One of Norway’s nuclear reactors was discovered to be leaking radioactive iodine Monday morning, according to the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (NRPA). [1]
In a statement released today, the NRPA said:
“The radioactive leak was due to a technical failure during treatment of the fuel in the reactor hall. Emissions are low.”
The World Medical Association (WMA), the top medical-ethics body, has appointed Dr. Ketan Desai, an Indian doctor facing corruption charges, as its president.
The France-based association sets ethical standards for physicians worldwide and represents millions of doctors. Its members include the American Medical Association (AMA) and the British Medical Association (BMA).
In his speech, Desai warned against “unqualified people indulging in professional medical practice causing endless harm to society.” [2]
The birth of baby mice made from eggs grown in a lab has sparked an ethical debate over whether the technique should ever be offered for humans by fertility clinics.
The experiment is a step up (or down, depending on how you look at it) from creating human organs from stem cells, which scientists at the University of Edinburgh successfully did for the first time in 2014.
It sounds like a bad joke, but it’s the sad truth: Coca-Cola and Pepsi, the nation’s 2 top soda makers, recently gave money to several prominent public health groups – including some run by the government. [1]
Source: Medical Daily
The sadder truth: Those groups were more than happy to accept the funds.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) announced on October 4th, 2016 that plans to reduce opioid manufacturing by 25% next year are underway, citing a shrinking market and the epidemic of abuse as primary reasons.
The official change, or Final Order, has been published in the Federal Register. And, as The Verge reports:
Superbugs kill tens of thousands of Americans each year, but it’s often not reflected on death certificates. This lack of transparency makes it difficult for health officials to accurately track the spread of antibiotic resistance. [1]
Polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, have been banned in the United States since 1979, but a new study by researchers at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health shows that up to 14 million students in 26,000 U.S. public schools may still be exposed to the toxic industrial chemicals. [1
On October 12, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said in a notice to be published in the Federal Register that it has formally withdrawn plans to ban kratom, an herb used by many as a natural medicine.
In August, the DEA outlined plans to classify mitragynine and 7-hydroxymitragynine, two active compounds in kratom, as Schedule I substances, alongside heroin, LSD, and (inexplicably) marijuana.
Antitobacco groups have decided to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over the agency’s delay in issuing a final rule about graphic health warnings on cigarette packs and ads. [1]
The legal action was launched October 4 in federal court in Boston by the following groups, as well as several pediatricians:
As of October 1, edible marijuana products sold in Colorado must be labeled with a diamond-shaped stamp and the letters THC, both on the packaging and on the products themselves. [1]
Source: The Cannabist
The rule referencing the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana was added after complaints rolled in about the similarities between the pot-based treats and regular candies and baked goods.
