In a Wall St. Journal article published today, many patients are told to use drugs with black box warning in spite of these drugs being unsuitable for them.
Monthly Archives: February 2006
Colorado Sex Abuse Victims Plead Their Case and Win
In more than 7 and a half hours of emotionally draining testimony from victims of sexual abuse, the Colorado Senate State Affairs Committee voted 5-1 to allow sexual abuse victims to pursue justice in the courtroom. The bill will now go to the full Colorado Senate for review.
Family Deals With Life After Taser
The following story ran in The Globe and Mail newspaper:
Samantha Foldi faces life as a widow from her wheelchair. For nearly 10 years, since a car accident left her partially paralyzed, she relied on her husband Jim for so much. He quit his construction job to help with her rehab and to care for their four children. He once rescued them from a fire, lowering his wife to safety out a bedroom window.
Mr. Foldi, 39, died last summer — after a late-night confrontation with police. Officers fired a 50,000-volt taser stun gun 12 times during the struggle; it’s not known how many times he was hit.
Taser Found to Be 39 Times More Powerful than Manufacturer Claims!
In an article reported this morning in the Arizona Republic, a study measuring electric shocks from a Taser stun gun found that it was 39 times more powerful than the manufacturer claimed, raising new questions about the weapon’s safety.
The study, published last month in the peer-reviewed Journal of the National Academy of Forensic Engineers, concluded that the shocks are powerful enough to cause fatal heart rhythms. It is one of the few scientific studies of Taser’s electric jolt in which the company did not participate.
“The findings show the energy delivered by the weapon to be considerably understated by the manufacturer,” the Journal study said. “These findings place the weapon well into the lethal category.”
New Seat Belt Law in Florida
It’s been a little less than two months since a new, but little publicized seat belt law went into effect in Florida. The new law allows police officers to stop drivers and occupants of vehicles who are not using seat belts. The catch is that they have to be under 18 years old in order to be stopped. This law is aimed at preventing teenagers and children from dying in accidents because they’re not wearing seat belts.
FDA Official Says Vioxx Maker Merck Had Plenty of Time to Warn Patients of Danger
Merck could have immediately warned Vioxx patients that the drug might cause an increased risk of heart attacks rather than waiting two years before issuing a warning, according to a former FDA official.
Arbishop Chaput on a Crusade to Protect the Church not the Victims of Sexual Abuse
Archbishop Chaput, head of the Archdiocese of Denver, has mounted an all-out assault on sexual abuse victims and their quest for justice. The Colorado legislature will hear Senate bill 143 on Monday that proposes lifting the statute of limitations for sexual abuse cases. The bill, if passed and signed into law, would open a two year window that would revive ole sex abuse cases involving non-profits and churches that otherwise would be protected by the statute. Chaput argues that the legislation unfairly targets the Catholic Church. According to Chaput, “I want to protect the church from an unjust law, and I’m concerned that this legislation is aimed at the Catholic Church. We want to be treated like everyone else.” Chaput continues his non-sequitur harangue when he says that he believes the church is being singled out “to silence and punish her” for the church’s stance on abortion, traditional marriage and other values issues.
What about the value of protecting innocent children? What about the value of justice for victims who’ve had their innocence taken from them by Catholic priests?
Chicago Priest Indicted on 3 Counts of Aggravated Criminal Sexual Abuse
Rev. Daniel McCormack, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, was indicted on three sexual abuse charges Friday. The priest is scheduled to be arraigned on March 1st. One count of aggravated criminal sexual abuse carries with it a maximum sentence of 7 years in prison.
Former Cop to Plead Guilty to Illegal Use of Taser
A former Escambia County deputy accused of illegally shocking a Pensacola woman with a Taser stun gun is expected to plead guilty next week, federal court documents show.
Health Experts: FDA Oversight Needs to be More Open and Transparent
The chairman of an outside committee of medical experts that advises the Food and Drug Administration on drug-safety issues said Friday the agency’s own drug-safety oversight board needed to be more open and transparent. The chairman of the committee recommended that the FDA add new members to its oversight board.