A review of taxes on tobacco, alcohol and sugary beverages in Social Sciences and Medicine concludes that while “specific taxes based on the volume of beverages are likely to reduce the demand for SSBs, policy makers should also consider taxes on alcohol and SSBs that tax the dose of the alcohol and calories in order to create supply-side incentives for producers to lower alcohol and calorie levels in existing products or promote products with lower levels of alcohol and calories.”
U.S. Senate weighs highway bill with modest safety reforms
According to Automotive News, a six-year highway funding bill being considered by the U.S. Senate would provide a path for auto safety regulators to impose bigger fines on automakers that violate the law and take limited steps to address loopholes in the nation’s auto recall system, but it would stop short of some of the stricter measures sought by Democratic lawmakers.
Nestlé/Gerber again caught conning parents
Nestlé has been sued in California state court for shenanigans involving products of its Gerber division, reports Consumer Law and Policy Blog. Nestlé wants to grab the same parents who fed Gerber infant foods to their kids—and tap into their desire for healthier food. However, because it’s cheaper and easier to use fake fruits instead of real ones, Nestlé tarts up flour and sugar with flavors that taste like fruit but which provide none of their nutritional benefits.
Pharmaceutical Companies which Underreported Prices Paid by Medicaid Reach Settlement with DOJ
Whistleblower, a blog for attorneys, reports that AstraZeneca and Cephalon have both reached settlements with the US Department of Justice totaling $54 million. The companies were accused of deliberately underreporting Average Manufacturer Prices to public health programs. The government accused the companies of underpaying rebates owed to the states that caused the United States to be overcharged for its payments to the states for the Medicaid program.
Lawsuit Against General Motors Tests Attorney-Client Privilege
Last week, plaintiffs suing G.M. asked a Federal District Court to find that the company and its lawyers engaged in criminal or fraudulent activity by covering up the defect, reports the New York Times. That, the plaintiffs say, allows the court to lift the veil of confidentiality over their communications. This request presents a significant threat that could reveal even more embarrassing information about how the automaker’s lawyers dealt with the defect.
Dollars for Docs: How Industry Dollars Reach Your Doctors
An updated analysis of the federal database on pharmaceutical industry payments to doctors by Pro Publica shows that 768 doctors received payments on more than half of the days in 2014. More than 14,600 doctors received payments on at least 100 days in 2014.
Nader talks car safety on 50th anniversary of ‘Unsafe at Any Speed’
Without Ralph Nader and his 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed, the cars we drive today would be vastly different from the ones we take for granted. The Chicago Tribune interviews Ralph Nader on the book’s legacy.
Spinning Food: How Food Industry Front Groups are Shaping the Story of Food
A new report by Friends of the Earth, “Spinning Food: How Food Industry Front Groups and Covert Communications are Shaping the Story of Food,” documents unprecedented levels of spending from front groups, trade associations, anti-GMO labeling campaigns, and vast corporate marketing budgets aimed at defusing public concern about the risks of chemical-intensive industrial agriculture and undermining the reputation of organic food.
U.S. Chamber of Commerce Works Globally to Fight Antismoking Measures
From Ukraine to Uruguay, reports the New York Times, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and its foreign affiliates have become the hammer for the tobacco industry, engaging in a worldwide effort to fight antismoking laws of all kinds, according to interviews with government ministers, lobbyists, lawmakers and public health groups in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States.
Health Advocates Remake Coke Ad
Center for Science in the Public Interest has remade Coca-Cola’s iconic “Hilltop” ad with a new message. The new video is health advocates’ latest salvo in their campaign to reduce the incidence of soda-related disease in America and around the world.
Corporations and Health Watch 