Group items tagged

A new study in The Lancet rates the harmfulness of 20 psychoactive drugs according to 16 criteria and finds that alcohol comes out on top. Although that conclusion is generating headlines, it is not at all surprising, since alcohol is, by several important measures (including acute toxicity, impairment of driving ability, and the long-term health effects of heavy use), the most dangerous widely used intoxicant, and its abuse is also associated with violence, family breakdown, and social estrangement. A group of British drug experts gathered by the Independent Scientific Committee on Drugs (ISCD) rated alcohol higher than most or all of the other drugs for health damage, mortality, impairment of mental functioning, accidental injury, economic cost, loss of relationships, and negative impact on community. Over all, alcohol rated 72 points on a 100-point scale, compared to 55 for heroin, 54 for crack cocaine, and 33 for methamphetamine. Cannabis got a middling score of 20, while MDMA (Ecstasy), LSD, and psilocybin mushrooms were at the low end, with ratings of 9, 7, and 6, respectively.

The ethically squishy FDA is completely comfortable with these vibrant chemicals and the bizarre fact that many are made from petroleum products. The panel rejected warning labels by a vote of 8 to 6, and also rejected the basic premise that there is any evidence of a link between hyperactivity and artificial food dyes, despite the claims made in a 2007 article published in the British medical journal Lancet. In fact, two studies sponsored by the British government linked artificial coloring and preservatives with hyperactivity in children. Those conclusion-jumping Brits asked food producers to halt the use of chemical colors and even petitioned the European Parliament to require warning labels.

Having nearly 275 million tobacco users, India ranks second globally and very close to China (approximately 301 million users). But unlike China, where nearly all are smokers and nearly 95 per cent smoke manufactured cigarettes, India accounts for more of smokeless tobacco users - 206 million, says a study published on 17th Aug, in The Lancet.

Buy Accu Chek Instant S Blood Glucose Meter Online at Best Price in India from TabletShablt, India's Leading Online Medical Store.