Gun violence has been a problem for a long time, writes Allen Rostron in The Conversation, but recent shootings in Paris and San Bernardino have focused attention on the issue. A key way to ensure that gun companies operate safely and responsibly would be to repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. Enacted in 2005, this federal law gave gun sellers a special immunity from legal responsibilities that is not enjoyed by any other industry.
Don’t Let Progress on Tobacco Evaporate
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported this month that the adult smoking rate in the United States has fallen to a new low, a testament to the decades of education about the dangers of tobacco and measures to discourage its use. But, warns an editorial in the New York Times, now Republicans in the House are seeking to slash the very government programs that have helped to achieve such remarkable success.
Concerns Over Valeant Spread to Other Drug Makers
As questions mount about the viability of Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.’s business model, writes the Wall Street Journal, concerns are spreading to other drug makers seen as following a similar playbook. Like Valeant, these firms are part of a new breed of pharmaceutical company that has limited costly investment in research and development and instead sought sales growth through debt-fueled acquisitions—often of older drugs for which they raise prices sharply.
National Food Policy Scorecard
Food Policy Action
Food Policy Action was established in 2012 through a collaboration of national food policy leaders in order to hold legislators accountable on votes that have an effect on food and farming. Its goal is to change the national dialogue on food policy by educating the public on how elected officials are voting on these issues. Through education and the National Food Policy Scorecard, more people will be armed with the information they need to vote with their forks and elect more food policy leaders across the country.
Tobacco, alcohol and processed food industries – Why are they viewed so differently?
Katherine Smith November 18, 2015
Cross-posted from Policy and Politics Blog
One of the few indisputable truths in life is that we will all, eventually, die but what we will die of, and at what age, is changing across the world, with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) increasingly accounting for excessive morbidity and mortality burdens. The growing prevalence of NCDs is triggering substantial policy concern, evident, for example, in the 2011 UN high level meeting on NCDs. Yet, it is clear there are very different ways of thinking about this ‘epidemiological transition’: it has been framed, on the one hand, as a consequence of the choices that individuals make and, on the other, as a consequence of the strategies that corporations pursue.
California ballot measure will bypass NRA on gun control
An op ed in the Sacramento Bee notes that year after year, Americans are horrified by the relentless gun violence in this country – and feel despair that it can’t be stopped. Now California’s Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking the issue directly to the people, with his proposal of a state ballot measure to advance gun safety. The measure would make California the first in the nation to implement point-of-sale background checks for ammunition purchases.
This is how gullible General Mills thinks Americans are
The Washington Post writes that General Mills has a clever new trick, according to a lawsuit brought against the company this week by Center for Science in the Public Interest. The suit alleges that the cereal maker has been selling a new product called Cheerios Protein, which the company introduced last year, under false pretenses.
Look what is being sold to kids when they are in school
by Faith Boninger and Alex Molnar
Cross-posted from The Conversation
Students are greeted these days with a barrage of marketing and advertising as they enter the school year. And there is no let-up. The ads are all over.
The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) found ads in corridors, on scoreboards and vending machines, and inserted in the curricula through supplementary educational materials. They were on school equipment (eg, uniforms, cups, water coolers, beverage cases, food display racks) and on school buses. Ads were also put out through school newspapers, yearbooks and the school radio stations.
Continue reading Look what is being sold to kids when they are in school
EU urged to protect citizens from air pollution and fraudulent practices of car makers
Several European health and environmental groups have written to European leaders saying that in cheating on emission control, Volkswagen has “intentionally misrepresented and manipulated data for years to undercut standards which were put in place to protect our health and the environment.” They urge the European Union to “improve its capacity to protect European citizens from air pollution and the fraudulent behaviour of companies.”
New poll shows most Americans think e-cigarettes are harmful
A new national poll shows that most Americans believe electronic cigarettes are harmful to people’s health. The findings could bolster the Food and Drug Administration as it moves to regulate e-cigarettes for the first time.
Corporations and Health Watch 