Those of you who live in Portland most likely remember the news this summer about the driver who chased down a bicyclist and drove off with the bicyclist clinging to the hood of the car. On November 17, 2008, the driver, who was impaired at the time of the incident, was sentenced to 45 days in jail, 3 years of probation, and 160 hours of community service. He faced three counts: a DUI, attempted assault in the second degree, and unlawful use of a weapon.

The holiday spirit is alive and well, at least in retail stores. Before the Halloween candy was off the shelves, Christmas lights were being set up in adjoining aisles. I guess holiday shopping season is open!

If you’ll recall, last year there was quite a bit of concern over toys tainted with lead. The good news is the number of toys recalled because of lead declined from a whopping 112 in 2007 to 64 in 2008. The bad news is 64 isn’t a particular comforting number; in 2005 and 2006 the number of lead-tainted toys recalled was 13 and 20, respectively. Of the 64 toys recalled this year, the majority were manufactured by small companies, and most were made overseas, primarily in China but also in Vietnam, Peru, India, Taiwan, and Korea.

You can file this under, “Are you kidding me?” According to a story in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer dated November 9, 2008, dentist and oral surgeon Thomas Laney has been sued for disfiguring a young woman during a breast reduction surgery that was performed in 2005. Laney has a questionable record as a dentist and oral surgeon. In 2005 he was licensed and practicing in Seattle, despite having 10 lawsuits filed against him, as well as the death of a patient.

My uncle was a pharmacist for 50 years, and I remember him telling me that if aspirin had been discovered today, it would definitely be a prescription medication because of all its different applications. But, as multi-faceted as aspirin is, aspirin maker Bayer may have gotten a bit carried away with its health claims.

Does the Food and Drug Administration’s fast-track policy for new medical devices help or hurt? According to an article in the New York Times from October 27, 2008, the FDA approval process for medical devices is simple at best. The FDA does not check for evidence of effectiveness but only that the device performs as stated and is not dangerous. After a medical device is approved, medical facilities are free to use the devices and are not obligated to reveal information about the newness of the technology to patients.

In the last post we talked about the potential hazards of BPA, the chemical used in the manufacture of plastic bottles. Well, now we’re going to talk about the potential hazards of the water in the plastic bottles! According to a study conducted by nonprofit organization Environmental Working Group (EWG), some 10 major brands of bottled water are guilty of containing a variety of contaminants, including fertilizer, bacteria, industrial chemicals, and other potentially hazardous materials.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, chances are you’ve heard about the controversy over plastic bottles, such as water bottles. The culprit is Bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical used to produce various types of plastics and epoxy resins. Though plastics manufacturers and the Food and Drug Administration contend BPA is not harmful, many disagree, arguing that BPA leaches into foods and liquids and can cause detrimental hormonal changes, including early puberty and cancer. Consumers have been urged to stop drinking bottled water, toss their Nalgene water bottles, and stop eating canned foods (the lining of the cans contain BPA).

Well, cold season is fast upon us, and for many that means scouring the medicine aisles for cold remedies. Not so fast, my friends! Particularly for those of you who have young children, caution is the key when administering cold medication. Drug manufacturers announced plans to add a warning on labels against administering cough and cold medicines to children under the age of four. Drug makers are voluntarily adding the warning but were influenced by the Food and Drug Administration, according to an October 15, 2008, Associated Press story.

It’s the beginning of the work week, which means most people are probably making some menu plans for dinners. Busy lives mean many look for easy and quick meals that are simple to prepare. Easy doesn’t always means safe, however. A report published on October 4, 2008, warned consumers about the dangers of some frozen chicken dinners when not cooked according to directions. Some 32 individuals in 12 states developed Salmonella poisoning when they mistakenly prepared the frozen entrees in the microwave rather than the oven. As a result, the chicken, which was frozen but not cooked, did not reach safe internal temperatures. In other words, those who microwaved their frozen chicken dinners were essentially eating raw chicken. Consumers may have believed the chicken was precooked because the chicken was breaded and/or browned. So here’s a cautionary tale–if you’re going to have a frozen meal, make sure you read and follow the directions carefully!

Here in Portland, Oregon, people who don’t obsessively drink coffee are in the minority (and perhaps even frowned upon). We love our coffee, and perhaps related to this is our reliance on caffeine. But how much caffeine should one person consume on a daily basis? And when should caffeine consumption begin? Teenagers and young adults may not drink much coffee, but they do drink caffeinated sodas and the hugely popular energy drinks. Though marketed to provide energy, which in itself is not necessarily a bad thing, energy drinks are generally loaded with caffeine–a lot of caffeine.