Speciality pharmaceuticals group Shire just posted its first quarter earnings with an extremely strong increase in sales in their hyperactivity treatment group of medications especially in the US market. In fact, they’re making about 19% more than they were this same time last year (keep in mind thats $972 million dollars).

Quoting one of their representatives:

“Sales of our ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) treatments INTUNIV, VYVANSE and ADDERALL XR were all up and the overall ADHD market in the US showed good growth.”

It seems like just another example of drugs being over-prescribed to me. “ohh, johnny didn’t do well on his test? He probably has ADD, let’s talk to a doctor and get him some treatment.” Meanwhile what little Johnny needs is less Xbox 360 and more studying. Parents are now-a-days looking for quick fixes for just about everything and sadly this has become one of them. Let’s keep in mind what we’re prescribing our kids shall we:
Adderall is just a version of amphetamine salts. Remember amphetamine? If you’re old enough it was probably called Dexedrine back when you first heard about it, but that’s just the medical prescription form that they had back then. Even if you don’t remember Dexedrine, you surely remember what the drug called “speed” is right? Think of it as a medically toned down version of the same stuff that is sold on street corners and first became popular by the beatnik generation (who’d usually inject it).

Now, back to adderall, if you think just because it’s not Ritalin that it can’t be that bad you’re wrong. It’s actually (on the scale of how addicting not to mention harmfull if used over time) far worse. From growth stunting, death, heart problems and high blood pressure as starters, this one can be a real problem if taken improperly. These drugs were made to be a supplement to real treatment for their ADD/ADHD. By that I mean behavioral treatment. It’s not just something you get prescribed and then forget about it until each month when you have to go refill the prescription, it’s something you treat with education on how to better train your brain to focus. Whether that’s getting in the habit of taking excessive notes, using a stress ball or other one-handed object to occupy yourself as you engage in another task or any other of the hundreds of treatments that can easily be learned. This isn’t alternative medicine i’m talking about. No new-age, hippie, take some vitamin C and you’ll be fine stuff, this is actually how to treat ADD/ADHD. Just think twice about having your child be prescribed any ADD/ADHD medicine. You don’t want them to still be taking it 10 years from now….because I promise you not only will they have been affected negatively by the drug, they also will most likely be taking a dosage thats 4x higher due to a growth in tolerance.

For more information on the drug visit drugs.com or the WebMD.com section on the drug.

According to a recent report released on Thursday there’s now speculation that there may be a nationwide smoking ban by the year 2010. This by no means has been confirmed however almost half of all US states currently have some form of anti-smoking law in place, with the most drastic being a ban on indoor smoking which from 2000 to 2010 led to 25 states making it illegal.

For you smokers out there, there are still seven states with no restrictions on indoor smoking, however a few specific cities in these states do have acting restrictions barring smoking indoors.

A quote taken from the Associated Press article includes a comment from active pro-smokers-rights group executive:

“Gary Nolan, director of a smokers’ rights group, said he wouldn’t be surprised if the CDC’s prediction came true. Public health officials and others have been putting tremendous pressure on bars and businesses to bar smoking, he added.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they prevailed,” said Nolan, of the Smoker’s Club. “It’s just a little bit more liberty slipping away at the hands of big government.”

Now as far as research is concerned regarding the economic factors involved in banning indoor smoking, a report from the CDC on the Impact of a Smoking Ban of Restaurant and Bar Revenue showed that during the study taken in El Paso, TX there was zero decline in total revenue after the ban was enacted. (source) Smokers just get use to it and either work on quitting, or smoke in appropriate places.

Who says yogurt is just a diet food? Apparently not researchers and doctors around the world as evidence is continually being released that this tasty snack contains loads of microscopic warriors in the form of beneficial bacteria that are a must for good health.

The National Institute of Nutrition has released data stating that a cup of yogurt (250 mg) contains 370 mg of calcium. This is 30 – 40 % of most adults’ daily needs! Not only that but at eight grams of protein per cup, yogurt meets 20 – 25 % of the average daily needs of an adult not to mention is a great source of the B vitamins your body needs on a daily basis. Bet you didn’t know this either – A cup of yogurt contains 250 mg of potassium – which is the same amount that your average sized banana has!

Yogurt sets up an efficient little health factory in your intestinal tract and creates B vitamins for you and also provides lactic acid, a key protein aid, calcium and iron assimilation.

Now if you’re on a low calorie diet, yogurt will soon become your best friend. It is easily available anywhere from grocery stores to even gas stations and is a snack that tastes great at any time of the day (also when eaten at night); it is low in calories and can easily fill up your appetite when eaten combined with a high-fiber vegetable or fruit as a combo.

Lookout America – Yogurt may just be the perfect ‘health food.’

Accounting for more than 10% of all tobacco products sold Africa is on the brink of what experts are referring to as a “Global Smoking Epidemic.” A recent report released by the American Cancer Society & the Global Smokefree Partnership claims that more than half of all African countries will double their tobacco use within 12 years if something is not done to curb the current usage trends.

What is being done to try and prevent an inevitable onslaught of new lung cancer victims? Currently countries like Niger & Kenya have been leading the way in this effort with bans on smoking in public places, however some critics are demanding that countries take further action similar to recent laws passed in Mauritius which have been described by the American Cancer Society as some of the most robust anti-smoking measures in the world. Why haven’t more countries taken action to try and prevent such an epidemic from occurring? The result might surprise you but most countries aren’t eagerly jumping on the bandwagon because they fear any harsh anti-smoking laws will be met with fierce opposition by the general population. That doesn’t mean that countries with a primarily pro-smoking majority aren’t trying though. In Egypt for instance, women have the right to divorce their husbands if their smoking affects their health according to a local fatwa (Islamic ruling), however there is no ban on smoking in public places yet. It’s been speculated that more than half of the population of Egypt regularly use cigarettes, water-pipes and other tobacco-related products making such a widespread law difficult to find support for.

Dr. Twalib Ngoma, president of the African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC), says advertising which targets African youth is partially to blame. “Tobacco companies are targeting poor, developing countries in Africa. If you drive from the airports to most towns you will see a lot of billboards promoting tobacco, saying that if you smoke you are going to be successful.” Like adding kerosene on an already-lit fire The American Cancer Society claims that the African tobacco industry has been busy trying to influence governmental agencies to support pro-tobacco initiatives. They go on to claim that the companies try to convince African governments that tobacco is important to economic activity and that raising taxes on cigarettes and implementing smoke-free laws will result in revenue and job-losses. An example of this can be seen currently in Kenya, where the local tobacco industry has filed a legal dispute to a recent anti-smoking law passed by the parliament. In Zambia there are corporation rumors surrounding a possible connection between the British American Tobacco group and what is being described as a “diluted proposal” for a smoke-free law. When contacted about these allegations British American Tobacco denied any ill-intent stating that they were only briefly consulted on the draft bill last year, pointing out that it has yet to be finalized.

Adam Spielman, a tobacco industry analyst with Citigroup, thinks that the African market forms around 10% or so of the profits for the biggest companies, but also adds that this area is growing.
He goes on to say that the tobacco companies aren’t too concerned with increasing the volume of cigarettes sold as much as the importance of being able to increase the price of tobacco products sold. “If a consumer is addicted to tobacco, then it is possible to put prices up and they will go without lunch.” But as with most global problems, Mr. Spielman speculates that increasing advertising restrictions and bigger health warnings will eventually come into place in African countries.