry's attempt to make cervical cancer vaccinations mandatory for school girls, Merck announces that it will abandon its efforts to lobby other state legislatures to do likewise, as these efforts seem counterproductive to the effort to encourage Gardasil use. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4568574.html 2/19/07 Final action nears for a smoking ban in bars in Baltimore. 2/17/07 Mandatory cervical cancer vaccinations for teenage girls are hitting a roadblock of opposition: Proponents of the drug who fear a backlash from its over-use and justice-advocates who cite the cost join cultural conservatives concerned about sexual promiscuity to create opposition in the 20 of so U.S. states considering whether they should join Texas in making such vaccinations mandatory for school girls. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/17/health/17vaccine.html?_r=1&oref=slogin 2/15/07 Neglect of mental health needs of Katrina victims, Iraqi veterans, prisoners and other disadvantaged Americans has led to a huge rise in violence, suicide and other sociopathic behavior in America. http://www.commondreams.org/views07/0214-27.htm 1/26/07 New York City is handing out 1.5 million free condoms per month in a major public health push to combat AIDS in the city. 1/16/07 Senator from tobacco-growing region of North Carolina pledges to lead fight against expected proposal in the Senate for FDA regulation of cigarettes. http://dwb.newsobserver.com/news/ncwire_news/story/3020108p-9439647c.html 1/16/07 USDA proposes lifting ban on importation of cattle from Canada in spite of the recent discovery of more mad cow cases there. 1/16/07 Drive to reduce use of trans fats in restaurant-produced foods is increasingly impacting the offerings at doughnut shops. 1/12/07 Maryland General Assembly (legislature) is likely to pass a statewide ban on smoking in bars and restaurants. 1/11/07 As diabetes affliction rises to epidemic levels, state Governors are beginning to demand that their Medicaid programs be able to use available insulin generics. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/11/business/11insulin.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin 12/22/06 Holiday blues? Writer on women's issues argues that, while there is over-hyping of the idea that suicide and other depressive behaviors rise sharply in holiday seasons, the holiday blues syndrome does highlight the need for a national commitment to countering depression is a national epidemic. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/1221-28.htm 12/1/06 Washington D.C. meeting of public health experts concludes that universal and routine HIV testing of all Americans, as recommended by CDC, would cost up to $1 billion per year but would be cost-effective in terms of timely and effective AIDS treatment. http://www.kaisernetwork.org/daily_reports/rep_hiv.cfm#41338 11/26/06 Wisconsin sportsmen ridicule attempts of state to control its deer population for "chronic wasting disease" which is said might become the new equivalent of the "mad cow" epidemic. http://www.madison.com/tct/news/index.php?ntid=108773&ntpid=0 11/25/06 American Diabetes Association is re-thinking its policy of raising funds by providing "sponsorship" logos to food companies that offer "sugar-free" products that are still high in calories and may contribute to obesity. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/25/health/25ada.html?th&emc=th 9/8/06 After denying for nearly 5 years that people in the vicinity of the attack on the World Trade Towers had suffered from the effects of toxic substances, officials now admit that the injuries did in fact occur. http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0907-20.htm 5/6/06 Headline-bannered "deal" between Clinton Foundation and Coca Cola to remove soft drinks from schools show how the media fell for a PR stunt to tout a legally unenforceable and totally voluntary agreement between schools and the bottler: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0505-32.htm 4/24/06 Government expert on the health effects of 9/11 says the recent death of a New York detective due to toxic dust at the site is "worrisome" and other cases may surface: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/12466875/ 4/15/06 Autopsy report in death of a New York city detective ignites debate on the health effects of 9/11 on first responders: http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/041406L.shtml 3/30/06 Much hyped bird flu vaccine protects only half of those who get it. http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/14221226.htm 3/9/06 Sharp decline noted in cigarette smoking in U.S.: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/08/AR2006030802368.html?referrer=email 3/6/06 White House pressures CDC not to release study showing high levels of human contamination from rocket fuels: http://www.commondreams.org/news2006/0303-08.htm 2/9/06 Study: girls over-take boys in frequency of smoking and prescription drug abuse: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/08/AR2006020802228.html?referrer=email 2/3/06 Nutritional mineral levels in foods is falling: http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0202-06.htm 1/9/06 Lack of U.S. preparation for Asian bird flu pandemic: http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0108-22.htm 10/25/06 Is the threat of bid flu a Bush administration hoax? Yes: http://www.mercola.com/2005/oct/25/rumsfeld_to_profit_from_avian_flu_hoax.htm
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Analysis & views: 10/23/09 10/14/09 8/23/09 5/1/09 South Florida schools and day care centers are taking a hygienic approach to the issue of swine flu infection. http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/sfl-swine-flu-schools-bn043009,0,878576.story 8/8/08 Mark Ferrulo of Progress Florida "outs" the Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa for employing lobbyists in Tallahassee who also represent tobacco companies The same people who support Moffit's "100% tobacco free" policy support as well the "Thank You for Smoking" campaigns of the tobacco industry. http://progressflorida.org/page/community/post/markferrulo/BJP 1/11/08 Florida smokers rush to join class action suit against tobacco companies as today is the deadline for joining. 12/8/07 Toys for Tots? Well, maybe not this year; in Florida, at least:Salvation Army in Florida, which traditionally picks through mountains of donated toys to select those safe as Christmas gifts for underprivileged children, has decided this year to discontinue their used toy sales, citing the concern over lead paint poisoning and a cost/benefit calculation that the man and woman hours spent in such sorting doesn't justify the output of toys suitable for distribution. So it's into the landfill with the toys that your kid has "out-grown." http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking_news/story/336576.html 2/25/07 As Florida legislature considers bill for mandatory vaccination of school girls against cervical cancer, parents express concern over the cost ($300) and the fact that, even if parents "opt out" of their daughter's vaccination, schools are still required to furnish "information" about cervical cancer risks, and some parents think it should be their prerogative to determine when such discussions are "appropriate." (Not, says one parent, when her 10 year old daughter thinks "kissing is gross.") http://www.gainesville.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070225/LOCAL/70224075/-1/news 2/18/07 In Florida, a "chance to get educated" about Gardasil. Legislator sponsoring a bill to mandate vaccination against cervical cancer for all school girls notes the wide range of opponents of his measure and suggests putting off the date of implementation of the program to August 2008 to "give everyone a change to get educated" about the program. http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/16725009.htm 2/17/06 State leaders say Florida should get ready for avian bird flu arrival: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/13892393.htm http://www.tallahassee.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060216/NEWS01/602160328/1011
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Analysis and views: Orange Co.: 8/19/09 6/9/09 HOW WOULD ORLANDO AIRPORT HANDLE AN ARRIVING INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT SOME OF WHOSE PASSENGERS ARE INFECTED WITH PANDEMIC DISEASE? The dilemma is posed whether to "divert" such flights to airports that have "quarantine" facilities like Miami and Atlanta airports to isolate passengers until they are "cleared" of infection; or to build quarantine facilities at OIA itself, an expensive proposition about which local officials are skeptical. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orl-airports-quarantine-plans-060909,0,3470209.story St. Petersburg: 8/12/08 After an online expose of its practice of hiring some of the same lobbyists who represent tobacco companies in Tallahassee, Moffitt Cancer Center in St. Petersburg says it is "reviewing" its policy. http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/08/cancer-center-t.html Jacksonville: 7/9/08 Northeast Florida medical colleges are moving to ban smoking anywhere on their campuses. http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/070908/met_301526729.shtml Deltona: 4/22/08 Efforts being made to ban smoking in Deltona FL public parks http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Local/newWEST01042208.htm Orlando: 4/19/08 Central Florida fair-goer is felled by a deep fried Oreo:. Scott Maxwell says you have to go to the fair with a battle plan, focussed on dealing with the array of nutrional atrocities available interspersed with stomach-churning rides. Apparently his plan was not quite good enough, as that oreo did him in. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/columnists/orl-maxwell2008apr20,0,3958834.column?page=1 Seminole Co.: 1/18/08 Responding to nutritionists' concerns about health effects of "junk food" on children, Seminole County rescinds a program by which McDonald's sent home notices with favorable report cards that children had won Happy Meal rewards. Volusia Co.: 11/20/07 Volusia County Sheriff wants deputies who are new hires to be banned from smoking...anywhere Palm Beach Co.: 11/6/07 Outbreak of fecal bacteria infections in Palm Beach County may be linked to old water pipes in public water supplies. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2007/11/06/s1a_water_1106.html Orlando: 8/10/07 It's not only a Big Bend Gulf beach where swimmers are subjected to viral infection exposure. Central Florida is noted for having an elevated risk factor in its fresh waters during the hottest days of summer (like now). Infections are rare but usually fatal when they are contacted. Daytona Beach: 3/23/07 They drink, they party, but do they eat? A Daytona Beach article examines the chaotic eating habits of Spring Breakers there. http://www.news-journalonline.com/NewsJournalOnline/News/Headlines/frtHEAD02032307.htm Broward Co.: 3/13/07 Broward County schools are considering requiring HPV vaccinations of all school girls ahead of proposed Florida legislation mandating same throughout the state. http://www.miamiherald.com/416/story/40100.html Fort Pierce: 12/1/06 "Face of AIDS" in St. Lucie County, where one in 35 black residents are HIV positive, is a 51-year-old black man who appears in every public venue to advocate for control measures. http://www.palmbeachpost.com/treasurecoast/content1201.html Orlando: 12/1/06 AIDS activist in Orlando notes the shift of AIDS from white gay males to heterosexual blacks (with increasing numbers of black women, according to other surveys). Key West: 4/14/06 Bird flu scare has Key West clucking over its wild chickens; following the lead of High Springs, it may round them up: Key West: Bird flu fears making Key West's free-roaming chickens an endangered species: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/local/states/florida/counties/monroe_ county/cities_neighborhoods/florida_keys/13792712.htm
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