“Last summer, when Barack Obama repeatedly distanced himself from the Bush administration’s policy regarding medical marijuana, he stopped short of explicitly promising to let states go their own way in this area. But two recent interviews seem to have eliminated any wiggle room on that question. … It seems to me that Obama now has unequivocally promised to back off and allow states to make their own policy decisions about the medical use of marijuana within their own borders. He also seems to be saying the federal government should consider rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act so that doctors can legally prescribe it.” (05/15/08)

http://www.reason.com/blog/#126533

“Pharmacologists are scheming to classify all diseases by their genetic fingerprint, conduct massive genetic screening of the citizenry and then prescribe gene-controlling drugs. But as Big Pharma attempts to stake its claim for use of synthetic drug molecules to influence gene-controlled disease mechanisms, will nature trump the pharmacologists? The foods we eat, the drugs and dietary supplements we take, all provide molecules that affect the human genome – the 30,000 genes that are housed within the nucleus of each cell of the body. Genes, when activated, produce proteins, a process called gene expression. Gene-controlled protein making can also be down-regulated in the same manner.” (05/15/08)

http://www.lewrockwell.com/sardi/sardi83.html

“As a person who has been disabled for 12 years now, even with insurance — I can attest to the tremendous and unmanageable burden health care costs have put on myself and my family. It’s nothing less than a basic human rights violation. It’s torture, it adds to the illness burden mentally & financially. As an American, a mother and a human being, there is something fundamentally wrong with this picture. This is a tale of pay or die that recurs again and again all over our country and only in our country in the entire western world.” (05/15/08)

http://tinyurl.com/4wh649

“They sure can, according to a new survey conducted by Harris Interactive for Schering-Plough/Merck Pharmaceuticals, a corporate joint venture that makes allergy medications. The survey involved more than 1,000 consumers (people with and without allergies), 1,000 allergy sufferers, and 300 physicians. An allergic reaction involves the release of inflammatory substances that cause sneezing, nasal congestion, runny nose and eyes, and other symptoms. An estimated 50 million Americans have indoor and outdoor allergies, some of which get worse in the spring. The consumer portion of the survey revealed that, while most people feel sorry for allergy sufferers, more than one-third think allergy sufferers overstate their symptoms or use allergies as an excuse to get out of something.” (05/12/08)

http://tinyurl.com/5f8uex

“Multiple vitamins are taken by at least 50% of American adults and 25% of teenagers. It is common knowledge that our food supply is lacking key nutrients that support health. Yet, the quality of multiple vitamins varies dramatically as the majority of the dietary supplement industry falls into the ‘fast food’ category. Junk vitamins, like junk food, should be avoided. Educate yourself and know the difference. In Part 1 of this two part article, I explained how you can look at the minerals in a multiple vitamin or bone support product and make a good judgment about the quality of the product. In this part I will do the same for B vitamins, beta carotene, and vitamin E.” (05/02/08)

http://www.newswithviews.com/Richards/byron57.htm

“The first thing you notice when you sit down with Tom Daschle is that he’s got some really funky glasses. Like, surprisingly funky. Fire engine red with odd edges and varied trim, the sort of eyeglasses you’d see perched on the nose of an art dealer, not a former Senate majority leader. But despite the incongruent accessorizing, Daschle is a former Senate majority leader, through and through. After losing his South Dakota Senate seat to John Thune in 2004, he halfheartedly attempted to return to private life, joining a law firm and taking some teaching gigs. But soon enough, he was pulled back into public policy by the Center for American Progress, which convinced him to become a senior fellow. Soon after that, he began working with well regarded health policy researchers Scott Greenberger and Jeanne Lambrew on a book about the healthcare system. Critical: What We Can Do About the Health-Care Crisis, is now out, and most of it is fairly familiar. Costs are up, and coverage is down. Taxes are up and quality is down. Anxiety is up and access is down.” (05/14/08)

http://tinyurl.com/3l82y5

“For those lucky enough to still have a child-like spring in their step, the thought of dealing with chronic pain is incomprehensible. But for an estimated 6 million to 12 million Americans suffering from fibromyalgia, its chronic, debilitating pain is simply a way of life. Most people, even those living in pain every day, have never heard of fibromyalgia … but it is time that we all became aware of this life-changing disorder. The Tennessee General Assembly passed and Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed a resolution declaring Monday, May 12, as Fibromyalgia Awareness Day in Tennessee.” [editor’s note: My apologies for missing this story when it came to print; when an AMA-licensed physician writes in support of the very “existence” of this disease, there’s clearly hope! This ailment (or set of symptoms?) is VERY real; I have already known personally at least ten women and one man who suffer from it - SAT] (05/12/08)

http://tinyurl.com/478cva

“Are you confused when you go to the drug store to choose an allergy medication for quick and lasting relief? You are not alone! Medications to treat your allergies can be both non prescription (OTC) or prescription drugs. Some are once a day and others are twice or three times a day. One of the most important OTC allergy medications includes antihistamines. They are generally the primary treatment for those who seek non prescription relief of sneezing, runny nose and itchy eyes. They have been on the market for decades and in general are fast acting, and even better when used before the ‘misery’ begins.” [editor’s note: Yet another example of OTC outstripping Rx effectivenes for most of us. Now if they just acknowledged the “alternative” remedies - SAT] (05/14/08)

http://tinyurl.com/4nctgk

“With the Democratic presidential race winding down, the presidential campaign can again focus on the real issues facing the country. At the top of the list, alongside ending the Iraq War, is providing universal healthcare. The reform of the country’s health care system is not only essential for ensuring people have access to high quality healthcare, it is also increasingly important for the country’s economic well-being. The inefficiency of the health care system is imposing an ever-greater strain on the economy. The United States already pays more than twice as much per person for health care as the average in other wealthy countries. This gap grows larger year by year. Just as an ever-growing tax burden can strangle an economy, so can an ever-growing burden of healthcare costs.” [editor’s note: As usual, this “progressive” pundit ignores all but the corporatist McCain scenario … and the truly fascistic government-in-charge version; no mention here of HSAs, “de-insulation” or any other free market pathways - SAT] (05/12/08)

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/051208A.shtml

“When it comes to prescription drug policies, governments in the United States tend to be more oriented towards competitive markets while the governments in Canada tend to be more interventionist. There is a common misperception Canadian prescription drug policies tend to produce lower overall costs for consumers than American prescription drug policies. However, a recently published Fraser Institute report shows that the average personal cost burden of prescription drug spending is roughly equivalent in both countries.” [Adebe Acrobat .pdf file] (05/14/08)

http://tinyurl.com/4lo63e