You’ve all seen the ads for the popular sleep aid Ambien. Yet, behind this popularity is a little known fact: the sudden rise in Ambien related impaired driver arrests. Some of those arrested state that they have no recollection of driving a vehicle prior to the arrest. In some state toxicology laboratories Ambien makes the top 10 list of drugs found in impaired drivers. And as a more people are taking the drug — 26.5 million prescriptions in this country last year — there are signs that Ambien-related driving arrests are on the rise.
Monthly Archives: March 2006
Police Use Taser on Elderly Man in Wheelchair
Every day I read a new Taser story. Each day the story seems to get more outrageous. Today, the story’s about a Harris County (TX) sheriff’s deputy using a taser on an elderly man in a wheelchair! The deputy has been placed on administrative leave for improper use of the stun gun weapon. The 73 year old man was shot twice in the groin area by the deputy. At the time of the incident, 12 deputies had stormed the man’s house looking for his grandson.
Truth, Not Marketing, Goal of Scientific Research
According to Harold C. Sox, MD, scientific research should be directed at truth and objectivity rather than promoting the marketing initiatives of pharmaceutical companies. In an article published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the doctor decries the use of fake scientific data to bolster sales of pharmaceutical drugs or medical devices. Sox further states that scientists have a duty not only to publish the truth but also to correct faulty data published in other journals.
Tasered Inmate Remains in Coma
A Tennessee man remains in a coma after being tasered while in custody for public intoxication. The FBI has begun an investigation into why the man lapsed into a coma after being tasered by a jail deputy. According to police, an M26 Taser was fired at the man after he became combative.
Judge Enters Not Guilty Plea for South Florida Priest
The former Archdiocese of Miami priest, Neil Doherty, 62, stood silently alongside his attorney during his arraignment for drugging and raping a child. The former Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Miami has had numerous credible accusations brought against him by victims of sexual abuse. The abuse dates back to the 1970’s. Since neither Doherty nor his attorney spoke during the arraignment hearing, the judge entered an automatic plea of not guilty.
Drug Trials Promised but Unseen by FDA
The FDA has reported that 2/3 of the drugs approved by the agency remain untested and unproven. When new drugs are approved for public use, they are supposed to report the results of clinical trials to the FDA. One drug approved in 1955 has still not complied with these tests. These studies are important in that they are intended to reveal if the drugs are working as intended and whether they are producing any side effects.
Taser 12 Gauge
Outrageous but true: in the midst of mounting public concern over its dangerous stun gun, Taser International has developed and plans to market a 12 gauge shotgun so that its users can fire from a greater distance! That’s just brilliant! In the face of a public outcry over safety concerns and more than 100 deaths in the wake of Taser use, the company wants consumers to be able to fire the weapon even more indiscriminately. This is not the time to be developing new, more lethal weapons. They need to stop and examine the deadly effects of the Tasers on the market right now.
EPA Requests Reduced Use of Teflon Chemical
The chemical manufacturers use to make Teflon, perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, have been asked by the EPA to reduce and eventually eliminate its use due to its carcinogenic properties. Teflon is used in a wide range of consumer goods, including nonstick cookware, waterproof clothing, and food packaging. Currently, the EPA hasn’t established safe levels of PFOA exposure. After reviewing an EPA assessment of the chemical’s risk, an independent panel last month recommended that the agency classify PFOA as a “likely” carcinogen. The EPA will now develop a final risk assessment of the chemical. The agency said in yesterday’s statement that consumer products made with Teflon and other nonstick coatings don’t pose a risk to consumers.
Obesity Raises Car Crash Death Risk
If there weren’t enough health risks associated with being overweight, along comes another one-maybe one you wouldn’t have thought about. If you’re male and obese, you’re at a significantly greater risk to die as a result of a car crash according to a Milwaukee based investigation. The study cites various factors leading to this increased risk: obesity reduces the body’s ability to recover from injury, the actual effects of momentum in the crash itself, and body shape.
Drug Patch Latest to be Targeted by FDA Probe
In July 2005 it was the fentanyl patch used for chronic pain. The following November it was the Ortho Evra birth control patch after studies had shown women using the patch were exposed to 60% more estrogen than non-users. Now, the FDA is going to probe the entire drug patch industry for safety concerns.